While the Super Rugby Picks of the Week for the last two rounds is still being prepared, it’s a good time to get this amusing clip up that shows a quite rare occurrence from last weekend.
Over the years whenever a ref has been knocked over it’s usually been posted here on Rugbydump. Why feature it, you ask? Simple really – because it’s funny.
Obviously nobody wants to see a referee injured, and when it’s a serious knock, the due respect is shown, naturally. Players should also be doing everything they can to avoid making contact with the ref, but when it’s just a case of him losing his feet or getting an accidental shove from behind, it brings a smile to most faces.
I’m not sure why that is, but every time a ref gets physical, there’s a reaction from the crowd, the commentators, and the fans watching at home on TV.
It can’t really be explained, as it’s just a guy getting knocked over. More often that not though, that man is the focus of all the negative energy and tension that’s boiling up in the players, coaches, and yes, you. We’ve all done it. If our team is playing badly and they don’t get the bounce of the ball, who is the best person to blame? You guessed it.
So I suppose that is why when they take a knock, the majority of people will find it mildy titillating. Yes, titillating. That’s the kind of broad spectrum of vocabulary you get to experience if you make it to the sixth paragraph. Most site visitors have no idea.
Keith Brown, Stuart Dickinson (crowd favourite), and Ian Smith all managed to get themselves in a tangle this past weekend, being bowled over by various players, but managing to hop swiftly to their feet and pretend it never happened. Three in one weekend must be some kind of record. A fairly trivial and meaningless record, but a record nonetheless.
Time: 01:44
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