Cockerill risks wrath of ERC

HEINEKEN CUP:IRISH OFFICIALS could be at the heart of a possible controversy after Leicester director of rugby Richard Cockerill spoke out against Heineken Cup referees following round four of the competition last weekend.

Cockerill claimed that the European tournament is permitting cheats to prosper after Perpignan earned a 22-22 draw against Leicester at Welford Road.

Somewhat confusingly Cockerill criticises the performance of Ireland’s Peter Fitzgibbon but also says that it was not his fault for allowing Perpignan to constantly kill the ball.

Fitzgibbon is one of four Irish referees on the IRB Elite panel alongside Alan Lewis, Alain Rolland and George Clancy and was Munster Referee of the Year in 2008.

Not only did Fitzgibbon receive Cockerill’s ire but the English club’s coach also claims that the former international official and current match officials performance manager Donal Courtney had spoken to Leicester before the match took place and told them that officials would take “a zero tolerance” to infringements at the breakdown.

By doing so Cockerill has risked the wrath of competition organisers ERC, particularly after Saracens’ South African coach Brendan Venter drew a fine of €25,000 from the ERC last month for criticising referees in the aftermath of his side’s Heineken Cup defeat by Leinster at Wembley.

Venter was prosecuted under a misconduct complaint.

Under the ERC’s Participation Agreement, clubs must sign up to agreed regulations before the tournament begins, one of them being not to bring the game into disrepute.

“It seems to be the sides that want to cheat, lie down at the breakdown, kill the ball and not roll away are getting away with it more and more. They came with a plan to not let us play.

“We spoke to (ERC match officials performance manager) Donal Courtney and he assured us there would be zero tolerance at the breakdown,” complained the former English hooker, who during his career was dropped from England after criticising the then coach Clive Woodward in his book entitled In Your Face.

Cockerill subsequently played in France with Montferrand before signing back with Leicester.

“It is not the referee’s fault we drew today, we have to deal with the issues – but clearly the lawmakers have some issues to deal with because today was a complete mess at the breakdown,” he added.

“Clearly there wasn’t zero tolerance today. Every time we got to the 22 they killed the ball, they didn’t roll away, they were in at the side whereas we are told it is zero tolerance. The lawmakers come out with these mandates and they say ‘This is how it is going to be refereed’. You try to play, you can’t play. The referee doesn’t deal with it, you can’t ruck anybody. You can’t use physical force to move anybody so how are you meant to play the game? I am lost for words on that.”

ERC officials were still travelling in the adverse weather conditions last night following matches around Europe at the weekend and were not in a position to make a comment.

Tonight

Pool Six: Toulouse v Glasgow Warriors, Stade Ernest Wallon, Toulouse, 7pm.