Lucky Maree
The referee, such as Wayne Barnes at the Rugby World Cup final, is never the most popular guy on the field. But instead of making his life easier, he is expected to make more and more tough decisions.
Not only is he expected to make split-second decisions, he also makes those huge decisions that can change the outcome of a match altogether.
Whether he decides by himself (as he often does), the decision to send a player off the field has the potential of ruining a match, a tournament and the World Cup itself. And, worst of all, it immediately places an imbalance on the match. Rugby is a game of 15 players versus 15 players.
The problem lies not with the ref, but of the sweeping powers he, and the officials, are forced to accept.
It appears that the World Cup final in Paris will be heatedly debated in clubs and pubs around the rugby playing world for a long time to come.
But the discussion is always about disallowed tries, missed kicks, knock-ons and squandered opportunities. But whether you are howling or celebrating, it is well and truly water under the bridge. The result is in the record book.
The real question, and the one that deserves urgent attention at the highest levels because it affects the future of the game, is the question of captain Sam Cane’s red card.
It is by far the worst example of officials upsetting the apple cart, and it really doesn’t matter if the decision was right or wrong. What matters is that New Zealand played without their captain for half of the match.
Piling more and more technology on the shoulders of the officials is not the answer. The work of the ref should be simplified, not made more and more complicated.
Barnes had a tough enough job to make a thousand decisions In the World Cup final, including whether tries by both Aaron Smith and Beauden Barrett should have been allowed. These decisions have to made on the field because they can’t be reversed later.
But the decision to send a player off the field does not have to be made immediately. Not only is the decision too big for the referee, but the decision can be deferred until later (and probably to a panel) about the punishment.
Cynical play in a final, for instance, could lead to a 12 month ban if warranted, but it must be made afterward the match has been completed.
Make life easier for the ref, not more difficult.
Pictured above: Wayne Barnes
Image source: SA Rugby
