Evening from Natal.
You may have noticed I just uplodaed a few entries. Broadband down here is pretty none existant so Im prepping them on my pda and then uploading. This is the first internet caffe Ive been to so apols.
Should be easier now we have settled for a few days so will try and keep things regular on here.
Cheers
Ref
Posted by Ref on 14 June, 2007
https://refblog.co.uk/2007/06/14/posts/
Up the the Sani Pass. Amazing scenary and views. One of KZN refs chauffeured us up in a Discovery 3 – thank god!
We’d never have made it up without 4×4 technology.Staying in the chalet at the top was a brilllant experience – a unique was to spend my birthday. The local ladies prepared a 4-course meal : veg soup, home made bread, a Chicken and potato stew, topped off with ginger cake and Custard. Not bad for a chalet, 9400m at the summit of a mountain.
Then headed to Ladysmith (and thanks to a slight misundetstarding in respect of the location of our B+B,) onto Dundee. A strange experience. Never before have I been out at 8pn and seen absolutly nobody. It was as if we had missed an air raid siren. No pubs, no bars, no nothing.
Yesterday we headed to the Zulu-Brit battlefields. An aged chap called Neville picked us up in his Land Rover and spent the day filling us in about the Battle of Ishandlwana and Rorkes Drift. Didn’t think I would enjoy it but it was pretty good. Neville, we salute you.
Spent today doing some 4×4 driving, and then toured the SAB breweries plant here. Makers of Castle, Hansa, Peroni. Even as a TT chap, its still impressive to see how they turn out 45000 bottles an hour. Times that by 24/7 and 364 days a year and you get an amazing operation. The chaps reported the produce wasn’t bad either!! Off to watch one of the guys ref this eve, hopefully after finding an internet cafÁé to upload these musings!!
Starting to think about tomorrow’s games. Seems I got another toughie. Terry’s got one that could be a cricket score. Pays never to believe that till it happens!
Posted by Ref on 14 June, 2007
https://refblog.co.uk/2007/06/14/birthday-from-the-top-of-sani-pass/
Day 2
Well, two days in, two games. Last night I refereed a natal premier game. Two sides with a smattering of Sharks players released back to club rugby for a few weeks in between Super 14 and the Currie Cup. Well, what a welcome to Durban.
Warm evening, party spirit and 2 physical sides.I think we would say the guys were ‘in your face’!!! Brutal also works as a dscriptor! I wouldn’t have wanted to have been in some of those tackles! Some ropey floodlights didn’t help, but as interesting game developed. 9-3 just before half time with a home second row in the Sin Bin for a blatant “in-from-the-side” and flop. Wouldn’t have minded but he was only 10m from his own try line. Ive had tougher decisions to make!! Took a scrum option and scored a nice try from it.
Second half was close and well spirited. Tries to both sides and two more yellow cards – one from a TJ for a spear tackle, the other for a carbon copy of the first half yellow. Wierd ending – was 4 points in it and I wasn’t sure who had won from the reactions. Seems the away side won, 23-19. Praise from both coaches particularly the way we deal with the breakdown.
Discovered after that there was an IRB assessor present, watching me so will await his report with interest. I know I took a few shortcuts so expecting some mention of that.
Having no radios for the TJs was a shock to the system but I think I adjusted ok.
Today was school rugby in Pietermaritzburg, about 1 hour north west of Durban. If you have never done school rugby in S. Africa, it is difficult to explain. It’s the experience of it, rather than the rugby. 2000 in attendance, organised singing and chanting. I did the 2s so only 30 mins each way. Still a very warm afternoon! Winter my @rse!!! Before you start feeling sorry for me, it has got v cold this eve so I’ve had to pop my fleece on! Day of leisure tomorrow so off to see some local sights.
Posted by Ref on 14 June, 2007
https://refblog.co.uk/2007/06/14/day-2/
08/06/07
So here we are, sitting in business class on the BA flight to Jo’burg, sipping free booze,
all care of the RFU. Well, some of that is true – I’ll let you decide which bits!!!*
Just been chatting to my fellow travelling ref about expectations. We realised what benefits the internet has.
Firstly, it means I can do this from my newly acquired XDA IIs – thank you Ebay! Secondly it lets
us find at so much about the sides we are going to be refeeeing or in this in this case how little we are
going to know. When we get off this plane, and then the connection onto Durban, we’ll be 6 hours away
from our first matches. Neither of us have any idea what to expect.
It really is diconcerting but will bring home that old adage: Only referee what’s in front of you! We’ll have to,
and I’m quite looking forward to it!
Off to sleep now. Night!
* The real bits are the “sitting” bit. The rest, sadly wasn’t true!
Posted by Ref on 14 June, 2007
https://refblog.co.uk/2007/06/14/day-1/
RefBlog - Views from a Rugby Referee 