“It wasn’t a foul, just the head-on collision of two powerful rugby titans,” so said Johann van Graan, the Bath coach, following his team’s defeat against Northampton in the English Premiership final. The way he articulated his perspective on what constitutes dangerous play only highlights the deep-seated division and profound misunderstanding within the rugby world, regarding what should be considered a red card offence.
The incident he was referring to was the aggressive, head-high tackle by his own player, Beno Obano, on Northampton’s Juarno Augustus. The referee for that match, Christophe Ridley, was meticulous in enforcing protocols and appropriately issued a red card to Obano. Should Van Graan’s perspective ever gain acceptance, the terrifying prospect of an increase in concussive incidents looms large – tragically, they could even become an integral, coached part of the game.
Rugby is not isolated from the reality of dementia and concussion. Parents wary about their children’s safety on the rugby field will undoubtedly feel unease at the coach’s comments. Insights from Boston University’s posthumous study on the brains of athletes involved in high-collision sports, like rugby, are truly alarming. To guard the sport’s integrity and player safety, it becomes imperative that rugby takes decisive measures to eradicate “tackles” in the vein of Obano’s, irrespective of any opposition from those who perceive such actions harmless.
The coach wasn’t lambasting the referee’s decision with his comments, but was rather serene and even laudatory towards Ridley, whom he labelled as the best in the Premiership. Certainly, these comments would have been warmly received by the observing Wayne Barnes. The reign of one king ends as another begins.
In the context of the URC, a competition seeing significant growth and moving towards semi-finals and grand finals, it’s regrettable that match officials are not adequately rising to the increasingly complex challenges they face.
In my view, Andrew Brace and Chris Busby stand out as the superior officials in the United Referee Congress (URC). Brace, despite being the more experienced of the two, might find the newcomer Busby fast catching up with him. However, with Leinster and Munster competing in separate semi-finals, neither can officiate due to the impartial selection policy. This rule will also apply for the final, unless both teams are defeated. Beyond Brace, Busby, and the reasonably competent Andrea Piardi from Italy, there isn’t much of a choice.
Hollie Davidson, Scotland’s representative, successfully officiated Munster’s match against Ospreys at Thomond Park, except for a few hiccups with the scrum. With the right coaching in place, she can potentially progress further up the ranks. Her ability to stand by her decisions is commendable and her reluctance to involve the Television Match Official (TMO) is evident. Of the Scottish officials, Davidson is unquestionably the more competent. Given her skill, she should soon receive significant European assignments. An opportunity to officiate a Six Nations tournament in the coming seasons is quite likely.
Conversely, her Scottish counterpart, Mike Adamson, has failed to impress. Despite officiating a couple of Six Nations matches, he has not been recalled subsequently. Scotland has struggled to cultivate an internationally reputed referee with significant influence in rugby since Jim Fleming retired in 2001, indicating possible flaws in its talent identification and elite development programmes.
The absence of Wales’ Nigel Owens is more profoundly felt than anticipated. Craig Evans, an emerging referee from Sevens tournaments, has yet to establish his footing. Nonetheless, the current situation may necessitate his deployment within the final two rounds.
As for South Africa, the retirement of Jaco Peyper due to an Achilles tendon injury has left a significant void in their refereeing talent pool with no immediate successor in sight. Once renowned for its standard of referees, the country currently seems directionless.
Exceptional refereeing will be crucial for the upcoming semi-finals and final. The Bulls are set to relish home advantage on the highveld, while Leinster can expect a formidable on-field challenge. Meanwhile, Munster can revel in their winning streak that secures Thomond Park as the venue to host Glasgow. It’s worth noting that Glasgow shows a different level of tenacity when playing at their home ground in Scotstoun.
Busby’s commendable refereeing in the Glasgow versus Stormers match included apt management of a high-hit situation. Glasgow’s victory received a boost from an unusual and demotivating 100% failure rate of Mannie Libbock, who failed to convert any of his four goal attempts.
An interesting point of discussion from the match where Leinster triumphed over a gradually improving Ulster was the missed penalty try. An Ulster maul seemed on the verge of crossing the home team’s line when Caelan Doris committed an infringement by repositioning himself illegally, wrapping around the ball carrier. The referee, Brace, declared merely a penalty, which many, including myself, anticipated would result in a penalty try. However, the decision didn’t influence the final result of the match.