It's rugby not football!!

[Bring Humph On!!]

I can't help but be very disappointed by Ruan during the last 2 matches. This has nothing to do with his play. I despise the act of shaking his hand at the ref encouraging him to brandish a yellow card!! That is no something I want to see creep into the game of rugby.

Ruan has been imperious for us after his (short) settling in period and I am a huge fan of the guy. But I detest this type of behaviour on a rugby pitch from any player but especially from one of our own!! And the fact that he was quite possibly right on both occasions isn't an excuse either!!

[againstthehead]

fair enough point. In the modern game I think you need be talking to the ref - all sides do it but waving a card is a step too far. That said, the ref last night needed all the help he could get in relation to cards...

[Bring Humph On!!]

I agree the ref was card shy but it still isn't an excuse.

[HammerTime]

I don't have any problem with anyone shaking their hand as to give a yellow as long as its justified. If its a blatant yellow/red card card then what is the problem? I would hate to see it become widespread for every. even minor offences though.

[shamalicious]

It'll only be going the way of football if Ruan was to square up to the ref waving his arms in outrage at every minor offence.

Rugby>football

[LeinsterLad]

I think we were very lucky not to get a yellow. Jennings right under the sticks killing the ball and I can't remember the other one, but should have gotten another yellow too.

Having said that, anyone who attempts to get a player binned should be given a yellow. I think that's the rule in football? Should be in rugby too.

[Snipe Watson]

I think it was Strauss

I'm inclined to agree about Ruan's invisible yellow card too.

[darkside lightside]

I can't help but be very disappointed by Ruan during the last 2 matches. This has nothing to do with his play. I despise the act of shaking his hand at the ref encouraging him to brandish a yellow card!! That is no something I want to see creep into the game of rugby.

I agree. I hope someone takes him to one side and has a quiet word in his shell-like. I was appalled to see him do that.

[bigchiefally]

Completely disagree.

This wasnt a marginal case, this was the ref applying one set of criteria to get a yellow card for us and a different criteria for them.

Good on Ruan for mouthing off at this.

[Ardglass2]

Agree re flashing an imaginary yellow - unacceptable behaviour.

Soccer has more than enough of that nonsense.

[Wee Woman]

FFS Ruan's not the only player who does it, so why single him out - come on!

He's managed the ref quite well for us on a couple of occasions, would you have complained then?

[darkside lightside]

I have no problem with having a word with the ref - but I do have a problem with this card-waving gesture.

[Cornerfleg]

Not a fan of invisible card waving ... but I was screaming at the box for one - so I can understand why players get annoyed. Ruan is not a gabby or mouthy player during the game, which I also detest - esp 9s who are always telling the ref how to play the game.

Alan Roland is class with those things - remember he telling Dawson once to shut up as he'd make a worse ref than a scrum haldf and some people would find that hard to believe.

Good refs should penalise actions like that. But they should also have the stones to deal out cards where necessary. Again Rolan has no issues sending 3 or 4 off if they play dirty.

I'd like to see Rory as captain be a bit more in the refs face about what way he wants to interpret the rules and keep asking at what stage does cynical play become a card.

[stickinout]

Agree re flashing an imaginary yellow - unacceptable behaviour.

Soccer has more than enough of that nonsense.

What's the difference between going up to the ref and saying, "Is that not a yellow ref?" and going up and saying it with the card gesture? Not to say i agree with his actions, but in the heat of a match i can understand a hugely competitive player losing the run of himself and doing it. Maybe is it a bit like Peter Kay saying "Phone, it's the phone for you" while putting thumb to ear and little finger to mouth? Very difficult to give up perhaps..............

[Neil F]

This wasn't the first time that Pienaar has made the gesture.

Personally, I don't have any particular problem with it. In the list of misdemeanors that can happen on a rugby pitch, this is fairly near the bottom of the list. What is the difference between saying to a referee, "That is a yellow card offence," and the gesture from Pienaar? They're both means to the same end - the fact is that Pienaar only produced the gesture in a situation that was as close to a certain yellow card as one can get. If Pienaar started doing it following every penalty, I may feel differently but it is no more playing the game than anything else; I don't find it particularly unsporting, regardless of the method, to say, "That should be a yellow card, ref." With rugby, sportsmanship is where the line should be drawn - where that is crossed is where you have experienced players like Leo Cullen running around the pitch slapping Ulster player on the back for giving away a penalty...