[gravey101]

>I've gotta agree with Oleg, that call was very strange.

I don't think it was stange, but I think it was marginal. The rule states that if you are tackled to the ground you must release the ball. Whether or not you (or the referee) or Oleg thinks it is a 'good' rule or not is irrelevant. That's the way it is. The referee adjuged that the player was tackled to the ground and called the penalty. Could have gone either way as the guy certainly sustained some momentum through the tackle, but I don't believe it was a strange call.

>A minute before Full Time, with Australia 3 points down, a 'so-so' umpire call looses Australia the ball just short of the Goal line.
Australia steals the ball back and with about 30 seconds to go, kicks a Goal to tie the match.

I think you competely overlook a much more so-so umpiring call which actually gave the Australians the penalty for what looks to me like both teams collapsing the scrum. The English commentators could not work out what the penalty was for, and nor can I. This was a HUGE call and nearly cost England the game. To me it looked like petulance from the ref as he was heard a few seconds r(rigthly I might add) admonishing an England player for trying to tell him how call a decision. I have watched the incident a couple of times and I still have no idea what the infringment was supposed to be. Unlike his decisoins earlier in the game he made no effort to explain what the call was.

[ November 24, 2003, 03:40: Message edited by: gravey101 ]