Last weekend at Castell Sir Fynwy there was a general gnashing of the teeth, a pulling of the hair and a wailing in the choir (in three part harmony, of course). How could the Sheriff of France-Ireland send off our poor Sam?
At the risk of being serious, my view is somewhat different having slept on it for a few days. I don't think any sensible Welsh person ever blamed the French (or Irish, for that matter - and a sensible Welshman is not an oxymoron), but we all blamed the ref for not exercising any judgment.
Having now seen the directive that was sent out before the tournament I've changed my mind. Rolland was clearly following the IRB directive to the letter and can't be blamed for that (though, interestingly, the ref in the All Blacks - Australia game seemed not to be following the letter of the directive, and it was a much better game for it).
There is no doubt that Rolland's decision destroyed the game (or do I mean the decision of the IRB not to allow refs to exercise any judgment in these matters)? It also devalued the tournament, and not just for Welsh fans. Unless France is on the receiving end of some sort of divine intervention, the final next week will be an exhibition game by the All Blacks and not the summit of a world event as it should be. The "real" final was yesterday, where the All Blacks comprehensively beat the Wobblies.
So was the IRB directive wrong? Should refs be given more leeway in exercising their judgment? At this level I definitely think they should. This is a professional game played between world-class athletes for the benefit of fee-paying fans & sponsors. The IRB has a responsibility to deliver a "damn good show" if it can. (I might add that I have used the same rant when criticising FIA decisions in the past).
However, unlike F1 and the FIA, the rules of rugby are not just written for world-class athletes. The rules are also to protect the under-14s playing on the village green on a Saturday morning. God forbid that the tip-tackle ever be a feature of schoolboy rugby.
So, rant over, but if you bump into anyone from the IRB, can you remind them they have a responsibility not just to protect players of all levels, they also have a responsibility to the fans who pay their wages.
