SIX NATIONS NEWS:PADDY O'BRIEN, the under-fire IRB elite referee's manager, has defended the controversial edict regarding Law 15.6.c which has landed like a grenade in the middle of the Six Nations. O'Brien accepted last Saturday's referee at Croke Park, Craig Joubert, carried out the interpretation whereby a tackler must release the ball-carrier when he goes to ground before re-engaging, but absolved himself or the IRB of the confusion this prompted.
“I think there has been some confusion; (but) there definitely hasn’t been a law change. It was agreed at the referees’ conference in November to put emphasis on all the law at the tackle, and that’s what we’ve done,” said O’Brien.
The New Zealander seemed to be laying the blame at the doors of some of his counterparts within the relevant unions, though he never mentioned the IRFU’s Owen Doyle by name.
“I’m not going to hide behind the fact there has been some dissatisfaction within some teams,” he added, “but it’s fair to say our line is right from November last year that we want referees to apply the law. My role as referees manager is to ensure the referees do. Some haven’t, and they’ll be reviewed accordingly. Some have, and they will be reviewed accordingly.”
As to why this new emphasis on Law 15.6.c wasn’t clarified until the middle of the Six Nations, O’Brien maintained “there was clarification in November, there was clarification again in February. Some people may not want to hear the message.
“The bottom line from my point of view is it was very clear. Every other team seems very clear on it. Whether they agree or not is another matter, and that’s a process they have to go through.”
That said, until last week such clarification seemed to be confined to emails and phone calls, whereas O’Brien did not deny the Super 14 coaches were all briefed on the edict before that competition started. By contrast, O’Brien briefed the likes of Declan Kidney, Marc Lievrement and Nick Mallett in person only last week.
O’Brien says he understands the depth of Irish reaction. “I spoke to Declan after round two, and to be fair to Declan he made it quite clear he’s not happy with it. We’ve certainly taken that on board. But as I explained to Declan, there is a process.”
Nevertheless, mass confusion reigned on Saturday on the airwaves and in the crowd, something for which the governing body has to accept responsibility.
“We live and learn all the time, and if there’s been a breakdown in communication, I’ll take that on the chin. I’m very clear about the directions I’ve given the referees from day one. I’m very clear what referee managers have been told, and I’m very clear what coaches have been told.
“The fact the media were confused, they’re not really part of my brief and I’ll take that on board.”
The suspicion lurks this change has been driven in by the Southern Hemisphere to favour the attacking team by reducing turnovers and to ensure the increased Super 14-style scorelines that have been evident.
“I think that’s where I have to be very, very direct with you,” said O’Brien. “I’m looking for referees to referee per law. If the score ends up like it was in Paris, 40-20, that’s the game of rugby, as long as they referee what’s in front of them. If it ends up 15-15 like in England-Scotland, that’s the game that was produced in front of the referee. I don’t want him or me to dictate how rugby is played.”
