Nigel Owens reviews an eventful start to Rugby World Cup 2023 | Whistle Watch

In an opening weekend with a lot of talking points, Whistle Watch returns in this first RWC2023 edition.
From Tom Curry's red card, to Fiji's disallowed try against Wales, and the head contact in South Africa v Scotland, get all the analysis from Nigel Owens right here.
Episodes will continue weekly throughout the tournament.
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[@Britalex]

I would have liked to see more analysis on why Fiji were not awarded a penalty try, nor Wales given a yellow card after the quantity of penalties that Wales gave away on their try line. Also it's interesting how RWC are not talking about the other missed red cards of the weekend. WE NEED CONSISTENCY

[@munga1111]

Wales were given yellow for repeated breakdown infringements, then cleared their lines. The next warning was for a scrum penalty - which could have been a penalty try but it may have been harsh. Likewise, the Fiji yellow could well have been a penalty try. I know it seemed like wales got away with with it, but if you watch the last ten minutes, after wales cleared the ball initially at regained posession, they got penalised for going off their feet at a ruck, even though it was uncontested - then fiji did the exact same thing and got away with it. It also looks like fiji committed lots of breakdown infringements without being penalised (side entries, sealing off etc.) Whilst looking at the decisions called by the ref, it seems like Wales may have been lucky, I think it balances out when you consider the potential penalties that weren't called. I think Fiji were really unlucky in the last phase, but looking at the tackle stats, wales certainly did well to keep them out. Also, Fiji repeatedly taking scrum penalties was ultimately their undoing as it ran down the clock. Fantastic game, all the same.

[@FAWicon]

or why Wales weren't given a penalty try for the collapsed maul?

[@johnpollock7952]

Dan Biggar stepping through the maul and grabbing the ball was a yellow card in isolation. It's terrible.

[@johnpollock7952]

​@@munga1111I think that's a pile of excuses. The ref warned both teams next penalty would be yellow, and didn't carry that through. Wales had 4 more penalties with no yellow, including one that was a yellow on its own. Rugby is being shown up more and more for how corrupt it is. Ask Owel Farrell's lawyer.

[@Poweroftouch]

​@@munga1111bang on mate

[@XoticCamel_]

Nigel, as a fellow Welshman. I am very surprised Wales did not recieve more Yellow cards in the last 20mins of the game for the consistent Offsides etc. Would you as a ref - handled it any different ? (Missing you in this World Cup)

[@IestynsViola]

Yes, I tuned in expecting Nigel's take on what most of us thought was inconsistency in our match. That said, Nigel doesn't often openly criticise individual referees, particularly mid-tournament. He tends to use these videos to explain why something was a correct decision in the face of 'trial-by-social-media' rather than suggest mistakes. Still brilliantly clear explanations and info.

[@nicholasfallowfield4379]

I think many of us would appreciate his view on this. I take nothing away from Wales and their superb performance, but surely they got off extremely lightly by Matt Carley?

[@XoticCamel_]

@nicholasfallowfield4379 The Welsh defence was definitely Immense; Total Tackles Made was crazy but questionable how many warnings they got!

[@nicholasfallowfield4379]

@@XoticCamel_ I agree and typified by that Josh Adams tackle but let’s be honest and admit, and try and understand why, there were not more yellow cards for Wales? We just want consistency.

[@jamesgill9223]

Yeah I have to agree, I believe Wales were the better team all round, just last 10 minutes was bad and Corey Doms idiot head on head clean out could have been way worse. He nearly cost Wales the game

[@duffymoon3716]

Very diplomatic re the Kreil incident there Nigel. But you didn’t say whether YOU thought there was head to head contact. Just that the TMO didn’t.

[@mrbeeoutdoors3213]

I must admit, this is a bit disappointing from NO. I appreciate perhaps it jndermines everything and this is a World Rugby channel (I think), so perhaps he's obliged not to be critical. I think the evidence of head contact is probably clear when you look at the blood coming from Kriels ear after the incident.

[@Maine733]

On the Fiji vs Wales game I would have liked to hear Nigel's take on the repetitive warnings (4 times at least) of the Welsh with no yellow given when s straight yellow is given to Fiji is a very similar case.

[@The680002]

He avoided it.

[@TrezenEN]

So with the Fijian yellow, the ref's hands are tied as the Fijian player collapsed a maul which was almost certainly going over for a try. This is a yellow card offence 10/10 times, and was lucky in some sense not be a penalty try. Wales were also already under advantage when this occurred for a previous offence in the same maul. For the Welsh offences, they were minor infringements such as off-side, or not rolling away as they were held in the ruck. What you'd normally see is a warning on the 3rd penalty, then a man in the bin on the fourth. What we saw against Wales was a warning on 4, then a man in the bin on the 5th. After that, the count started again, and by the end of the game Wales were 1 penalty away from another man in the bin as they'd received another warning after 3 penalties. As Gatland alluded to, and is always the case, penalties in this area of the field are always incredibly tight, and whereas one ref may call off-side, another ref may not, such is the fine margins when defending on goal-line. The ref was certainly very quick to penalise Wales during this phase of the game for these minor infringements - including overturning the Welsh lineout on 79 minutes.

[@jakepokai9389]

@@TrezenENjust say you support wales, clearly should of been more yellows

[@TrezenEN]

@@jakepokai9389 I agree. There should have been a yellow on 47 minutes for Ravutaumada as he made a no-arms, high tackle on Tompkins, leading up to the Welsh cross-field-kick try. The Fijians should have also been disallowed a try for a forward pass, and should have been penalised on numerous occasions for ruck infringements, especially during the last 10 minutes of the game. The ref missed plenty on both sides, but ultimately he allowed it to flow, and it gave us all a great game. Another ref - such as Wayne Barnes for example, who was actually an assistant ref for this game, would have had multiple people from both sides in the bin.

[@The680002]

Should have been more yellow cards for Wales. Wales repetitive foul play while defending their try line,Also shoulder charge to Fijian player while attempting to score a try. Ref was very lenient to Wales.

[@janderson9651]

Would be much more interesting to hear his thoughts on constant Wales penalties not leading to yellow cards.

[@Poweroftouch]

Boring .have a day off .like a broken record

[@paulcole]

It’s a fair point - but they’re not gonna get him on the official channel saying the refs got it wrong.

[@hithere3035]

He would never comment on an individual referees performance during a world cup, are you mad? lol

[@janderson9651]

@@Poweroftouch Are you a football fan? We don't discuss things with that kind of energy over here.

[@evancooper7336]

Oh man I miss Nigel Owen's 😢 what a legend.

[@TCt83067695]

He's still alive... Where'd he go? Or has he retired from refereeing?

[@Cxlbz]

@@TCt83067695retired

[@powderedground78]

@@TCt83067695 Facetious.

[@johnnyholtzhausen3493]

He turned many a blind eye while reffing , especially for the poms and NZ

[@A-world-of-My-Own]

You could have a whole Video on the Wales V Fiji game and then some.

[@keithorbell8946]

The issue I have with the Tom Curry red card is not whether it is or isn’t a red card, it’s the fact that there were at least three other very similar head to head contact incidents which weren’t treated with the same sanction. This issue, which is for player safety, must be applied consistently, which it really doesn’t appear to be at the moment.

[@waynelion-cachet35]

You can scratch the Kriel incident off your hit list because there was no head contact. A single photo at a well chosen angle looks like a head contact, it's a pity all of the video angles prove it is an optical illusion.

[@keithorbell8946]

@@waynelion-cachet35 what about the other two, which were clear head contact?

[@mykeday]

Totally agree. I have no issue with it being a red. But if that's red then it's always a red. The fact one ref says it is and one says it isn't is the problem. It should never be an opinion. In regards to the SA vs Scotland one if there was or wasn't head contact it was all down to luck. Both the kriel and curry were arguably as reckless in their tackle. So they should both be penalised in the same way.

[@track6631]

@@waynelion-cachet35no head contact ? You can literally see his face smash into his cheek 🤣

[@graytoby1]

​@@waynelion-cachet35are you watching the same video his head smashed into the other guys face?

[@Holloweve]

Kriel one is Interesting. No attempt to bend in the tackle, there would be no mitigation so one centimetre left with his head and he’d be straight red carded. Fine margins between playing on and a sending off and ban.

[@Bobbydyland]

On the Jessie Kriel thing... I originally thought that was a straight red. But seeing that reverse angle: 1 - You can see the primary point of contact that Jessie makes is shoulder to ball (which is held in the Dempsey chest). Tim Curry's you can see the first point of contact was head to head. 2 - In the Curry contact, you can see a ripple of energy pass though both players heads(@ 02:18) in slow motion as this is where all the force is located. This ripple is absent from the Kriel tackle (@ 04:55). Dempsey's head bounces back as his chin is on the ball, which just took a huge shoulder strike and is "bouncing". Click back and forth between those 2 timestamps and see the difference. 3 - In the Curry's head contact the skin was broken on both players. Lots of blood. Same on the Willemse yellow card in the Wales warm-up game. This mark, and blood, is absent from the Kriel tackle. No physcial evidence of a strike. 4 - Both Kriel and Dempsey (Thank you @AInfrEEzebr) continued as if nothing had happened (which is likely exactly what did happen). Other examples of this type of contact tends to put one or both onto the deck. 5- We don't card and ban players from the game because it looks a little sus. Offences need to be clear and obvious and this just wasn't. One thing for sure, though, I would love it if this was properly explained to the audience to prevent a weeks worth of belly-achining about what turns out to be a legal tackle. The lack of replays in the coverage I've seen is noticeable.

[@AInfrEEzebr]

The Scottish player was Dempsey - kudos must go to him for not falling on the ground trying to milk the red card. Old-school player - huge respect.

[@Bobbydyland]

@@AInfrEEzebrThank you, I'll edit my post to add his name. Yeah, good respect to him for not playing it up. He could have gone full Dan Bigger and dived one the ground holding his knee. I think the fact there's no mark on either lads head shows how benign any head contact was (if any)

[@AInfrEEzebr]

Yes, as you correctly point out, after proper head-to-head contact, both players will be on the floor, usually bleeding. The Kriel incident was a glancing blow and he was incredibly lucky that it wasnt worse as he came in a full pace and very upright, but it is what it is. @@Bobbydyland

[@interestedbystander196]

Well explained, friend. I concur.

[@Bobbydyland]

@@AInfrEEzebr Yeah, I'll say Kriel was incredibly lucky. He put himself at the mercy of the TMO and ref and should not be doing that. Needs to get the tackle lower. Hopefully this is a shot across the bow for him.

[@Poppillon]

There was footage that showed head to head contact in the Kriel tackle so that one is a head scratcher for sure. I can understand the argument that the first contact was on the ball but then it should have been at the very least a yellow and to be honest, sprinting into a tackle without dipping is highly reckless and, it can be argued, enough to negate any mitigation from the indirect hit. That would be in line with the laws. This interpretation that there wasn't any head contact is difficult to understand

[@ricardoazcuenaga]

Nunca me imaginé que uno de los ídolos de mi deporte favorito fuese un árbitro. Nigel eres el mejor, se te extraña en el campo de juego. Saludos desde Salta, Argentina

[@Bobbydyland]

Question @ Nigel: Why is the throw-in to the lineout judged for straightness but the scrum-feeds not? The law is still in the book, but not officiated.

[@leunga]

Thanks Nigel for the explanation on the red / yellow card inconsistencies. Couldnt the ref team just give a statement like what you have explained after the weekend to clear it all up. The decision will still be down to how the ref / TMO intepret the laws and the contact made. I am however still surprise how the Argentina player didnt get upgraded to red for his charged down on Ford. That tackle with hip to head height could have ended Ford's tournament and he had much more time to decide whether to make contact than Curry's. There was no blood injury but intention to harm was much worse.

[@HarryPottard]

Out of all the situations in Wales vs Fiji they chose the One where he actually did a clear double movement..

[@yogbert]

I would love to know more of Nigel's thoughts on the whole Wales v Fiji game. The referee seemed to let the game flow but many fiji supporters are unhappy with the 2nd half in particular. In the first half it looked as though Fiji were given a lot of lucky breaks though eg into rucks off feet and sealing off, dangerous tackle on Liam Williams (possible red?), collapsing the scrum (Fiji no.1) seat belt tackle of Wales scrum half....Wales seemed to get a lot of warnings but not a yellow which incensed the Fiji fans. Help us out Nigel!!

[@PeerAdder]

Wales got one warning after the fourth penalty in a 10 minute period around the hour mark. Some refs might have warned a side after three such penalties, but up to that point the penalty count was pretty even between the two sides, not all the penalties were in the red zone and not all for the same offence. Domachowski was the next Welsh penalty after the warning, and was yellow carded as a result. In the meantime, Fiji cynically collapsed a maul stopping a possible Welsh try, which deserved, and got, an immediate yellow card. Wales were given a second warning towards the end of the game but didn't exceed Carley's threshold in terms of repeat offences to justify a second yellow. Rather than complaining about the ref, Fiji supporters (mostly English???) should consider the mistakes Fiji made that actually cost them a winning score (and I don't mean Randradra dropping the ball).

[@boogiebooboo]

@PeerAdder finally someone with sense!

[@patrickparker8857]

My question is why was the Kriel tackle not a red from the point of view of his tackle technique being wrong. Take the ball away and the tackle is head on head, it's a straight red. So why does he essentially get lucky with no punishment when the point of the law is to lower tackle height?

[@rawclipsandcrashes8413]

How Kreil didn’t get a red is mental

[@ciaranbrk]

I know and even worse how he wasn’t cited for that is worse.

[@alexanderchance1049]

Love these videos from Nigel. How the TMO didn't see clear head contact from Kriel I have no idea

[@emperorneph]

Because it's clear that he made contact with the ball first. Learn the rules of the game.

[@calumgray]

​@@emperornephball before the head as they say 😂

[@alexanderchance1049]

@@emperorneph what are you on about? if there's head contact (which there clearly was) then the TMO has to look at degree of danger and mitigation. Clearly the TMO was blind if he didn't see head contact. He's in a terrible position to tackle him.

[@tattyheid7279]

@@emperorneph Judging by your username and mine we are both wearing tinted spectacles. My defence is that I am a former ref (only for 25 years though). Two things; there are no rules of the game - just laws. Secondly, if you think once the tackler touches the ball then follows through with a head contact that is his fault, then that's OK - you play a different version of the sport to the rest of us. Nigel disapointingly non-commital on the decision from the TMO and there are far better angles of the head to head collision than the ones shown. If Curry got a red then surely this one was very similar so a complete lack of consistency from officials here.

[@christianwithers7335]

I agree, same as in football, the rule was changed with sliding tackles. If you use too much force and hit the ball but then fly through and smash the player it is a freekick. Who controls and cameras and replays? As itv were blaming the French broadcaster. For Kriel to miss zero minutes, and Curry to miss 317 minutes is crazy.

[@emanuelemarchisio3818]

I love this segment: Owens is even better than on the field. I love how he is staying at his farm instead of going in a studio. Rugby is always ahead of the curve compared to all other sports: concussion protocols, protection of athletes with new rules, mic'd referees, instant replay, and so on...

[@johnpollock7952]

Disappointed there is still no spotlight on South Africa's deliberate knock on from Arensde. Missing this one again.

[@RollerGuideX]

Thank you Nigel! Learning a lot about the complex laws of Rugby! Lack of knowledge, clarity seems to be plaguing officials around the world

[@johnnyholtzhausen3493]

Reffs are controlled by the world rugby MAFIA corupters

[@RQCK0N]

We want consistency but let's start with consistency in the same game i.e. Wales v Fiji. 1 yellow each is a joke considering the repeated Welsh foul play inside their 22.

[@francisraw2459]

Okay Mr Owen,can you please explain why the Welsh player tackled a fijian player with no arm wrap on his knee,causing a no try to Fiji.

[@calebmiles]

I cant wait for Nigel's updates and comments. Very clear, no BS and hugely entertaining. Nigel needs his own rugby show on TV! come on ITV get this man in front of the camera

[@jpevans01]

Very interesting - thanks Nigel! Your analysis about the head contact in Scotland : SA game is concerning. If the TMO didn’t have clear evidence, he didn’t stop. Sooo - this is incentivising players to go to ground making clear there was an injury…? Not really the line we want rugby to go in… 😕 (Just to be clear - not saying you’re wrong! 😂 what do I know! It’s the implications of what you’re saying that concerns me)

[@Skippernick1957]

Great channel, so well explained. Thank you.

[@JeremyPareti]

That was a definite double movement by Fiji. But what about the Welsh shoulder on Fijian players head?

[@shacow1284]

Hi Nigel, what about the second Talea try against France : forward pass or not? The video is cristal clear, it was forward. Was there a rule to justify to award the try? Besides, what do you think of the possibility of giving more yellow cards to the welsh team against Fidji ? The repetition of foul plays within their 22m was pretty big ! Anyways thanks for your videos and very usefull explanations 😊

[@touffulyge6926]

Very relevant questions!

[@limbothytimothy]

tbf the ball can (and often does) travel forwards, it's about how the ball leaves the hands of the passer. Watching the final 10 minutes of the Fiji game, the ref clearly says to Wales, "one more penalty and a player is going in the bin". They then didn't infringe again in that defensive set (which Fiji then scored at the end of) so I think it was fair to not pull out a card.

[@shacow1284]

@@limbothytimothy thanks, yes I’ve read that but I still can’t figure out how a ball that travels 5m forward can be considered as a backward pass 🤓🤓🧐🧐 about the Wales/Fidji game .... your explanation makes sense but I still think that the sanctions were not strong enough if you look at the entire game (Biggard ...)

[@DaidsHole]

@@shacow1284 I haven't seen that game yet (catching up this afternoon!) but if you think of it this way, I face my own try line and throw the ball in the same direction with back spin so it bounces back past me towards opponent's try line, that's clearly not forward and could go more than 5m forward. Obviously that's a theoretical example that takes things to absurd but a plausible description. (Possibly more relevantly, I believe one thing that has changed in some contexts is clear and obvious vs mm by mm examination in the briefing. But also refs and assistant refs are more likely to let things play than they used to. This means a small forward pass might be let go at both stages, on the field to avoid an unnecessry stoppage when overturning is possible and in the TMO booth because it is probable rather than clear and obvious. Don't have a citation but a trend I think I've noticed. )

[@touffulyge6926]

I would agree with @shacow1284 on this one. We've seen examples of balls going slightly forward thanks to momentum, speed, etc, but legal. But this one is ridiculously forward by a few meters... You can't call that a flat or backward pass anymore! Sorry I just disagree with "it's how the ball leaves the hands of the passer", that is simply not enough... In regards to Wales, they should have got penalised early, that simple. 3 infringements in the 5 meters line, multiple in the 22, but no cards..? Fiji, 1 infringement, card!? No coherent!

[@davidbeckett1565]

The TMO screwed up in the South Africa-Scotland game as Jesse Kriel clearly made head-on-head contact with Jack Dempsey when he went in for that stand-up tackle. It was no different to the contact in Tom Curry's red card and Kriel should have been sent off.

[@theneutral1164]

Bollocks, how can you say it was the same? At worst the Kriel incident was a yellow, the Curry incident was a clear red. In the same game Finn Russel could have received a yellow for the no arms shoulder charge. The worst refereeing this weekend was the Wales Fiji game, that was shocking!

[@jimmyobrien8738]

​@@theneutral1164kriel is red no mitigation. Both players upright, kriel coming in at pace making the clash more dangerous

[@Tritoness]

5:56 😅 That had me laughing out loud. Nigel with some good old banter. Only good vibes with Mr. Owens 👍

[@lawrencedurand7588]

know exactly what you mean....nearly chocked on my coffee ,bless his sly look lol.

[@neilshirley]

This is brilliant explanations for each of the incidents, thank you.

[@Oakeybloke]

Hmmm, head contact, which is as reckless as Curry's tackle, and can be considered dangerous leads to a red card. But not always... Another inconsistency I thought was the point made about hands on the floor when jackling. SA were OK to do it consistently against Scotland, effectively neutralising their main strength, pace of play. With Eng v Arg, the ref pinged both teams for what seemed very similar to what the SA boys were doing. I was hoping Nigel would cover the differences in what the players were doing right or wrong, in either game.

[@stuartwatson7524]

4:38 sudden change in quality, was it perhaps a last minute addition because of the citing result? Also, whats the laws around direct vs indirect contact? Seen it a few when times when inital contact was made but the player slipped up and hit the head, that would at least warrant penalty as its a high level of danger and indirect contact

[@janniewentzel4228]

Nigel, how do you feel Carley did in this game. Wales giving away so many penalties and multiple warnings, then eventually a yellow. Then heaps of penalties then another warning....

[@steamfan007]

Regrettably Nigel never seems willing to criticise the ref which negates the whole purpose of his channel IMO. So I'm unsubscribing because I want fair, unbiased analysis.

[@deeplearning7097]

Brilliant as always, Nigel, thank you very much.

[@MrJabbothehut]

What boggles my mind is the insane amount of head collisions caused by players trying to tackle high. Being taught to tackle low and get the legs is the fundamental that is taught from a young age with tackles looking to wrap up the ball and prevent offloads being done by 2 players. So many players are just sprinting upright at each other and then getting surprised when they smash their heads together.

[@wolframhohmann1300]

Thanks grandmaster. That was very instructive, and very entertaining as well.

[@banjopiggottwright1802]

Rugby is so grateful to have a man like Nigel Owens apart of our game 🏉

[@aidanwinters5355]

Ducked the bigger questions! Needed to comment on inconsistency, the clear Y/R fouls and no referee action, persistent fouling and no decisions.

[@kwaaikat100]

This was by far the most helpful video or commentary I have seen and it clears up a lot. Thanks. Other commentaries just say “they all look the same why the different outcomes”. We all like a beautiful story and when we are neutral we root for the underdog, but the Fijean “disallowed tries” were both correctly judged. The one is addressed here, the other, downward pressure, is a very clear rule.

[@littlellama8405]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:00 🏉 Introduction to Rugby World Cup 2023 Start 00:19 🟨 Yellow Card for Will Jordan 01:48 🔴 Tom Curry's Yellow Card Upgraded to Red 02:57 🚫 Disallowed Try for Wales 04:06 ⛑️ Head Contact in South Africa vs. Scotland 05:47 🇫🇷 Language and Communication in Rugby 06:58 🤔 Players' Hands on the Ground in Rucks 08:15 🍷 Whistle Stop Tour with Sarah Cox 10:13 🏆 Conclusion of Rugby World Cup Week 1 Made with HARPA AI

[@thondalor]

The insight is good, the dog is great. More videos with the gorgeous dog please

[@christianwithers7335]

In football, the rule was changed with sliding tackles. If you use too much force and hit the ball but then fly through and smash the player it is a freekick. Who controls and cameras and replays? As itv were blaming the French broadcaster. For Kriel to miss zero minutes, and Curry to miss 317 minutes is crazy.

[@malcolmroy5954]

How anyone can look at the collision between Kriel and Dempsey and say there was no head to head contact is beyond belief. It should have been a red card but they wouldn't or couldn't send off a player from the defending champions after only 3 minutes. We must have consistency from match officials.

[@petelangshaw]

I would love to hear Nigel's OWN opinions rather than the sanctioned World Rugby line but I guess that given this is a World Rugby channel we aren't going to get that. Maybe, we could get a little knowing nod or wink from him whenever he doesn't agree with the corporate spin.

[@shaun30-3-mg9zs]

Just like Nigel I've got no finger nails left , after the Fiji v Wales game a proper battle right to the end of the game ,well done Fiji for giving us a good game and well done Wales for the win, Diolch !🏉🏉👍👍

[@lewisbowles7260]

Thanks for the insights Nigel. always good to hear your explanations. Could you perhaps elaborate on whether the Kriel tackle was in fact worthy of a red. Unless I missed it the video only seemed to indicate one possible reason why the TMO hasn’t looked at it. Was it in your opinion a red. There clearly was evidence so it should have been looked at.

[@LB_die_Kaapie]

Do you not have eyes?!

[@interestedbystander196]

Look at the whole context. If it really was full on head contact at that speed, both guys would be down, probably bleeding, possibly unconscious, and maybe dead. Certainly neither would be able to just run off as if nothing had happened. So there you have it: nothing happened.

[@ballasgleek]

@@interestedbystander196 Exactly - the reason neither player reacted *at all*, even though they were moving at pace was because there was nothing in it.

[@knottyeti]

​@@ballasgleekDempsey did react to it, he just didn't make big football style show out of it. The clip used here was the angle that doesn't give a good view of whether there was contact or not. Another angle shows clear contact which luckily was not as forceful as it could easily have been and then Dempsey raising has hand to his head momentarily. All the arguments of hitting the ball first or that there wasn't any blood or a major injury are completely irrelevant to the criteria for a bunker offence. The tackler came in upright and head contact was made, there doesn't need to be a K.O. or rivers of blood or intent to injure. That's automatic yellow with a review from the bunker. The only real discussion is whether it should have been upgraded to red or not. I can't take anyone seriously when they claim one of the angles makes not clear that there was contact or that it look like they hardly touched when the clearest angle shows the impact. There's a security camera in the car park which doesn't show any contact at all ffs.

[@jackharrison5695]

@@interestedbystander196 After the game there was clear footage which showed that contact was made to the side of Dempsey's head. Can sort of see why the TMO wouldn't have flagged it from those initial angles but he clearly should have been cited.

[@thomasfranklin4307]

Best rugby analysis ever from a bale of straw. Love the vibe.

[@langdalepaul]

Nigel using phrases like “if you felt that” and “the TMO felt that” to avoid making a judgement.

[@ThePhilcam]

Nigel it seems to me that more and more in the current game that you often see penalties could be awarded either way. Props angling in vs opposition collapsing Hands on the ground in front of the ball vs sealing off Player hit in the air vs obstruction I always find the best games are when refs might blow a couple early on to set a standard but then let the players play the game, and effectively put the whistle in their pocket. You were always an expert at it. Often it’s difficult to argue with a ref because of the reasons above but they can greatly impact a game. I remember suggesting to a ref on his way down the tunnel at half time that he was letting South Africa slow the game I.e. rest. he obviously heard as in the second half he awarded two penalties for time wasting and the AllBlacks ran away with the game in the second half having superior fitness and the game flowing so much better. I never got the message of thanks from Fossie but if I can influence a game to that extent we have to be worried about the refs impact. I wonder if there is a measure of penalties awarded for refs and discussions around game flow. Obviously with the AB France game on the weekend the whistle won big time…

[@teddylee9545]

Always really informing. Anything to say on the officiating in the Wales V Fiji match.

[@giorgigogsadze3343]

Nigel, I fully rely on your expertise. What about delayed yellow card in their game vs Fiji? Another situation when Dan Biggar conceded a cynical foul against Fijians but - no reaction from referee.

[@thisisdaniel2000]

Let me save you some time. Refs are always right. World Rugby is wonderful. Nigel, Nigel, Nigel... Congrats on Wales amazing, fantastic, mesmerizing, spectacular win. I am not even brit, but I was really, really hoping Wales will prove everyone at this tournament that they can really do a lot more than the last 6N. That was not what I had in mind. And, again, Nigel, this is a small room, can you see that big grey thing there, yes, Nigel, the elephant!

[@bigboy0625]

The welsh man speaks and we all listen 👍🇳🇿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@RubyDoobieScoo]

5:53 lmfao

[@drivermagnet3485]

Naughty naughty Nigel

[@carwynjones4209]

But the TMO was wrong to conclude there was no head contact.

[@bertusbekker1293]

Mine. Is the Scot vs Sa. Fin Russel on Arendse. How was there no head contact when after the shoulder his nose was bleeding and Arendse eyebrow was cut?

[@rickkybobby8118]

Is Nigel making a return to rugby as a winger? Because he sure did sidestep all the most controversial parts of those incidents without fully addressing them or actually giving an opinion one way or the other.

[@thehandoftheking3314]

If there's potential to criticise a particular referee's performance it always gets avoided. At an after dinner speaker event he said he does that whenever possible to avoid undermining the ref because everyone has a bad day and the ref will be getting put through enough by the assessors.

[@all-rounder8401]

Just about answered all my concerns - thank you Mr Owen

[@MiniMatthew]

Yes Tom curry's red card is fair enough. Its the fact other teams are not held to the same standard is the issue..

[@SandSMat]

With regards the Tom Curry red card - yes, in accordance with the rules currently in force, it was correct. However, according to an eminent doctor, single incidents of head contact are unlikely to cause long term damage and it is the general body contact made during tackles that is more likely to be to contribute to long term brain damage. In this particular incident (and many others like it) it is difficult to see how Curry could have avoided the tackle and of course he could have suffered a more serious injury than the Argentine. Remember the Lydia Thompson incident in the World Cup final, as in this case, there was definitely no malice.

[@Valnicolas141284]

I haven't understood the explanation about hands on the ground during ruck phases, could you re-explain it please ?

[@petejohnball1564]

Thank you, Nigel, for the excellent explanation of the Jessie Kriel (non) incident.

[@andreawaight4468]

HI @NIgel, so why was the Chileian srcum half yellow card head contact tackle on the Japanese player also NOT upgraded under bunker review???

[@HuwEvans.]

How did Curry get red carded and banned, and absolutely nothing for Jessie Kriel. Rugby officiating is ALL OVER THE PLACE!! 😂

[@KO.....]

did you bother to watch the video? He explained it 🤦‍♂or you just want your viewpoint to bee the right one?

[@_dtvr485]

The contact wasn’t initially on the head, hits the ball first with his shoulder then their heads graze past each other. Not rly anything in it, but tbf curry’s should only be a yellow max

[@tituss3676]

@@KO..... do you always make a copy-paste of your own previuous answer? Or you just want your answer to be seen ? 🙂

[@user-hu7rn4ym8j]

Because Curry tackled in a dangerous Owen style tackle and deserved a red card while Sir Jesse Kriel tackled around the chest of the English player with the English player clearly trying to headbut Sir Jesse.The refs decision is final!

[@KO.....]

@@tituss3676 why is that your business?

[@kaeso101]

If there was one referee whose decisions completely trusted in a match was Nigel Owens

[@odhranmcz]

I was disappointed that Nigel did not comment on the abundance of warnings Wales were given without any effective action being taken. Was the ref right? Turned the video off when it wasn't analysed.

[@v8interceptor134]

Curry red card , alright but why did the Arg player not go off for HIA ?

[@elmiefox]

Hey Nigel I just want to know abput the game of South Africa vs Scotland where Finn Russel tackled Kurt-Lee Arendse with no arms and it is just a penalty.

[@mtb5778]

fantastic explanations. thanks.

[@jamesk1801]

As far as lineouts go, there is a rule:". 4. A player who carries the ball into touch must release the ball immediately so that a quick throw may be taken. Sanction: Penalty", however one often sees the ball carier holding onto the ball long enough to keep the opposition from taking a quick throw in, without a penalty being awarded?

[@batersieiron]

I think you are wrong on Curry. There is mitigation. Player in air spirals and points haead down to Curry. Curry at standing start and doesn't rush in from far ( like some have said) and hinges at hip and wraps. That is all mitigation. When you compare the Curry incident with say Taofafenua last night there is no comparison. Last night was a no arms shoulder barge into the head way more recklessness than Curry and less mitigation ( the second tackler)

[@Nienpet]

Aw. Nigel Owens you bloody legend. Love this guy 🥂🍾

[@interestedbystander196]

Nigel is THE MAN!

[@aidanoconnor7299]

I can't understand why the landing is relevant when you take the catcher out in the air as Will Jordan had no control over the landing; it's just luck. This means that two players can do the same thing, taking the catcher out in the air, but one gets a yellow and the other a red just because of a lucky landing.

[@garethsoloman2287]

Try to get this link each evening. So So glad he didn't go away

[@caloricphlogistonandthelum4008]

Excellent video, Mr Owens, but, and I'm sure this has been said before, it could be a lot longer.

[@rockandmeatroll]

I "tried"not to grimace at your try quip at the end, great cheese to go with the wine 😂

[@coreybreakspear7417]

Hi Nigel, How long does an advantage last for a beginner refree please?

[@touffulyge6926]

Carton jaune ;) not Carte jaune - Top quality as always Nigel, many thanks!

[@ironmaiden9697]

Whats the difference between getting a 22m drop out and a try line drop out? Does the 22m drop out even exist anymore and in what situation would either be awarded?

[@cspace1234nz]

I always liked Owens as a referee, one of the best over my nearly 60 years of watching footy from NZ. In saying that, there are too many over-the-top rules and way too many cards these days, refereeing has ruined the game in my view, little wonder there are many of us who hardly watch a game anymore.

[@donaldbull2422]

What about the no arms tackle that prevented a Fiji try?

[@alcoyne3333333333333]

Fiji a small rugby team so don't get decisions 😢 some things never change 😢😢😢😢😢

[@tomgreene1843]

Love the uploads .(.from Ireland of the hopes)....do you sell your excellent looking livestock to a factory or at the farm or mart?

[@JoeTheLion60]

There was no clear evidence of head on head contact except for the fact that both heads bounced off each other :-)

[@Nunohadadream]

The spring Bok and the Scottish lad clearly touched heads….. joke so far when three other incidents went without similar sanction

[@douglasgordon1258]

Absolute legend! Nothing in the mouth joke simply superb! He should never have stopped

[@powderedground78]

Indeed, that little look back to the camera. Really looking forward to his Whistle Watch coverage over the remainder of the WC

[@garethsoloman2287]

Try to get to his feeds each evening. So so glad he has not gone away.

[@jacklee4054]

Nigel, I see a lot of players popping the ball off the ground after a tackle or moving the ball into a better position for the 9. Is this not playing the ball on the ground? Cheers, Jack

[@cameronwebb7964]

The TMO got that call wrong in the South Africa vs Scotland match because there is clearly head contact unless you are a blindbat, high degree of danger and no mitigation so a red card 2 million percent.

[@jayaychare7318]

I still think kriel was lucky . Unless the directive has changed I can Think back to a few games over the years where contact has been made with the body but the head has still been smashed and card has been issued

[@TheJcc50]

Hi Nigel, how about the Carreas yellow, looks reckless and definite head contact, so why no red? Similarly what about the Sigren & Biggar head contact? Also the Russell & Elias no arms tackles (Elias' on the try line)? Why wasn't the Biggar offside near the try line a yellow, and why did Wales get 4 near the try line penalties before they were even warned?

[@BobCratchit-773]

I was watching Sarah Cox sampling the wines of Nice, when an idea struck me. Why doesn't Nigel diversify and start his very own wineyard. After all, the first commercial vineyard in the UK was planted in 1875 near Castell Coch. Why not join the grape revolution and launch your very own "Chateau de Whistle Watch"? Abientot Nige.

[@newwavetvuk859]

I felt the first one nz player was in a position to catch and eyes was on ball???

[@RubyDoobieScoo]

Hypothetically if a team was going into their last pool game having guaranteed a quarter final spot and then clearly intentionally lost that game by blatantly letting tries in so that opponent would progress instead of another would that be considered match fixing and what punishment (if any) would be applied to the offending team?

[@TrueFilter]

Expulsion I would say.

[@vinceroos]

What about Russell's shoulder charge on Arendse?

[@iainbrodie5358]

The “shoulder charge” that came after a deliberate knock on, preventing a try scoring opportunity. Seems World Rugby are desperate for SA to go far.

[@raydups4068]

Hi Nigel great show..just a rule change for rugby to think about....use the same rule in American Football for a touchdown for a try in rugby...ie if you cross the try line then no need to ground the ball...make for more rugby playing time and easier decision making by the officials...just a thought..

[@wesrobmat]

Nothing but class from Nigel Owens. He is Rugby personified.

[@saberint]

With regards to the Tom Curry one, the Argentinian player has at least one foot on the ground at the moment of contact.