Opinion
Referees' boss Lyndon Bray predicted his men would collect some inflated Super 14 abuse as they applied a stricter approach to rugby's contentious tackled ball zone and several other laws.
All eyes were on the breakdown. Coaching staff, administrators, referees and assessors were all working furiously yesterday to collate their thoughts.
"I was generally happy and think we would give it a pass mark for the opening week," high performance referee manager Bray said.
Will rule changes at the breakdown make Super 14 rugby better to watch?
