Jonathan Kaplan, back from the comfortable Pacific Islands to the crisp cool of Cape Town, answers' readers questions which, it is great to relate, keep coming in as we rush well past a thousand since we started.

1. Name: Donal Treacy

Question: Dear Duty Referee

I have a question regarding the application of the advantage law.

Should a referee consider such factors as the ability a team has shown at set pieces, broken play etc. It seems to be a grey area and while I doubt there is a 100% right answer I would be interested in getting your opinion as to my logic and actions.

Example that happened me in a game: Red has a weak scrum and this has been evident all day. Wing for Blue knocks on, I awarded advantage to Red and the ball bounced into touch then. I said to Captain of Red (whose team had played well at line-outs) that advantage had been gained and we would have a Red throw (maybe 1m gain in ground). My logic was that they would have a better chance of winning it and I looked to offer best advantage to non-offending team. Both teams seemed happy with my application; yet a fellow referee who was watching said that for him no real advantage had been gained.

Many thanks for all your help.

Regards, Donal

Jonathan Kaplan: This is a moot point. I would tend to agree with you. if you have a general appreciation of what is going on on the field, and the general preferences of the teams, they will respect your decision. Those of us who follow the letter of the law may however opt for the scrum.

2. Name: Dieter Meyer

Question: At the ruck situation all player must either be bound or behind the last line of feet. However more and more at higher levels players are allowed to bind by one hand to the ruck and then act as a barrier between the opposition and the ball carrier or receiver of the ball. A second player often takes up a position next to the first mentioned to protect the ball.
Surely both players are offside as they are not correctly bound nor behind the last feet. They are surely obstructing or preventing the opposition fair attempt at getting to the ball or ball carrier thus constituting a penalty. comment will be appreciated.

Jonathan Kaplan: If you are/were part of a ruck, you may stay in a dominant attacking position. However you are correct in saying that those players who stand on the sides of the rucks protecting the halfback when they are not behind the hindmost feet are liable to penalty!

3. Name: Craig Bailey

Question: Love your site, wish the Aussie refs had something similar.

I was reffing a country A Grade game (i.e. middling skill level but high passions). Green were coming home well after Red had led for most of the game. Red skipper gave his team a blast, and tensions lifted noticeably. The captain made the next tackle with a blatant 'swinging arm' motion with clenched fist across the solar plexus (not high). I penalised only (no yellow card), mainly just to take the heat out of the situation. This worked, and the game was completed without a complete blow up.

As we were having a beer and a shower later, Red captain quizzed me about the penalty, believing his tackle was legal. I could really justify it in law only in that it is the referees discretion as to what is dangerous, and morally because it defused the elevating tensions.

Is the act of a 'swinging arm' illegal even though it did not hit the recipient too high?

Thanks so much, Craig Bailey.

Jonathan Kaplan: If you deemed the tackle to be dangerous, it does not need a definition! You are the sole judge of fact.

4. Name: Bunny Bolton

Question: Not a laws question this time.

How did you enjoy your trip to the Pacific Islands? What was the rugby like? What was the hospitality like?

Jonathan Kaplan: Fiji was awesome. it is a beautiful island and the people are rugby ‘verskrik’!

I refereed three games in all and enjoyed my time there. the organization and hospitality were first class and I would love to go back one day!

Fiji vs Samoa was quite a physical game with big hits, etc, and very strong defence by both teams. My last Test was between Fiji and Japan, won by Fiji with one second left on the clock (converted try) 40-39. A really fabulous Test match with both teams throwing everything at it for the full 80!

5. Name: Donal Treacy

Question: Any advice on how to deal with 'those teams' - the ones with the reputation. There is at least one in every league and more pressure on you with the media.

In one of my first games I was given a serious and many joking warnings that indiscipline was a factor for one of the teams I was assigned to. It really affected my performance. I was torn between not wanting to let the game out of my control and also not wanting to let prejudice affect a result.

My assessors said there are many small things - like playing less advantage, blowing for scrums resulting from rucks quicker, etc.

How do you deal with professional teams who have a reputation for playing a certain way? What small things can the new referees of the world do to make controlling these games easier?

Jonathan Kaplan: I always go into matches armed with as much information as possible but referee the game as it unfolds. The good referees can judge whether they need to referee more or let the players express themselves. In general you will be doing a bit of both in every game you referee, and it is for you to discern when. The assessor may have made some valuable points but at the end of the day, you are the one out there and you need to gauge the temperature of the game and referee it accordingly without prejudicing either team.