World’s best official made just one error
Ibelieve that Nigel Owens is the best referee in the world and he had a fine game at Twickenham – with the exception of one decision. What sets the Welshman apart is his ability to get a game going and keep it going within the confines of the law. That is easier said than done, and it means having empathy with your decision-making process and adjusting it according to the situation in the match. That is why Kyle Sinckler was not yellowcarded for hitting Arthur Iturria on the head late on – the match was long gone by then and a quiet word was enough to defuse the situation. In a tighter contest, Sinckler may not have been so fortunate.
But this match was not close at all. England could have scored 20 more points than the 44 they settled for, but France will be aggrieved at both of the hosts’ second-half tries. They did not affect the outcome of the match, but they were both very tight calls.
The first of those was the penalty try awarded against Gael Fickou for tackling Chris Ashton without the ball as the wing looked to collect a kick-through and score. Nigel immediately awarded the penalty try and showed Fickou the yellow card. In real time, I completely agreed with his decision as it was a clear and obvious piece of foul play.
But my view changed with the benefit of the video replays, which I felt showed Ashton had overrun the ball. I do not think we could say that in all probability a try would have been scored, so I would only have awarded England a penalty rather than a penalty try. I would also have sent Fickou to the sin-bin as it was a clearly cynical action that was intended to deny the try.
However, I did agree with Nigel’s call to award England’s sixth and final score by Owen Farrell. Again it came from a chip through, with Jonny May and Antoine Dupont both trying to ground the ball. The Frenchman got there first and flicked it backwards over the try line before May grabbed his arm to prevent him from getting up and trying to ground the ball, with Farrell swooping to score.
Again, it was clear foul play by May – but that does not mean the try automatically has to be ruled out. Instead, Nigel and his assistants had to ask themselves if Dupont had any chance of preventing the try being scored. If they do not think he did then the try should still be awarded. That is the decision they took.
On balance, I think it was the right call. In my opinion, Farrell was moving too swiftly to be prevented from grounding the ball by a player who would have had to lift himself from a prone position and propel himself forward. Therefore, awarding the try and having a quiet word with May was sensible and correct.
Any French grumbling should be at their own performance rather than officials. Nigel’s manner is unique and helps him to strike a balance so players can express themselves and have a dialogue with officials while respecting their authority. There is a basic trust in his decision-making, a trust that enhances his status in the game.