September 28th, 2019. It was a black day in Fukuroi, Japan for Irish rugby, the team losing to the hosts in the World Cup. The Irish management, including coach Joe Schmidt, had reason to be displeased with the performance of the referee, Angus Gardner. World Rugby admitted later that several penalties against Ireland were incorrect.
Six years later, Gardner arrived at the Aviva on Saturday, entrusted with the biggest match of this year’s Six Nations. In the midst of high intensity he did some things well, but there are again questions around his performance. Not for a second am I suggesting that he contributed to our defeat. Ireland were whipped, there are no sour grapes.
France are livid about the injury to Antoine Dupont. He was cleared out by Tadhg Beirne, whose arm was tucked as his shoulder hit into the scrumhalf, his weight then rolling over onto Dupont’s knee. This rolling action is specifically banned in the laws, precisely because of concern for this type on injury. As it happened, Andrew Porter latched onto Beirne and there were arguments that it was the prop’s added weight which contributed to the injury, and that the awful outcome was accidental.
A very angry Fabian Galthie brought both players to the attention of the citing commissioner, Englishman Shaun Gallagher. He has done his job, and decided not to cite. Even if all of my French friends disagree with him, I can see the reasoning regarding Porter, and the officials will feel vindicated.
But, there’s an overriding issue. The human body was not designed to take these colossal clearouts. World Rugby has seriously erred in allowing the game to evolve to a point where it permits players to drive into the breakdown off their feet. There is no care whatsoever for the safety of the opposition players who are targeted and hit with such mighty force. It’s time to call a halt. Otherwise, this type of injury, or worse, will not go away.
Meanwhile, we can only hope that one of the greatest players the rugby world has ever seen, will make a full recovery, and that his remarkable prowess will not be diminished when he returns. We would all be the losers if that were to happen.
There was definite Irish ill-discipline when Calvin Nash made hard-head contact in a tackle on French centre Pierre-Louis Barassi, who did not return from his HIA. Nash was fortunate not to have his yellow card upgraded by the bunker. Galthie also gave this to the citing commissioner, but the coach got no change here either.
While Gardner made something of a song and dance of it, it was the easiest of decisions to bin Joe McCarthy. It was a moment of impulsive insanity, pulling back and dumping Thomas Ramos by his shirt collar. That sort of impetuous reaction often comes with a very high price tag, which in this case was an immediate try to France. You can bet that Lions coach Andy Farrell will have made a note.
Peter O’Mahony was lucky enough that two no-arm tackles were considered to be in the legal category, one on Yoram Mofena, the other on Louis Bielle-Biarrey. The officials must have considered these to be genuine attempts to charge down the ball. I remain to be convinced.
The referee and his assistants also got some straightforward calls wrong. The law in relation to playing the ball on the ground is known to all junior referees. Yet, Jamie Osborne, lying on the ground, was permitted to collect the ball as it rolled towards him, and pass it from there. Similarily, Damian Penaud, completely isolated on the ground, refused to let the ball go. These were very clear offences.
[ French media reaction: Cavalry deliver but fallen soldier Dupont leaves sour noteOpens in new window ]
Then, under the nose of assistant Matt Carley, Dan Sheehan threw a lineout ball, more of a pass really, to Porter who was standing on the 5m line. Despite the daft law trial of playing on to an uncontested crooked throw, it remains illegal if the ball goes to the front man. That was careless, Carley.
The law trial allows up to 30 seconds to set-up a lineout, but that’s the maximum allowed, it’s not obligatory, nor to be abused. Ireland persistently delayed forming up, approaching the mark at barely the pace of a snail. Gardner seemed to talk to them about it, but never threw in a behaviour-changing free kick.
As the match developed, the referee became more and more loquacious. It was far too much for me, frankly annoying. Several messages landed in my message box, one of these summed it up: “What’s going on, why the hell is this goddam referee congratulating and thanking players for not offending, as in ‘great roll away, 10.’” I’ve really no answer, but find it impossible to believe that it’s in WR’s refereeing playbook.
Finally, here’s what happened immediately prior to the excellent Paul Boudehent’s try. Thibaud Flament charged past the ball, where he knocked over O’Mahony. It created a convenient hole in the Irish defence, which the French happily went through for Boudehent to score.
A player cannot obstruct an opponent who has not got the ball in open play, we all know it. Well, nearly all of us it seems. So, whichever way the Irishman was moving was immaterial in arriving at the correct decision. It was a clear, obvious, and simple sanction, France could not have complained if the score had been denied. However, to the disbelief of an incredulous audience Gardner explained that the try would stand, because O’Mahoney was “retreating backwards as a matador.” Where the referee found that nonsense in his box of tricks, I just do not know. Utterly bizarre.
