http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/7938106.stm

Feels like Rugby is moving down the Football route very quickly!

Another clear cut score and uncontroversial game for Refblog this week. erm… well….

Why is it spectators only want injury time played when they win in it? I remember fondly a game down in Hampshire in my early refereeing days when we played 7 mins of injury time during which the lead changed hands 3 times! I was hugely unpopular with everyone. Ahhh, the good old days! 😉

Time is one of the only things in which we are totally transparent. When we have a stoppage – injury or replacement – we hold hand up and call time off. When its all sorted, we hold hand up and call time on. We’re supposed to add a bit of whistle but sometimes that bit slips!

Take a game with 5 replacements each – how long does it take to make 10 seperate replacements in the second half? Add in 3 injury stoppages, lets say. It all adds up. But woe betide you when a side loses the game during this mysterious period. Next time you are at a match, take a stopwatch and follow the ref’s time on and off. I bet you’ll be suprised!

All this detracts from a cracking game of rugby – one which I know I thoroughly enjoyed playing my part in. There are some that say that Cup rugby is dead. I defy anyone who was at my game on Sat to say the same. Great stuff!

This week will see me at my local club running some lines, doing to sprint training, and reffing an active session for the lads who want to do some competitive scrums and lineouts. These are cracking sessions for us all. The coaches want us to ref it hard – we want to experiment a little and work on some things a little. Everyone benefits. Looking forward to it!

Story from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport2/hi/rugby_union/english/7912721.stm

England’s ref complaints rejected

England backs coach Brian Smith has been reprimanded for his criticism of Jonathan Kaplan’s refereeing in the Six Nations match against Wales.
Smith accused him of not being even-handed with England, claiming he had been swayed by the Wales management.

“Comments that appear to question the performance of Kaplan were unwarranted,” said the International Rugby Board in a statement.

“The official review of the match ranks Kaplan’s performance as high.”

The statement added: “The IRB is satisfied that Kaplan followed the correct protocol for addressing both teams on and off the field and dealt with England and Wales in a fair and professional manner and refereed what was in front of him.

“An official process exists for unions to give feedback to the IRB on refereeing performances.

“IRB referee manager Paddy O’Brien and the Rugby Football Union elite rugby director Rob Andrew shared a very positive meeting on Monday, which makes the timing of the comments regrettable and unfortunate.”

Smith had not held back in his criticism of Kaplan, who he believed had come under pressure from Wales to find fault in England’s play at the breakdown.
“His whole demeanour through that match, the way he addressed our team in the changing room beforehand – he had clearly had heaps of pressure put on by Wales,” said Smith, following the 23-15 defeat on 14 February.

“The way our team was addressed prior to the Wales game took me a little bit by surprise. It was clear to me that Wales had done their job in terms of getting stuck into the referee.

“Fair play to them for doing it. Teams are looking at every advantage they can get.

“What we are really trying to say to the refs is: ‘Please judge us the same way you judge other teams and do not come into the game with a preconceived idea’.”

Well, it seems I have been outed on one of the national league fora. To all my new readers – welcome. Hope this gives some insight to the fun life we all lead on this side of the whistle.

Worth reminding newcomers of my first post: https://refblog.co.uk/2007/05/30/welcome-post/

The sentiments and content remain. Please have a look at it as it sets out what I intended (and still intend) to use this blog up for.   This is a no names, no pack drill blog and it remains my intention not to discuss specific incidents or players outisde of my own considered thoughts. Although of course at the level I operate, it becomes easier to identify who is who, especially from the clubs perspective. Please bear that in mind.

For the last few years I’ve had about 15 regular readers – most of whom I know and know me.  Thank you for your regular feedback though the last few years. Keep it coming.

Now, I guess we don’t see enough of these in “professional” sport especially from us match officials, but yesterday I apologised to the coach and Chief Exec of the losing side in my game. I did so wholeheartedly and I do so again now should they happen to be reading.

I had done something inexcusable – I ended the game on a law error.

The game status was this – Home 16 v Visitors 21 as my watch nears time up. Had been a cracking game – no controversy, the sides had created the scoreline from some really good attacking and some stout defending.

Home side attacking scrum 5m out and 5m from the touch line. Scrum set and engaged. Watch beeps – time up.  

Home side put in and win scrum, it moved towards goal line and then hookers emerge up from the middle. No penalty spotted. Blow whistle – “popped up, reset…. time’s up” full time whistle.

Oh dear. TJ says in my ear – that was a big call ending it like that. Doubt starts to well up.  Home coach politely enquires as to what I have done. I explain and we move inside. Tunnel andthanks all round.

Refs changing room – we discuss whether it is urban myth or in law. I think urban myth. Scrum has engaged, and passage of play (albeit ball still in) ensued. Consult good book, which is absolutely crystal clear. The set scrum and lineout must “be completed” before full time can be blown. Shit shit shit shit shit!!

Shower, get dressed and go in and speak to home coach. I hold my hands up, apologise and he accepts with good grace and appreciates my honesty.

Would they have scored? I doubt it (no tries score by them in 2nd half, and I dont recall them getting close to doing so (DVD may prove otherwise)). But should they have had the opportunity to get 5 points (for a draw) and another 2 points (for the win) – yes they should. I stopped that. I have no excuses.

Also explain to visitors coach who is grateful for me admitting error. Phone call to Panel Manager to admit mea cupla – before he hears it from anyone else. As you can imagine – that was a fun phonecall.

Cue – a few hours of me beating myself up. Was it concentration? Absolutely not. I was so concious given the scoreline that I had to stay well on top of the game.  I just didn’t know that bit of law. Im now operating at Division 1 and that just isn’t good enough. I know that, and while others may not tell me that, I know that is what they would (and should) be thinking.

Will it happen again? Not on your life. And my error will be all over the Panel by midweek so the will be damn sure they all know it now. Hey ho. My loss of face – everyone else’s gain! 

My two mantras – “no controversey” and “accept and move on”. One of them is blown. The other – a struggle.

On the plus side – really good game and assessor generally very happy. Does that help? Not much. 

Onwards and upwarsds – let’s see what the next batch of appointments brings.

Have a good week

Ref

http://rugbyreferee.wordpress.com/2009/02/15/rejected-nz-rugby-ref-considers-japan-move/

Our New Zealand comrades think Ste Walsh might be Japan bound. Seems he and his NZRFU employers have fallen out. Shame, I always liked his laid back style, if not some of his approaches.

Maybe the Japan RFU might get an IRB ref after all!