I seem to be getting more and more hits here so for those of you just checking in for the first time – welcome.

As you can see from my posts, Im still getting the hang of it. Im trying to use this as an avenue to get things off my chest, but in a controlled way. You won’t find me criticising fellow refs here, or the players involved in my games. I’ll leave that to other sites.

Hopefully, you’ll find some useful things here, so do keep coming back. Let me know if there is anything you would like me to be doing here.

Feel free to pass the link from your own referees society pages. In due course, I’ll create a links page for refs societies. Leave me the relevant links as a comment and I’ll get there in the end.

As for this weekend, Im off to the south Midlands to run touch. Should be good. Been a while since Ive officiated where Im going and much has changed. Despite my gallic background, I am hoping to make it back to the south coast in time for Mr Rolland to blast the RWC Final off. I do hope he doesn’t become the story.

To you all out there – happy whistling!

Well, I’m back up north again on Saturday, I’m definitely clocking up the airmiles. Can’t be many refs on the panel who fly to the majority of their games!?! 540 mile round trip is best done in the air!

Ive had two formal reports so far this year. The first was good, apart from some scrum issues which no one was really sure how to solve. The second I’m still waiting for. The assessor and I discussed some issues in his draft and am waiting for the final version.

Without going to details, I’ve got some points I need to prove this weekend. Need a kick-ass performance.

Fingers crossed for 2 positive sides, an overcast day and a safe and clear journey.

Downside of flying up north is that I have to get the train back (no planes out of Yorkshire on a Sat eve) so will be missing the French win, but will try and get GNER wifi to work and follow it via the BBC web site.

Happy Whistling!

Quite right too:

 IRB statement on referees

(Rugby News Service) Tuesday 9 October 2007

PARIS, 9 October – The International Rugby Board (IRB) is responsible for the appointment of all match officials for matches between international countries, including matches for IRB Rugby World Cup 2007.

The IRB believes the standard of refereeing is the highest it has ever been at a Rugby World Cup tournament. The criticism of referee Wayne Barnes following the France versus New Zealand quarter-final match on Saturday, 6 October is completely unwarranted.

All the referees for the knockout stages earned their appointments following outstanding performances in the pool stages. The selection process employed for the tournament is the one used for all international match appointments and consists of individual referee assessments, feedback from coaches and review by the IRB match official selection committee.

Match officials are under immense pressure during major matches and it has to be recognised that at times certain incidents are missed. Match officials have to make decisions instantly and do not have the luxury of replays which are available to spectators and the media.

The IRB stands behind the match official selection process, the referees and its Referee Manager Paddy O’Brien one hundred percent.

RNS dk/kb

Death threats outrage refs chief

The International Rugby Board has defended referee Wayne Barnes after he received death threats in the wake of New Zealand’s surprise World Cup exit.Barnes sent Luke McAlister to the sin-bin and missed a forward pass in the lead-up to France’s match-winning try as the All Blacks lost 20-18.

He has been subjected to personal abuse and death threats on internet sites.

“I think it’s a disgrace and people have to grow up,” IRB referees manager Paddy O’Brien told BBC Radio 5live.

“New Zealand losing that game was not all about the forward pass. The pass was forward but that’s rugby refereeing.

“Hindsight is a wonderful thing but you can’t turn back the clock.

“I’m a very proud Kiwi and I wear my heart on my sleeve when the All Blacks are playing, but it doesn’t change my judgement.

“Sport is about winning and losing and New Zealand lost, let’s get on with life.

“It’s a sad reflection and I’d like to say that it’s not all New Zealand people.”

The 28-year-old Barnes will not take any further part in the tournament after the IRB decided not to use him for any of the remaining matches.

“He is a superb referee, we have a lot of confidence in him,” O’Brien said.

“That’s why we gave him the quarter-final. He’s an outstanding individual as a person and it makes me sick to the stomach to hear some of the comments about him.”

O’Brien insisted that Barnes was still a big part of the IRB’s future plans.

“I’ve spoken to Wayne personally to congratulate him on a very fine performance,” he said.

“We spoke about the forward pass but at the end of the day he can’t guess.

“It’s a game played by humans and refereed by humans. We try to get it accurate if we can and WB is the brightest star we have on our books.”

Source: BBC Sport

Looking around last night, I was amazed by what I found. Having been in Cardiff on Saturday, I thought (albeit with a slight bias) that Barnesy had a good game. Very difficult last half hour to manage but superbly done. I do think the broadcasters have let him down a little.

In the yellow card moment, the broadcasters did not show what he said to McCaw. I only heard it underlying the commentary in my ear from the reflink system they have in use.  Was clear that the YC could have come for the previous maul drop (French maul went 25m before being collapsed) but the second cynical tatcic by McCallister took him out. Seems perfectly good call to me (from the other end of the Stadium).

How many of us could handle all the sh1t that Barnesy has had in the last few days! Not sure I would have, and its part of my day job!

Rolland to referee final

(Rugby News Service) Monday 8 October 2007

Final say: Irish referee Alain Rolland

PARIS, 8 October – Irishman Alain Rolland will referee the IRB  Rugby World Cup final at Stade de France in Saint-Denis on Saturday, 20 October.

The officials for the two semi-finals next weekend have also been announced.

South Africa’s Jonathan Kaplan will take charge of Saturday’s semi-final between France and England while Steve Walsh of New Zealand will referee Sunday’s second last-four matchup between South Africa and Argentina.

The referee for the third-place match on Friday, 19 October, will be Paul Honiss of New Zealand.

England v France (semi-final – 13 October)

Ref: Jonathan  Kaplan (RSA)
TJ: Paul Honiss (NZL)
TJ: Marius Jonker (RSA)
4: Nigel Owen (WAL)
5: Alain Rolland (IRE)
TMO: Stuart Dickinson (AUS)

South Africa v Argentina (semi-final – 14 October)

Ref: Steve Walsh (NZL)
TJ: Alan Lewis (IRE)
TJ: Chris White (ENG)
4: Joel Jutge (FRA)
5: Wayne Barnes (ENG)
TMO: Tony Spreadbury (ENG)

Bronze medal match

Ref: Paul Honiss (NZL)
Other officials tba

Thoughts?

I see the IRB have announced the refs for this years 7s circuit. Now seen as the breeding ground for the future Panel’s who do you reckon will come through from this lot?

The IRB has announced the referees appointed to its eight tournaments in 2007-08. They include referees from Romania and Fiji.

The referees are: James Jones (Wales), Neil Paterson (Scotland), Andrew Small (England), Simon McDowell (Ireland), David Keane (Ireland), Horatiu Borgaunas (Romania), Carlo Damasco (Italy), Jean-Luc Rebollal (France), Eric Gauzins (France), Pro Legoete (South Africa), Jaco Peyper (South Africa), James Bolabiu (Fiji), Ian Smith (Australia), Julian Pritchard (Australia), Garratt Williamson (New Zealand)

There will also be local nominees for individual tournaments.

Naturally, I have removed myself from contention at this stage….. 😉

‘Tis not a good day to be Welsh……

Bloody hell! My car has done 22,000 miles in the last year. No idea how many of those are rugby miles, but Id be prepared to say it its a pretty high percentage. My daily commute accounts for 5,500 miles.

 And they talk about commitment! That’s a whole load of refereeing miles! Someone should do a special loyalty card for us!

Happy whistling for those out this weekend. Im out flagging on Sunday. Lucky me. Just a nice local game – 174 miles each way. Lovely.

Evening all

Sorry for the delay in the weekly posts – crazy week at work! Had a fun trip up north at the weekend. Visitors were, to be fair, pretty poor up front. Lost 9 of their 14 lineouts which shows that it was an interesting afternoon!  End result 40 odd points to 6.

Worked really hard at the breakdown and we have good quick ball all afternoon – happy days!  Issue of the day was scrums. Frankly we had a dominant scrum to the home side, but there were competitive props. Hope that makes sense. They were having their own little battles which caused it to be untidy all day.

We had plenty of practice at it. 43 scrums of which 13 were reset. We also 6 pens and free kicks – one of them a penalty try for the defending 5m scrum crumpling going backwards. 

I went through the full range of options – FK, pen, chats, pen, pen try. My only outstanding option was to yellow card.  Now, main prob was the loose head. He was replaced on half time and his replacement wasn’t much better. My thought was this: Would a yellow, therefore bringing the first guy back, have solved the problem?? – none of us officials present thought so.

Chatting about it yesterday with a colleague, his view was that I should have done it anyway. If the guy coming back was still causing probs, he should have gone too. If that means uncontested, then so be it. His view was that I accepted the problem and didn’t go through the full range available to me. An interesting view which I have some sympathy with. Will certainly be discussing that with my coach and probably changing my mindset in the future.

Anyway, thoughts as ever are welcome. Barnesy is on the TV doing a fine job (again) with Samoa v USA. Should concentrate on that!

Well, its the end of week 1 of the RWC 2007 and Ive seen a fair few games. Just back from Cardiff having seen Wales victory in the second half against Australia and a great game between Fiji and Canada.

Now just watching and France v Namibia game and wish I had something controversial to write about.

It seems, and rightly so, that the RWC is, so far, all about the players. It always worries me when the ref becomes the story – a bit like Graham Poll in our football fraternity.

Good stuff.  Saw Spreaders today and he reffed exacly the same as he did on the TV last Friday night. The only thing that seems slightly different is the advantage interpretation. Some guys are calling it over v quickly, others less so. I guess it will all level out sooner or later.

Steve Walsh had a good game yesterday, I thought. Could have been a bit harder on the late hits. Alfie and Latham could/should both have had spells in the bin, I thought. 

Sure Paddy O will be calling a meeting of all officials to go through a few things in the next week or so. If that’s all that’s on the agenda, then happy days

 Great! I get to this stage of my blog and some numpty Namibian tries to decapitate Chabal. Missed it in real time and the slow mo doesnt look that bad, but Mr Rolland (who’s not one of those refs to readily go in his pocket), delivered a straight red.

Did I speak to soon?

Thoughts welcome as ever!