A Loader rubbish (From Swindon Advertiser)

A Loader rubbish

8:00am Wednesday 10th March 2010 in

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SWINDON coach Neil Loader has questioned the standard of refereeing in Southern Counties North after watching his side narrowly defeated 12-7 at Windsor on Saturday.

Loader, who claimed decisions were given against both teams during the encounter, queried whether new laws are being correctly implemented by officials at lower levels of rugby in this country.

The Greenbridge Road chief is concerned stifling tactics employed against his side in recent weeks by rivals Milton Keynes and Windsor have not been penalised.

“The level of rugby that sides have been playing seems to have been catching the referees out recently,” said Loader.

“It happens a little at the breakdown and a little at the line-out.

“Against Windsor we were unable to play the kind of rugby we wanted to.

“We were being blown up against for not releasing, but the tackler was not releasing our man.

“The first principle of rugby is contesting possession. If we’re not allowed to do that then it makes life difficult.”

Amongst the most pressing of Loader’s frustrations with the upkeep of the game’s laws is obstruction at the line-out.

Windsor and Milton Keynes both shielded the ball-catcher in the rolling maul in their recent clashes with Swindon without reprisal, much to Loader’s annoyance.

“We have had that tactic used against us a lot lately and it obstructs the defender from getting to the ball carrier,” he said.

“It used to be a tactic used against the sacking, but it has been outlawed and I have been told referees have been instructed to be hot onto it.

“It makes it nigh-on impossible to contest the ball.”

In spite of his minor grievances, Loader was content with the commitment and passion shown by his side in their weekend loss.

After having to sacrifice their preferred fluent running game for something a little more attritional, and benefiting through a well-executed catch and drive try from the line-out, only a freak score dampened Swindon spirits.

Full-back Fraser Brown was left helpless as the ball took a wicked bounce over his shoulder and into the arms of the onrushing Windsor centre for the decisive second half score.

“I just cannot fault the commitment, it was there in abundance,” said Loader. “We need to get smarter but it’s definitely coming.

The Swindon coach added: “If we had had that game six months ago, we would have got spanked. We can see how far we’ve come.”

n MINETY lost out 33-28 to Oldfield Old Boys despite coming back from 33-0 down after 50 minutes.

Four late tries, including a hat-trick by Max Sparrow, were not enough to catch Oldfield.

Ahead 25-0 at the interval, Oldfield may well have felt the game was sewn up, and the hosts swept in for another try almost from the kick-off.

But although Oldfield subsequently added a drop goal, the rest of the game belonged to Minety.

Sparrow darted over for the visitors’ first try of the afternoon from the back of a ruck, and repeated the trick moments later for his second.

Oldfield were temporarily reduced to 13 men following two sin-binnings, and Minety capitalised in the scrum, forcing their hosts into conceding a penalty try.

And Sparrow soon completed his hat-trick in nearly identical circumstances. Jack Ward slotted the conversion, as he had the previous three, but the final whistle went with Minety still five points adrift.