Pretoria last Saturday and Bloemfontein this Saturday as Marius Jonker continues to charge around the world of refereeing but still has time to answer readers' questions. ,
 
1. Name: Robert Burns
 
Question: Hello,
 
Once again, congratulations on a fantastic rugby website!
 
I'd like to ask about the last Chiefs try in their game against the Cheetahs. If you go back to the ruck where they turned the ball over a Chiefs player is seen to obviously and illegally come in at the side and is the player that steals the ball. Why wasn't this player picked up by the referee or assistant referee for such a blatant infringement?
 
Thanks.
 
Robert

Marius Jonker: Hi Robert.

 have not had the chance to speak to the referee regarding this incident and cannot give you his reason for not picking this up.

We are all human and we all make mistakes. With the pace of the game nowadays we will certainly miss infringements. We aim to be perfect but you know that this is easier said than done.

Regards, Marius.
 
2. Name: Pieter Rautenbach
 
Question: Baie dankie vr die terugvoering elke week en moeite om te reageer op die vrae.
 
Ek wil 'n snaakse vraag vra vandag. Is dit nie geweldig irreterend as die spelers so aanmekaar op die skeisdsregters skree en beduie nie. Veral soos Fourie du Preez aangaan en gedurig sy hande in die lug opgooi nie. Die ref probeer die meeste van die tyd kyk vir voordeel en dan gaan hulle soos mal mense tekere agter die loskrums. Is dit toelaatbaar of kan hulle aangespreek word daarvoor

Vraag 2. By baie van die rucks staan spelers langs die ruck om die skrumskakel te beskerm. As hy nie deel van die ruck is nie moet hy nie dan agtertoe beweeg en agter die laaste man se voete staan nie?
 
Groete, Pieter

Marius Jonker: Hallo Pieter.

Hierdie is my persoonlike opinie. . . . . .
 
Die 'game' behoort aan die spelers. Hulle is onder geweldige druk om te presteer en gee soms op verskillende maniere uiting aan hulle emosies. Dit is ook nodig dat hulle toegelaat word om dit te doen. . . . . binne perke natuurlik. Sekere goed wat spelers doen sal skeidsregters irriteer en so sal dit wat Fourie doen ook irriterend wees vir sekere skeidsregters. Ek het egter nog altyd ondervind dat Fourie, en ander spelers, heel gewillig is om op te hou waarmee hulle besig is sodra skeidsregters hulle aanspreek daaroor. Persoonlik het dit wat Fourie doen my nog nie geirriteer nie en ek sal hom gou laat weet as dit irriterend sou wees.

Jou tweede vraag. . .

Jou opmerking is heeltemal korrek. As 'n speler nie aan die losgemaal gebind is nie, moet hy agter die agterste man se voete wees.

Beste wense, Marius.
 
3. Name: Riaan Grobler
 
Question: Hi there
 
I would like to know, if a tackler rips the ball out of the tackled players hand just before going to ground, what will the verdict be? Is this a tackle and that the tackler should release the ball or should play continue?

Marius Jonker: Hi Riaan.

This will be turnover ball and play will continue.

Regards, Marius.
 
4. Name: John Firth
 
Question: If a ball is kicked onto a player by someone outside his 22. The receiver does not catch it and it bounces forward out of his hands and lands directly in touch, what is the call? Is it a line-out where the ball was kicked, where the ball went out or a scrum?

Marius Jonker: Hi John.

This will be adjudged as a knock on and a scrum to the team who kicked the ball.

Cheers, Marius.
 
5. Name: Derek Summers
 
Question: Team A has an attacking line-out inside their opponents 22 and wants to form a rolling maul off the throw. As the catcher for team A comes to the ground a player from Team B grabs him and attempts to bring him to the ground while at the same time Team A forms a maul. Is the player from team B allowed to do that if he alone attempts to dump the maul, or has a maul even formed?
 
Marius Jonker: Hi Derek.

The player catching the ball must be allowed to return to the ground before the opposition player plays him. Once he is on the ground he may be taken to ground. This is called sacking and is legal.

Once other players have bound on this player and he is still on his feet it becomes a maul and any collapse will result in a penalty. The timing of the attempted sacking is important as it has to happen immediately.

Regards, Marius.

6. Name: Bunny Bolton
 
Question: I have two questions which are almost one question.
 
a. Is a penalty try a matter of fact or, like advantage, entirely subject to the referee's judgement?
b. Is repeated infringement a matter of fact or entirely subject to the referee's judgement?
 
I ask these in the aftermath of Steve Walsh's refereeing of scrums.
 
He awarded a penalty try against the Lions when the scrum did not budge forward and then did not award penalty tries to the Stormers and the Waratahs when the scrums went forward and the defenders were penalised for collapsing.
 
Then in the match with the Waratahs Ben Alexander was penalised four times at scrums in the second half. Does that not constitute repeated infringement?
 
Marius Jonker: Hi Bunny.

Good to hear from you again.

a) I suppose it is a bit of both.

 A penalty try is awarded if the offence prevents a try that would probably otherwise have been scored.

The referee needs to make a judgement on the facts of what happened in that phase of play and deal with it.

b) The Law says: "Repeated infringement is a matter of fact, but the referee still needs to make a decision\judgement call on whether he believes that the infringements are actually repeated - the same sort of infringement by the same player/team in a relatively close period of time.. This requires a bit of feeling for the situation combined with a bit of good judgement.

Regards, Marius.

7. Name: Alan Danker

Question: Marius,

In the 57th minute of the game between the Lions and the Bulls, Wannenburg drove in with his shoulder into a ruck/maul, then unbound and drove in dangerously in the same ruck/maul.
 
A penalty was given to the Bulls for a Lions player entering from the side.
 
Why was Wannenburg not given a card?
 
Thanks

Marius Jonker: Hi Alan.

I was hoping no one would ask this question.

I was the referee. Pedrie should definitely have been penalised and a card was a definite possibility.

I am at fault.

Regards, Marius

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