Andy Robinson has endured a depressing Six Nations Championship but England's head coach finally got a result yesterday in escaping punishment for criticising referee Jonathan Kaplan following the defeat by Ireland in Dublin last month.
The Rugby Football Union's disciplinary officer Jeff Blackett has warned Robinson to choose his words more diplomatically in future when discussing officials, but decided the coach's subsequent bitter aside that "only one side were refereed" was at "the very bottom end of the scale" and did not warrant further disciplinary action.
Having viewed replays of Robinson's post-match press conference following a formal complaint from the International Rugby Board, Blackett deemed Robinson had not indulged in "overt and specific" criticism of the South African official which would have represented a more serious breach of IRB Regulation 17.20.1.5.
"Although he was clearly very angry and suggested technology should have been used as it was available, he did not mention the referee at all," said Blackett. "Indeed he acted with great control during the interview and no objection can be taken about what he said."
Instead the RFU's own elite referees' manager Colin High attracted most official displeasure for his quoted criticisms last week when he suggested Kaplan's performance would not have been acceptable in the English Premiership.
A former international referee, High has been suspended as an IRB assessor, and Blackett has recommended the RFU warn him about his future conduct and ask him to make a £1,000 donation to the IRB's tsunami appeal.
High's defence was that he was caught "off guard" by a reporter, but was informed that, as a professional RFU employee, he should have been "much more careful". He must also write letters of apology to Kaplan and the South African Rugby Football Union, among others.
Robinson has made only one change to England's 22 for Saturday's international against Italy at Twickenham, recalling Leeds' Iain Balshaw at full back in place of the injured Jason Robinson as England seek a first win at the fourth attempt in this season's championship.
Guardian Service
ENGLAND: Balshaw (Leeds); Cueto (Sale), Noon (Newcastle), Barkley (Bath), Lewsey (Wasps); Hodgson (Sale), Ellis (Leicester); Rowntree (Leicester), Thompson (Northampton), Stevens (Bath), Grewcock (Bath), Kay (Leicester), Worsley (Wasps), Moody (Leicester), Corry (Leicester, capt). Replacements: Titterrell (Sale), Bell (Bath), Borthwick (Bath), Hazell (Gloucester), Dawson (Wasps), Goode (Leicester), Smith (Leicester).
