Henry suspected match-fixing after World Cup loss

[Drick]

Henry suspected match-fixing after World Cup loss


WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) -A biography of former All Blacks coach Graham Henry reveals he suspected match-fixing after his team's shock loss to France in the quarterfinals of the 2007 World Cup and urged the New Zealand Rugby Union to press for an international inquiry.
In Graham Henry: Final Word, due to be published this week, biographer Bob Howitt says Henry briefly considered match-fixing as the only explanation for the All Blacks' 20-18 defeat.
Henry says when he analyzed the match he found English referee Wayne Barnes had awarded New Zealand only two penalties, although he counted more than 40 potential offenses committed by France. France was also awarded a try from a forward pass.
Henry says he found it "incomprehensible'' that rugby had no procedures in place to investigate "bizarre'' results in major matches.
"He knew if a comparable situation had occurred in other sports, it would be investigated,'' Howitt writes. "But there existed a blissful purity about rugby, or at least that's how everyone wanted to perceive it. It wasn't politically correct to even suggest the match officials might have favored one team.''


Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...470/index.html

[huron]

Nothing then I guess about his teams bizarre tactics in self same game?
Nothing also I warrant about his substitutions in the self same game?
I wonder if we can do him for false advertising the next time he starts chuntering on again?

[Evil Omer]

Oh the irony, NZ coach in frustration at opponents being allowed to cheat all day and getting tries from forward passes. Welcome to the world the rest of us have been inhabiting against NZ for decades pal. Suck it up and grow a pair is I believe the approximation of the NZer response when anyone questions what they get away with, so take your own advice lads!!!

[blackwarrior]

Well NZ really turned it around 8-7 four years later, on home soil with no match-fixing ... point proven so!

[Viigand]

What a clown.

[Mcork]

Barnes is a clown of a ref. He's ridden IRL a few times through the years notably v Wales. That said NZ have got far more bizarre reffing decisions in their favour than against over the years so they should keep their mouths shut as any fair investigation would conclude that they've getting a disproportional amount of favourable reffing decisions.

[onthe 22]

A whinge too far!
Would it be going too far to say that refs were reluctant to apply the same scrutiny to NZ in marginal calls?

[Reggie P]

If Barnes performance needed investigating what about Jouberts performance in the 2011 final ?
Now that was a black day (pardon the pun) for rugby refereeing.
Somehow I don`t think Henry will have too much to say about that !

[dobbsv2]

Henry is an odious little toad.

He has a book to sell, and is clearly looking for an angle to maximise the accompanying publicity. I seem to remember that he received some good reviews for his reaction after that qtr final re refusing to blame anyone, acknowledging the French performance and accepting that NZ were not good enough on the day.

Hope the relevant authorities hit back hard and put the little weasel in his place.

[Old Dog]

If Barnes performance needed investigating what about Jouberts performance in the 2011 final ?
Now that was a black day (pardon the pun) for rugby refereeing.

And André Watson's reffing of the Poms' scrum V the Aussies in the 2003 RWC final wasn't all that hot either.

[tmunster]

Even when they're world champs they're whinging. nothing more than an attempt to sell books.

[thepunter]

There have been a few posters come on here over the years questioning referees and TMO's and whether there was a hint of dodginess in the game in certain instances (two or three i can think of in particular). They then had the usual conspiracy debunking rubbish thrown at them like - 'put your tin foil hat back on' etc. thrown at them. I must admit that I had similar thoughts reading them at the time. SOme of the most senior posters on here lambasted them, and it was very similar to the 'blissful purity of rugby' remark that Henry made. Are/WEre we super naiive?

It's symptomatic of alot of Irish society really, where we immediately castigate thinkers that go slightly outside the box. Having read Henry's comments, and having thought back to a number of extremely questionable refereeing/TMO decisions over the past few years, i have to say, ive had a rethink on this whole thing. Im more ashamed of the fact that it took the likes of Henry to make me think laterally, instead of just labelling people as nutjobs because they were thinking outside the box.

Just because its rugby, dont mean ****. It has, to quote another poster on another forum' happened in every other major sport and been exposed in every other sport', so why not rugby. Barnes has always made me uneasy anyway, despite anything Henry said.

[thepunter]

If Barnes performance needed investigating what about Jouberts performance in the 2011 final ?
Now that was a black day (pardon the pun) for rugby refereeing.
Somehow I don`t think Henry will have too much to say about that !

that day needs more investigating than any other. A black day indeed. But everyone needs to stop equating Henry with New zealand - THEY aren't saying anything- it's Henry NOT New Zealand- one of the most experienced and accomplished coaches in the game. Something tells me he doesnt need the money, he can write his own ticket coaching-wise. As soon as you make the leap that he isnt coaching NZ anymore, you might give what he has to say a chance ( hes coaching argentina now in a manner actually)

But lets be clear- just because New Zealand were gifted the WC, doesnt make his 2007 accusations any less relevant.

That being said, I didnt suspect any dodginess in that game myself, possibly because I won a fortune that day with 20 quid on a 1-5 winning margin double of france and England

[Daithi]

Just watched Rwc 2011 final again this evening. France were robbed. The refereeing performance was an absolute disgrace. France were by far the better side on the night. Dallaglio in the commentary box was openly questioning the refs decision s after 5 minutes. He let 3 high tackles go completely unpunished, ignored the French dominance at scrum time, allowed McCaw an unnatural amount of time to handle and slow the ball at ruck time, allowed NZ forwards dawdle offside all day and then to really add insult to injury with about 3 mins to go, inside the NZ 10m line, he openly allows the NZ 6 come in from the side, handle in the ruck, go off his feet and then deliberately throw the ball forward right in front of the ref. You couldn't make it up!!

in conclusion, a truly shocking and one eyed refereeing performance that really messed up an excellent world cup final, and most definitely cost the French team the world cup final. Pity.

[sewa]

There is simply no question it was a forward pass and blatantly obvious to everyone bar Barnes, Henry though is guilty of blaming everyone bar himself, why hadnt he got more kicking options, why didnt he get the message on to work a position for a drop goal, why did he inexplicably drop Dougie who had burned in tries throughout the group stages, nothing like a bit of personal responsibility

[lahinch_lass]

There have been a few posters come on here over the years questioning referees and TMO's and whether there was a hint of dodginess in the game in certain instances (two or three i can think of in particular). They then had the usual conspiracy debunking rubbish thrown at them like - 'put your tin foil hat back on' etc. thrown at them. I must admit that I had similar thoughts reading them at the time. SOme of the most senior posters on here lambasted them, and it was very similar to the 'blissful purity of rugby' remark that Henry made. Are/WEre we super naiive?

It's symptomatic of alot of Irish society really, where we immediately castigate thinkers that go slightly outside the box. Having read Henry's comments, and having thought back to a number of extremely questionable refereeing/TMO decisions over the past few years, i have to say, ive had a rethink on this whole thing. Im more ashamed of the fact that it took the likes of Henry to make me think laterally, instead of just labelling people as nutjobs because they were thinking outside the box.

Just because its rugby, dont mean ****. It has, to quote another poster on another forum' happened in every other major sport and been exposed in every other sport', so why not rugby. Barnes has always made me uneasy anyway, despite anything Henry said.

Personally I reckon it's more that we've seen those self-same refs/officials F-up any number of times in previous fixtures .. every ref has his known quirks e.g. Poite screws the home team every time in ERC fixtures.
Certain match officials are fond of being the centre of attention e.g. James Jones even when on the touchline managed to make controversial calls
A rugby match when there aren't questions about ref-calls is a rare occassion. Unfortunately it's the nature of the sport & the nature of the personalities involved. How many of us spent years questioning Paddy O'Brien's influence over match officiating guidelines and the constant tinkering with the laws seemingly to make things more favourable to NZ, or ref's being demoted because they'd actually penalised NZ !! (Alain Rolland)