Owen Doyle: The defining skill of top referees needs to be brought up to speed

“Speed.”
That was my answer when asked to come up with one word which best defined the most important asset for a top-level referee. However, I wasn’t talking about fleetness of foot.
I was referring to speed of thought. High levels of performance follow from those fortunate to have been born with it. Coaching can have a positive effect, but without a fast rugby brain excellence will prove elusive. Instinctive anticipation, positioning and breakdown work-rate will simply not be there.
Too often we see referees falling behind the play, failing to anticipate what should be blindingly obvious. Moving late into the in-goal area has led to too many incorrect try or no-try awards.
Looking at the appointments for the upcoming series of international matches, it’s clear that there aren’t enough who possess the necessary speed of thought. World Rugby have recognised the problem and taken the initiative by appointing their own coaching and talent identification personnel, including Ireland’s Joy Neville and John Lacey.
French man Joël Jutge, the man in charge of refereeing at World Rugby, is not afraid to demote officials and has dropped the guillotine’s cold blade on Australia’s Damon Murphy and Scotland’s Mike Adamson. They move into TMO-bunker roles but will continue to referee in their regional competitions. The problem is magnified in the United Rugby Championship (URC) where we have already seen Adamson this season. Oh dear, enough said.
As professionalism has developed and evolved in its playing and coaching structures, refereeing has miserably failed to keep pace. Some unions see it as just another cost, which it is, but fail to recognise the simple adage that better match officials translate to a better game. Other unions have such dire financial issues that officiating is way down their list of priorities.
The referees appointed for Ireland’s autumn matches are well known to us. Nic Berry for New Zealand, Paul Williams for Argentina, Hollie Davidson for Fiji and Andrea Piardi for Australia. Incidentally, Munster versus the All Blacks will have a Japanese referee, Takehito Namekawa, a former elite scrumhalf. I am sure he will be told the history of this famous fixture.
Scotland are in poor refereeing shape, but Davidson deserves this appointment and is now knocking on the door of the Six Nations. Some contend that when the going gets tough her performance dips, and I hope that opinion is not what it sounds like. I’d remind any begrudgers that Davidson red-carded South Africa’s Andre Esterhuizen in the second minute of their match against Portugal in Bloemfontein.
Ireland’s Andy Brace (England v South Africa) and Chris Busby (Scotland v Australia) have earned top-notch matches. Australia coach Joe Schmidt is an astute analyst of referee performances and his reviews to World Rugby are generally accurate and carry weight. Busby will know a few recent glitches need ironing out, but, with a good showing here, he’ll be in line for his first Six Nations ticket.
In Europe, England lead the way by quite a distance. Christophe Ridley has seamlessly replaced Wayne Barnes.
France have realised that there is too much below-standard refereeing in the Top 14. The recently retired Romain Poite and Mathieu Raynal have now been put in charge, with a budget of €2 million. Still, it will take a World Cup cycle to see the results of their efforts.
And where was the Welsh plan for when Nigel Owens would hang up his whistle? Did nobody suspect that day might come? Owens, let’s not forget, was the sole Wales flag bearer for a long, long time. And, while I wouldn’t have put my money on him in the 100-yard dash, he was the epitome of what I mean by speed of thought. Now their only potential international referee is Craig Evans, who has been given Scotland v Fiji, and also Bristol versus an Australian XV. Neither match seems a likely springboard to the Six Nations.
Under the coaching of Alain Rolland, Italy have made positive steps with the emergence of Piardi. His fellow countryman, Gianluca Gnecchi has come on recently and will dip his toe in the water with Romania v Tonga. So too will the Georgian Saba Abulashvili, in Spain v USA. Then there’s South Africa, not so long ago a powerhouse of officiating, who nowadays bring very little to the table.
Ireland have always had an excellent tradition of international referees, and, following a bit of a hiccup, things are somewhat better, with Eoghan Cross getting two Tier 2 level matches. The IRFU generally send good quality referees to fulfil its URC assignments, while the Irish teams certainly do not get anything like the same in return. There’s something seriously amiss when top teams often endure the weakest performances.
It’s a subject which must be tackled, even if it needs some straight talking. It is the painful Achilles’ heel of a tournament which has grown significantly in stature and appeal. At the very least, each participating union should have to supply its elite development plan, complete with key performance indicators. The URC board must also be prepared to take out its chequebook, as the French did, so that a structured, cohesive plan can be pulled together.
It might make some feel uncomfortable, but it is completely abnormal not to have identifiable, measurable objectives – there has to be accountability. Some have had it far too easy, for far too long.