Well, been an interesting two weeks. Last Sunday saw me in West London looking after a local derby between the top two sides in the league. Fun afternoon. Tough first half and then the visitors opened up in the second, despite playing up the hill. Had an interesting moment with an idiot spectator who decided to use his silver drinks tray to flash the sunlight at the kicker as he lined up a conversion. No effect but 2 minutes later we end up in the same spot on the field with a penalty kick at goal and I see him do it again. I ask kicker to hold on and march up to the chap behind the posts and make a fool out of him. He handed it over and I gave it to my AR to look after. Home club have found out who it was an banned him for the rest of the season – good on them!

It’s always good when you do a game like that and at the end, no-one is pointing fingers in your direction, so really felt like that was a result for me.  Little bit rusty after 2 weeks off (one for illness, one for planned weekend break with Mrs Refblog) and it showed (said Mr Panel Manager) but I improved and the game did as well.

Yesterday saw me back in the middle of a Div 1 fixture in SW London. Away win in poor conditions and once again, two pleased coaches with little to say to me afterwards. Really think Im now in the “Div 1 Referee” club, rather than the “Wannabe Div 1” Club.  The next issue is how do I start showing more! I don’t feel I’ve reached my level yet – but it’s a huge leap from here to the next level. Need to be doing lots more of these sorts of games so the Panel Mgt feel they can give me any game going in that league.

Hoping the arrival of Refblog Jnr won’t have an adverse affect on things. Going to be a nerve racking few weeks – especially with a work trip to Switzerland and two reffing trips to the SW. Every time my phone goes it will set me off. But hey ho – must remain focussed and get on with the job in hand!

Anyone know anything about Major Stanleys XV?? Got them against Oxford Uni next week as part of their (OU) build up to the Varsity game. Should be fun!!

and will be ruining a game in West London on Sunday.

A no pressure top 2, 9 points clear, winner takes all game, between two sides who happen to be a few miles apart. What fun!

Seems half of London Refs and the National Panel will be in attendance, plus, I hear, a few from the Hampshire area too.  Looking forward to it, especially after 2 weeks off.

Any drama out there?

…. is poorly and will not be gracing the good fields of N,L&D this weekend. He was supposed to be on Sunday duty but sadly has a limited lung capacity having coughed up at least one of them in the last 48 hours.***splutters***

Normal service will, he hopes, return next week! ***splutters***

Paddy O`Brien on ELV review

Wednesday 15th October 2008

IRB Referees’ chief Paddy O’Brien has moved to correct ‘a lot of misinformation’ about the current trends in the northern hemisphere game generated by the new laws, and urged fans and administrators alike to remain patient and less emotional as the game settles with the new laws.

There have been six weeks of rugby in the north under the new laws – eight if you’re French – and the overall response has been mixed. Many games are interrupted by long bursts of aerial ping-pong, and several coaches have been left fuming at inconsistencies in the officiating from one game to another. However there have also been games of sheer brilliance.

Which is rather as it was before actually, a point not lost on O’Brien who insisted that the new laws were not to create more tries or make the game more entertaining, merely to clarify evolving points of contention within the game.

“80 to 90 percent of the ELVs the players say they strongly support them, so despite all the myths out there that people don’t like them, the people who play the game, who are at the end of the day the most important people, they’re telling us yes they love them,” said O’Brien to the IRB’s Total Rugby programme.

“I think there’s a bit of a myth out there that one of our objectives was to make the game more entertaining, which was not the case. That’s up to the players.

“As for the kicking, the stats show that kicking is no more than it was at Rugby World Cup 2007, in fact it’s down. There’s an average of 51 or 52 kicks in a game and if you go back to the semi finals and final of the World Cup there were 87 kicks per game, so there is a lot of misinformation out there.

“Sure, there is a lot of kicking and that is down to other reasons. Until the referees really get harsh at refereeing people on their feet at the tackle players will not commit to the breakdown and the only way to break defences is by kicking the ball.

“The fact that there’s a lot of kicking in games at the moment shouldn’t be put down to the ELVs.”

November is looming large on the horizon, with New Zealand, South Africa and Australia all heading up to play some Tests under yet another different set of laws against the European nations. Some of the players in the touring squads will be playing under their fifth set of laws within the one season.

The Test month has a bit of spice added to it with Rugby World Cup seedings at stake, and there is an air of apprehension that the continued changes in laws for the players from those three nations will make it harder for them to gain these points

“People get a bit emotional over it but the only difference between the two hemispheres at the moment – and a reminder the NPC and Currie Cup are being played under the 16 ELVs whereas up north it’s 13 – is that instead of being a penalty it’s a free kick as a sanction. That’s the only area,” said O’Brien.

“When a New Zealand, Australia or South Africa player looks up at the breakdown he’ll see the (referee’s) arm straight up in the air rather than a free-kick.

“The difference in the actual playing will be that rather than tapping and going, or saying ‘no we’ll take the scrum’, it’ll be a penalty and that can be kicked out for a line-out (or for goal). I don’t think there’s going to be much in it.”

The other main points of contention are the inconsistencies at the breakdown. Biarritz coach Jack Isaac was outspoken at the weekend after his side was continuously pinged for going off their feet, and Montauban were unlucky to be on the wrong end of a similar decision which cost them a famous win in Munster.

Many other coaches – Harlequins’ Dean Richards was the most notable one – have been angry at breakdown interpretations and differences in strictness from referee to referee over the weeks.

Then there is the matter of crooked feeding to the scrum, which was supposed to be a target for referees this year but still seems to be a problem.

“They haven’t taken their eye off the ball, but some haven’t perhaps been as vigilant as we’d like them to be. We’ve got real concerns and we will address them again at Lensbury (referee’s conference in November),” said O’Brien.

“We’ve put out three directives to the referees and some of them are ignoring them. We’ll be making it quite clear that we expect them to up the ante in this area but it is a real area of concern because the scrum nowadays is a contest for quality possession rather than winning possession, so to have a scrum straight before the ball goes in is a problem on its own.

“It’s a bigger issue than just getting the feed in straight but, having said that, we can be a lot better.”

http://www.planetrugby.com/Story/0,18259,3551_4339406,00.html

Sorry, that should balmy! Can’t believe a trip to the middle of the Cornwall in the middle of October needed a rugby match containing water breaks! Most bizarre, but that is what we had down there yesterday.

Great game and well worth the four hours travelling and an overnight stop.  Had expected to be in SW London running the line but a swift change round midweek – bit of a shift, but that’s the joy of being on the panel (and having an understanding Mrs Refblog!))

It’s great doing two sides you know, and they know you. You can push the boundaries a bit and enjoy the banter and use it to your aid. No disciplinary issues all afternoon despite a game that conjured up a 15-15 first half and then a 37-29 final score. Home side were on top for most of the game, but wrapped up a nice present of 3 soft tries to their visitors with a nice bow on top.  Coach said afterwards he was hoping I’d put a tackle in at one stage as none of his chaps seems they wanted to. Good stuff.

Next week, I am in DIY mode on Saturday (The Present Mrs Refblog is getting rather large at the mo and the nursery needs some finishing off, among other home bits and pieces) and then up to the Midlands for a Sunday game. Well, that’s the plan at the moment and after last week’s chopping and changing, the proof will be in the pudding!!

….. no clarifications this week!! How bizarre!

For those who were playing the Where’s RefBlog game, I am indeed back down in the SW for the second week on the bounce and the fourth time this season. Im really beginning to detest the A31, A35 and the A30.  Wouldnt mind some nice long bits of motorway or even the A34! Anyway, we have to do our apprenticeship in the SW corner and this is mine. Even the passport control chaps wave me through now. Not even they can be bothered to check my passport!

Anyone want to hazard a guess where I may be refereeing this weekend?

… and another ELV “clarification” I bring with me.

That’s two in two weeks. Last week was the disintegration, delib or otherwise, of the maul. This week the defending “hooker” at the lineout.

Apparently the ERC gathering last week ahead of the cross border comps brought out some differences in interpretations across Europe as to where the defending hooker can stand in the lineout. RFU said it was the “immediate” opposite, so should be close to the l/o. Some others, including the WRU I hear, had interpreted it to be anywhere in the 10m channel. They couldn’t agree so sent it up to the IRB who have ruled with the “anywhere in the 10m” approach. If that’s what they meant, why didn’t they write it in the ELV!?!

What I don’t get is why a defending side would not want that player in the 5m channel at the front of the lineout. Otherwise it leaves a rather large hole for the attacking side. Hey ho – we just do what we’re told.

Looking forward to this afternoon. Got one of the so-called top sides against one of the lower end sides. Don’t think either would disagree with those descriptions although from what Ive learnt so far in Div 1, league “status” or position don’t mean much when you blow your whistle to kick a game off. Lots of the “big” sides have a habit of not dominating these games and have the wrong mindset. Can’t comment on that, but we’ll see.

Been thinking of my mental prep this week. Had a feeling that Im not totally focused and have been making some silly mistakes in my approach to players and incidents. Missed a yellow card opportunity the other week when I spoke to a player about a breakdown penalty, before I spoke to the TJ about a flag he had put in.  Had I not done so, I would have then binned the player as a result of persistent offenses in the move. Not match effecting as the f.p player then presented me with the chance to put him in the bin 2 mins later. But that’s not the point.

Will see how my brain handles this afternoon.

Fresh from the IRB:

IRB Ruling #4 2008

Apologies for the lack of posting of late. Been a bit manic with one thing or another.

Well, third Saturday into the season and Im two Div 1s in the middle, one on the side and one AR run out at an A League game.

Conclusions?

Well, as I suspected the ELVs were talked about a lot over the summer, but haven’t really had a huge impact in terms of decision making for us officials. A few mauls pulled down, a few taken back ins and kicked straight out but nothing to write home about. The main thing Ive spotted is the necessity of the teams to establish a quality kicking game. Some Ive seen so far have done so, other less so. The 10’s/FBs are having to be much more accurate in where they drop the balls into the defending 22. Has meant more ball in play time, or so it feels. Not sure if there is any stats so far to back it up.

Speaking of which, Statubunker is fast becoming a must read site for me (www.statbunker.co.uk/rugby) – seems Im currently second in the Referee Report table for my yellow card count!!! 3 in 2 games.

Anyway, back to the refereeing. First match of the season, naturally saw me in the far south west. A good starter, in front of the Nat Dev Mgr. Could have been a whole lot worse, and really pleased to get it under my belt. Really worked hard in first half but then eased off, especially in the contact area. Not to the detriment of the game, but at this level, when you’re being watched, you’re being watched!!

Last weekend, was a different kettle of fish. Was on Sunday duty up in Yorkshire and for some reason I just didn’t begin to sort things out until about 25 mins. Where I sorted the tackle out in the previous week, I just didn’t!  The only thing I can put my finger on, is that I didn’t have comms in the first half (despite testing them both inside and out beforehand). Whether the bit of my brain that should have been focusing on what was in front of my eyes was musing on the lack of radio’s – who knows. Maybe I need therapy to get to the bottom on that one. Needless to say, the DVD I got last night was not pleasant reading. The nice video company had clipped out 32 breakdown/rucks from the first half. Not pretty viewing, but necessary – even if it is to make sure that it never happens again!

Well, my motto in these scenarios is “Accept and Move on” – so that is what I intend to do. Learn the lessons, and make sure my next run out next weekend is free of that sort of thing.

Whatever you’ve all been up to this afternoon, I trust it went well and wish you all, dear readers, a prosperous and fun-filled season.

Cheers

Ref