Referees and suspensions must be consistent

RUGBY ANALYSIS: Regardless of the opposition this weekend, challenges continue to evolve from the man in the middle, writes LIAM TOLAND

FIRST THERE was Blood Gate in the Stoop. Then it was Eye Gate in Croke Park. This was followed by more eye work from Schalk Burger in Loftus Versfeld. And with the new season barely open Foot Gate arrived in the RDS.

And now we have a return to the third chapter of Eye Gate. It is easy to conclude that our game is out of control, where taking to the pitch is taking your life into your hands.

Parents are probably squirming at the very thought of the upcoming under-10 blitz this weekend. Will their beloved fall foul of a loose finger? Well I’m sorry to disappoint. The game has never been cleaner. The last 10 years of professional rugby has all but banished skulduggery.

In its early days the European Cup brought with it a clear and present danger. Travelling to France, in particular, was a step into the unknown.

However the understanding was clear – everything was game ball. Nothing was off limits.

Tightheads at scrum time were pulverised by their opposite secondrows. Their eyes were a constant target.

The lineout maul was horrific, where nothing was sacred, be it the little balls in your head or the big ones in your shorts.

If you were lucky enough to get your hands on the ball at the breakdown then your fingers were a target.

My point? The game was dangerous and dirty then but now has never been cleaner. The modern professional simply hasn’t time to loiter with intent.

Every second a player wastes in anger is an opportunity for the opposition to exploit the moment. Modern coaches simply won’t stand for the bravado. The yellow card alone has afforded referees the opportunity to lance a boil.

Closer to home, club rugby was also very “physical”. There is no doubt that Shane Jennings and Alan Quinlan before him were victims of Rudy Giuliani’s zero tolerance. The message is clear; under no circumstances is the head or any part of it to be touched. The face is totally out of bounds.

It does however raise the point – a finger in one man’s eye earns an offender a 12-week ban, another one gets 18 weeks, and another again gets 26 weeks, and then Burger only got eight weeks.

Are the independent governing bodies singing off the same hymn sheet? Where is the balance?

And, more perversely, a misplaced stud near the eye got four-weeks’ suspension where a misplaced finger gets 12. As it is Irish Road Safety week we should take a leaf out of their message. Don’t drink and drive.

So don’t put your fingers near his face in order to avoid 12 weeks out or eight if you’re south of the equator. And if needs must, give him a little clip with your boot!

Europe brings with it a great spectacle of rugby. Due to a slight hog flu at home, I was in front of the TV for the weekend. Leinster faltered, Ulster surprised and both Munster and Connacht deserve huge credit for their performances.

Yes there are areas of disappointment for Munster but to turn around a 30-point loss, manage John Hayes’ absence, travel to England and perform as they did was incredible. God help Benetton Treviso!

Ulster have continued their momentum and now must have the confidence to tackle Edinburgh. It is crucial Ulster face Stade Français this December in Ravenhill with two wins under their belt which would make their round-four away fixture in Paris a great opportunity. Their squad may not get them there but they are playing great rugby.

The balance between kicking and countering is a very difficult one to strike. Against the Ospreys, Leinster got it perfectly, as they did against Munster, but last week they erred too heavily with the boot.

A set-piece team like London Irish needed to be moved around and Robert Kearney, Shane Horgan and Luke Fitzgerald can do just that. Johnny Sexton is finding that balance but he needs his fullback to inject pace when the opportunities arrive this weekend.

Regardless of the opposition this weekend, challenges continue to evolve from the man in the middle. I watched five European Cup matches last weekend. Leicester versus Ospreys was a classic; that was followed by the brilliance of Toulouse.

I specifically focused on both the breakdown and the maul. And after all those 400 minutes I’m still perplexed.

The confusion is sourced from the man in the middle and his interpretations. The trouble with Europe is the French and Italian teams bring with them their “foreign” referees.

The very experienced captains Paul O’Connell and Leo Cullen will both have a game plan regarding the referee, highlighting his idiosyncrasies. They’ll have thought out how to massage him. This will start pre- match with the usual niceties. The home team in particular will make a big fuss of him.

Not unlike the visiting IOC committee member pre-voting, he will be pandered to and given the best car park space, etc. The captains before toss-up will meet with him and discuss aspects of concern. All the time they will try to place seeds of their game plan in his mind and highlight where the opposition are sure to transgress.

This is all fine and dandy in the Magners League where, regardless of their standard, English is their natural tongue and culturally they’re very similar. So both Cullen and O’Connell can understand how they are thinking and can figure out quite quickly how he is interpreting key aspects such as the breakdown and the maul.

Leinster and Munster had French referees and it was impossible to read them. Body language tells a lot, but Cullen and O’Connell would have been seriously frustrated with the referee’s decisions.

That said I’m delighted to see the maul back but the European referees need to develop consistency or they’ll drive the players and spectators mad.

On a lighter note, the IOC have finally spoken. And I for one have packed my bags and am ready – to carry water for the cause. So it’s off to Rio de Janeiro in 2016. As a former number seven, surely therell be space on the plane...