One Controversy Too Many: The Downfall of the Rugby Referee?
The last two months have been somewhat of an emotional rollercoaster for us rugby lovers. 46 games later, with only two left to play this weekend, we have experienced what has been one of the most dramatic Rugby World Cups to date. There have been highs, and there have been lows — the frequency of which, unfortunately for us northerners, seems to depend on the side of the equator that you sit on. We have seen newfound stars burst onto the scene, retiring veterans make their final mark and devastating injuries shatter dreams in the blink of an eye, and all of this has been jam-packed into an action filled tournament that one could simply not look away from. But what England 2015 has not lacked, however, is it’s fair share of controversy.
With new regulations on the use of the TMO introduced in the build up to the competition, it was bound to have teething problems. World Cup rugby was always going to be tense — this interaction between England Prop Joe Marler and referee Luke Pearce shows the passion that can be taken pitchside when fuelled with the fire of patriotism. But what no one expected was the sheer volume of backlash and criticism that has plagued the 12-member refereeing panel since the very start of England 2015.
Trouble began to brew as little as 28 minutes into the tournament, way back on September 18th, when Nikola Matawalu of Fiji was denied a try in the Pacific Islanders opening effort against the home nation. The scrum-half’s score in the corner was initially awarded by referee Jaco Peyper, but was later seen on the big screen just as fly half Ben Volavola was lining up for a conversion, and, after going upstairs, it was ultimately disallowed due to lost possession of the ball in the process of its grounding.
And from that moment on, the controversy came rolling in thick and fast. It culminated during the semi-finals weekend, when a last minute penalty awarded by South African ref Craig Joubert cost Scotland a place in the World Cup semi-finals, and handed Australia a narrow 35-34 victory in the dying stages of the match. Whilst Scotland captain Greig Laidlaw begged for the decision to be reviewed via TMO, Joubert stuck to his guns, and ended up running off the pitch at the end of the game without shaking the hands of any player. This time last week, World Rugby released a statement confirming that Joubert had made the wrong decision, suggesting that the offence was actually a knock on, and should have resulted in a scrum to Australia instead of the match-deciding penalty. Despite having the 2011 World Cup final in his arsenal, along with nearly 100 test appearances, it looks like his previously glittering career could be forever tarnished with just one blow of the whistle.
Indeed, it seems like no one can get out of this tournament scar-free. Even 36 year old Englishman Wayne Barnes, who has 5 Premiership Finals and 2 World Cups under his belt, has not escaped the backlash. In the last week, he too has come under fire for awarding Adam Ashley-Cooper’s third try of the night during Australia’s 29 – 15 defeat of the Pumas. The vital score gave them the necessary 14 point lead and secured their place in the finals, despite the fact that Barnes refused to consult the TMO and therefore missed a blatant forward pass.
The worry is that such critical behaviour is diffusing fast, and it is not just the international scene which has seen this explosion of doubt. Back in the Premiership, Quins’ visit to Leicester this weekend was equally clouded. The Sunday afternoon match up at Welford Road was, for the most part, a thrilling encounter, with Quins holding the advantage until the dying minutes of the game, when Laurence Pearce drove over the line to bring the scoreboard to 22 – 19 with 8 minutes to play. As the seconds fell away for the visitors, captain Danny Care opted to kick for the corner, instead of taking the three points needed to draw level [ironically somewhat reminiscent of teammate Chris Robshaw in a similar situation at Twickenham not that long ago..]. A resulting maul saw Quins drive the home side back 30 yards, before it was pulled down and arguably illegally collapsed. Despite Sam Harrison’s 76th minute yellow card, and amidst calls for a penalty try, on Foley’s command the ball was given back to Tigers to send into the stands, and the win was seemingly stolen out of Quins’ clutching hands.
The Harlequins Director of Rugby, Irishman Conor O’Shea, is usually the epitome of calm and collected post-match. Yet, in his interview after Saturday’s game, he was visibly distraught by the situation, exclaiming: “We should have had a penalty try. Ridiculous. Ridiculous… We drove 30 yards and it’s taken down. How they can’t spot that… I’m furious”, whilst he referenced the aforementioned Joubert decision, sarcastically joking “I’m sure World Rugby will issue an apology saying it was a mistake, but what difference does that make?”. Richard Cockerill of Leicester was understandably far more supportive of the unacquainted ref, who was only officiating his 8th game, claiming that “he refereed pretty well… these are fine margins”.
So who is Thomas Foley, and why was he the man trusted to be placed in charge of making the all important decisions this weekend? He is undoubtedly young, and remarkably inexperienced. He was initially introduced to the refereeing world as a key driving figure behind the creation of the first Student Referee Society, which he helped to establish in 2007 whilst he was reading for a Masters in Civil Engineering at Bristol University. From there, he quickly progressed up the ranks, with promoted to the South West Group in 2008 and the National Panel in 2011. In 2012, he was invited by Chris White to join the National Referee Academy, and was appointed to the Professional Game Match Officials Team at the start of the 2014-15 season. He made his Premiership debut in the clash between London Welsh and London Wasps on November 14th, 2014, and has since officiated a further 7 games.
The world’s best are otherwise engaged, and it’s understandable. They have bigger and better priorities than an Aviva Premiership Round 2 clash. But, should fresh-faced, unfledged Thomas Foley have been thrown in at the deep end at such a critical point in the story of rugby refereeing? Especially at a point where the media have stationed themselves atop a mountain of constant fuel in the one apparent bad decision after another that has unfolded in recent weeks. Would O’Shea have even responded in such a way, had he not followed the examples set by others over the course of England 2015?
Only time will tell whether this was one controversy too many for the rugby world. One would hope that as emotions settle and partisanships liquidate, respect for the referee — a key feature of the game we know and love — can be reestablished, alongside a much needed reassessment of the ways that technology can enhance the sport. The TMO needs to find its appropriate place where it can supplement, without putting undeserved pressure, on those bearing a whistle; the same people who are ultimately vital to the game’s functioning.
A positive to take out of the last 2 months for the officials? Nigel Owens has, up till now, escaped the wrath, and has emerged from England 2015 widely accepted as the best referee in the world. On Monday, Owens was appointed by World Rugby to officiate the World Cup final between New Zealand and Australia this weekend; a decision which seems to be abundant in support. The 44 year old Welshman is famed for having excellent communication with the players, and is universally respected by those in the game, winning the world’s hearts earlier on this World Cup during this encounter with Scotland’s Stuart Hogg. His success is highlighted in the postitive reception to his new documentary, which, for any of you interested, is self-titled Nigel Owens: True to Myself, and is now available to watch via iPlayer.
So it’s not all doom and gloom for those on the officiating side. England 2015 has proven that the public are prepared to throw anything and everything at the referee — quite literally in the case of Joubert, who ducked a flying bottle on his return to the tunnel — and we know that technological improvements have enabled a level of critique that is previously unparalleled. For the game to grow, this must be taken as a positive, however, and the official world must learn to adapt, rather than let it be the instigator of their demise. Such pessimism cannot be allowed to trickle down into other competitions, but if the likes of Nigel Owens can continue to grow in popularity, and his counterparts now get some time to shelter from the blinding front page news, this does not have to be the case. The last two months may have been a blip for rugby officials worldwide, but ultimately this must be used as a positive platform to rebuild and re-establish the respect and esteem that stands as a key pillar in the foundations of our game.
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