Round 1

T'was a big day for me and the boys. The Uni u14s were playing short of a team - all's the pity we can't field a full 15-man side - but can hold their heads high after scoring a try and holding last years u13s finalists Kalamunda to a win margin that could have been larger - about the same as the Western Force in NZ *grin* - the u14s fought valiantly to frustrate several more attempts by the well-oiled and experienced Kalamunda team.

Due credit to Kalamunda who showed great spirit in loaning Uni a few of their players and putting in a good showing. A few of their boys clearly have great potential that is enhanced by playing midweek in the CSC - Community Schools Competition. So Round 1 of the season proper is a second trial for the Uni u14s and we need to find a few more players and to get the team training and playing together in order to demonstrate the strong, winning match results that the positive play, running and ball skills of the backs deserve.

The forwards are great boys but not a proper unit having only practiced and played twice together without contested scrums and without eight or more full-time players in forward positions. Being a forward myself, I know it takes time and practice to build a unit that can function at the set pieces - scrum and lineout - and excel at the ruck. The boys rucking skills, by the way, are moving onto excellence largely as a result of the skills work done by the boys in training under Dom's supervision.

Some of the holes in play are a result of a lack of positional awareness, for example, the backs standing too deep in defensive alignment and the forwards not covering restarts and the field width fully effectively. Of course it's tough to dig yourself out of a ruck and run behind the back line or loop behind from the centres to the wing in order to cover the touch line but it has to be done properly and covered in training if we are going to save the easy tries down the touch line.

Great preparation in the Gold division the team will revert to the Swan division next week where they should dominate, if we can field a full team, having been tested by the top two teams from last year in the trial and first round matches.

Today I refereed a rugby match for the first time - Neddies vs Kalamunda in the u12s - and I appreciate all the support from Rugby WA and the Referees Association, the coaches players and parents in giving me the opportunity. It was tough out there in the middle and with Charles' ref coaching I improved in the second half by a small margin but my efforts were not really up to scratch - missing knock forwards, offside players, odd hand signals, not properly playing advantage, and so on. Rather than give a blow by blow account of the match instead I will note that I have a lot of improvement and a little potential to be a good ref - the boys from both teams, however, fought a well-matched contest that looked like going down to the wire until Nedlands upped the tempo to outscore Kalamunda in the second half.

Perhaps I will put down a few words about the work of Anthony O'Shea in vesting me with the small confidence to take to the field. On Wednesay evening a week ago, Anthony led a bunch of adults and youngsters through a course of preparation to assist us taking to the field - building on the Foundation Course earlier in the year - to emphasise the practical knowledge we need to conduct ourselves as referees. W/S/T or whistle-signal-talk is is good mnemonic for a ref to remember - along with field positioning, prematch preparation, scrum engagement, lineout and T/R/M or adjudicating tackle-ruck-maul.

Check the field, boots and mouthguards for each player, brief the front row on crouch-touch-pause-engage, the toss, touch judges, 20min halves for u11/12s and 25min for u13/14/15s. Position self on the Attack line, not the Middle line and certainly not the Defence line - watch offside, "get back" or "step back" and in the ruck, "hands gold off". In the u11/12s the scrum half must stay half way and not follow his peer on the other team all the way around the scrum. Max push 1m for u11/12s and 1.5m for others, "no more push" - scrum must not rotate more than 45 deg - reset and same team feed. Uncontested scrums - no contest for hook or pass by half back.

Tackle. Tackler must release player, roll away and make an effort to get on his feet - penalise if prevents tackled player from playing the ball. Tackled player must play the ball - place, pass, pop or roll the ball - roll away and attempt to get on his feet, "release the ball" or "let go." Arriving players must enter through the gate, stay on their feet and play the ball. In a ruck the ball is on the ground and two players, one from each side, are bound above the ball. Player arriving looks like plane landing - negative, denying the ball - or like plane taking off - positive, taking player out.

Ruck. Ball is on the ground, players bind on back feet, "we've got a ruck"; unsuccessful end to a ruck - ball goes to team going forward. Maul. Three players; collapsed mauls are dangerous - blow it (safe environment, same for player popping up in scrum); lots of 'em - tackled players not brought to ground. Lineout. 5 players in lineout, 10m defenders, gap 1m, pregripping allowed, support - not lift.

That's all - a few helpful tips fron Anthony that a ref should know in addition to good knowledge of the laws - thanks!