Both Scotland’s Hollie Davidson and South Africa’s Aimee Barrett-Theron put in sound, accomplished performances with whistle in hand last weekend.
Were they perfect? No, of course not. But it was clear they had a game plan, which is essential for success. It enabled them to go about their business with calm authority. Also, they did not address players by their first-names, which is something other officials should follow their lead on. Key ingredients for a proper game plan are visualisation and mental role-playing; knowing what you’re going to do is paramount.
If there is a small bone to be picked with Davidson and Barrett-Theron, it’d be about communication. Having given a good, precise, explanation for a decision, there is no need whatsoever to answer supplementary questions. Munster captain Craig Casey, very politely, did his best to become on-pitch adviser to Davidson.
Casey was quietly adamant a red card should have been given to the Bulls’ Ruan Nortje for his head-on-head collision with Diarmuid Barron. “Clear red for me,” the scrumhalf opined. The referee had already clearly said that, because Barron’s height had altered, the card would stay yellow. No further debate should have been entertained.
I received several texts saying Davidson herself should have given a permanent red. While I’d like to agree, that is not going to happen anymore. Those days are gone. When foul play reaches the yellow-card threshold, unless it’s absolute thuggery, it will now always go to the bunker.
Munster’s Craig Casey tried to persuade referee Hollie Davidson to issue a red card in Saturday’s URC match between Bulls and Munster. Photograph: Steve Haag Sports/Darren Stewart
Munster did exceptionally well to bring home two losing bonus points, as victory narrowly eluded them. But it becomes pretty difficult when your opponents score three near-impossible tries. Embrose Papier got two of them and 19-year-old Cheswill Jooste added the other. To say their pace was electric does scant justice to them – it’s similar to saying Usain Bolt was very quick.
Absolute thuggery did occur in the Zebre v Ulster encounter, when the home team’s Simone Gesi was guilty of reckless contact to Stuart McCloskey’s eye area. Welsh referee Craig Evans rightly didn’t hesitate, promptly producing the permanent red card.
That’s the third high-profile eye-area contact in relatively quick succession. Once again, we await a punitive, deterrent suspension. Our waiting may well be in vain.
Federico Vedovelli, who took charge of Connacht v Ospreys, didn’t impress. The Italian official did not seem to have a meaningful plan, being more reactive than anything else. The previous week he failed miserably in not showing a permanent red to Edinburgh’s Harri Morris for a shocking takeout in the air of Ulster’s Cormac Izuchukwu.
Referee Federico Vedovelli speaks to Paul Boyle of Connacht during Saturday’s URC game between Connacht and Ospreys at Dexcom Stadium. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
In this outing, Vedovelli once again failed to convince. Alerted by his TMO to a potential forward pass just before an Ospreys try, he took the merest of glances at the screen before ruling out the score. The excellent Jac Morgan was involved and later on, with the scores level, the referee would send him to the bin. It was a severe call.
Matthew Devine had taken a quick tap and it looked like he’d run the necessary 10 metres before Morgan tackled him. The decision left Ospreys with 14 men. Morgan had barely departed when Connacht scored the winning try.
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Conversely, Connacht avoided a sinbinning of their own until the second half. The visitors will have a valid question about multiple penalties conceded by the home team before half-time – none of these were accompanied by a card. To make matters worse, it looked like Vedovelli had whistled one of these too quickly, just as Ospreys were touching down. All things considered, the result was something of a get-out-of-jail card for the westerners.
The URC referee appointment system is based completely on neutrality, instead of a policy which rewards merit. The latter used to be utilised but it has given way to neutrality for so long now that it’s probably too late to revert.
The policy has seen far too many mediocre and poor performances. And, heavens above, it saw the return of Mike Adamson as a referee just a couple of weeks ago. Adamson’s record does not stand up well to scrutiny. Apart from that, his appointment causes a blockage in the system. There are referees crying out for an opportunity. Whether or not they are good enough can only be known by giving them a series of appointments.
Referee Andrew Brace awards a penalty to the Dragons in their recent URC clash with DHL Stormers in Cape Town. Photograph: Steve Haag Sports/EJ Langner/Inpho
Merit-based, non-neutral appointments can of course lead to accusations of bias, but surely that is more manageable than complaints of incompetence. Rewarding mediocrity has never improved a damn thing – not just in rugby, but in any walk of life. Andrew Brace, Andrea Piardi and Davidson will be the only URC referees on the probable list for the World Cup. This is a poor reflection on elite-talent identification and development programmes in the participating unions.
The European Round of 16 now takes centre stage. Former international referee Tony Spreadbury is in charge of these vital appointments. Eight teams in both the Champions Cup and the Challenge Cup will be eliminated, with defeat bringing several ramifications, including financial. Ireland have one referee involved in each competition – the established Brace, and his fellow Munster man Eoghan Cross.
So, the genial ‘Spreaders’ is sending Luke Pearce for Leinster’s match against Edinburgh. Connacht will play the Sharks, to be handled by Scottish referee Sam Grove-White. Munster travel to Exeter, where France’s Jeremy Rozier will be in charge. And, finally, Ulster will have Englishman Anthony Woodthorpe for their clash with the Ospreys. A seismic Easter weekend is coming up and it won’t be for the faint of heart.