u/darcys_beard

Maybe it's just me, but I've noticed it a lot more over the past while. We've all turned when it's been Amber. I don't know anyone that won't do that during busy periods, but now you'll see another 2 or 3 cars go after that, when the light has been red a good second or two.

Another thing I've noticed is people running the red at pedestrian crossings, when there appears to be no pedestrians around. Saw some prick in a 261 Tesla do that yesterday, here in Maynooth, but honestly that's at least the third time I've seen it in the past few weeks.

Anyone else noticed this?

https://preview.redd.it/3wbxm7kaai1h1.jpg?width=736&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=df544b88ac75d1ad59f76049afbb8f4cc70cf378

And a handy often cums in Kleenex.

Say what you want about Pearce on Saturday (I don't think he was that bad -- he had a standard and we adapted to it, and the penalties at the breakdown went away), he seemed to see through the opposing TH & Hooker BS and penalize the man actually scrummaging illegally.

World Rugby have been clear they expect referees not to have an outcome-based attitude to refereeing games, particularly at the scrum. The South Africa match was nothing short of an embarrassment for World Rugby (if us, too). We might be little ol' Ireland in most things, but in the Rugby World we have some sway. And it's never a good look for the #3 ranked team in the world to almost have to wave the white flag and ask for a walkover. Nor does it add up; South Africa may be Kings of the Scrum, but these are pros at the cutting edge of the game. this doesn't happen in high level sport. Ever.

Are we finally seeing this applied at the scrum? I'm sure there was a massive forensic post-mortem done on the hows and whys of this happening. And I'm sure they saw things that simply weren't reffed as World Rugby have asked them to be. Could Porter's reputation be recovered somewhat by being the blame every time a scrum collapses or wheels, or whatever?

That aside, do we need to become more streetwise? More in tune with the 'Dark Arts'? Because at the end of the day, there will always be penalties given unfairly against looseheads in particular, that won't ever completely go away completely.

That said, does anyone else see a bit of light at the end of the tunnel for the scrum situation we're in? Saturday was not the first time this year that an Irish side was expected to get crushed at the scrum, and simply haven't.