Answered by Jonathan Davies MBE
Well, it’s the same in all sports isn’t it? I try to be fair to referees and, you know, they don’t get the laws of the game wrong. It’s the interpretation which is different. Every person’s interpretation... Show more »Well, it’s the same in all sports isn’t it? I try to be fair to referees and, you know, they don’t get the laws of the game wrong. It’s the interpretation which is different. Every person’s interpretation is different: “Did he place the ball immediately?” Well, somebody’s “immediately” is different from someone else. It’s a very, very difficult job and people are going to have different opinions on it. Some referees will have good games, some referees will have bad games. I think that sometimes a lot of referees haven’t got a feel for the game. I think you have to be as supportive as you can to the referees but again they have to be honest. If they’ve had a bad game, they should realise that. If they have a good game, they should be praised but it’s very difficult. There are a lot of complaints for certain referees but you have to persevere and try and help them because without referees, you won’t have a game.
Q: Do you think they fall back on the TMO too much?
A: Because it’s been brought in, if they’re not sure ... the TMO for them now is like a safety blanket. If they’re not certain, why risk condemnation when if they’ve got the TMO there, they can go to him? I think some use it too much but it’s a safety issue. They’d rather be sure they get the decision right.
Q: Do you think there are differences in quality between the referees in different leagues: the Magners, the GP, and the Southern Hemisphere, for example?
A: That’s a good one. If you look at it, there’s Alain Rolland, Nigel Owens, Chris White. All these boys, I think they’re up there with the best in the world. I think that the game is played slightly differently in the Southern Hemisphere, there’s a lot more emphasis on the tackle area than in the Northern Hemisphere. And I think that sometimes in the Magners League, some of the games are very poor, because the rugby is poor, and it’s difficult to referee a poor game. The intensity is a lot higher in some of the Premiership matches. But I think it’s very difficult. If you look at last week (Heineken Cup, Round Three) and the weather, it was dreadful weather to referee in, and of course to play the game. But I do feel that we have quality referees in the Northern Hemisphere as well as the Southern Hemisphere. Some of the referees have got to be exposed to quicker games sometimes and I know there are question-marks over some of the referees in the Magners. It’s one of those things. If the referees have a good game or a bad game, then he’s got to sit down and realise. What everyone wants, players and supporters, is consistency in decisions. If they can bring that into the game, at least you know what you’re going to get. But I still think we have to be supportive, like with yellow cards. If the IRB says we’re going to be strong on A, B, C, or D, and OK sometimes you’ll have the first couple of matches, you might to have three or four yellow cards in a match. So be it. The players’ll soon learn. But I think there’s got to be more yellow cards.
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