Marching back Vunipola and Itoje can help silence the chat
‘Moore, will you stop trying to referee this game.” “Well Sir, one of us has to.” That is a genuine exchange that occurred between me and the then top international referee, Tony Spreadbury. For the after-dinner version, I add on the comment “and you didn’t seem all that bothered”.
The truth is that back then there was not a lot of chat between referees and players because of the use of the law that allows referees to march a side 10 metres towards their own line after a penalty is given and there is any untoward comment from a player.
Billy Vunipola and Maro Itoje were marched back by Luke Pearce in Saracens’ game against Exeter and because of their profile and the fact that this sanction has largely fallen by the wayside, this has drawn a lot of attention.
Let us say from the outset that those players are by no means the only or worst for making unwanted or unwarranted comments to referees. When commentating on internationals you have an expanded version of the Reflink device sold at grounds and via which you can hear the referee’s comments. The amplified version allows you to hear not only the referee but also any surrounding players chiming in with their own observations.
The amount and tenor of comments have changed markedly over the past few seasons, to the point that at every breakdown or flashpoint, any number of players feel free to “advise” the referee as to what they think has occurred. Even if you do not have Reflink, you can see this by the widespread pointing and arm waving. It is particularly apparent when scrums collapse and nearly every player in both packs appeals to nearby officials.
For some reason this has been largely accepted by officials who seem reluctant to apply what was once the common, and effective, sanction of advancing the penalty or free-kick by the said 10 metres. Lots of referees I have spoken to claim they want to be able to have a dialogue with players and it is seen as part of game management. What they have inadvertently created is the belief that provided comments are not directly critical or abusive they are acceptable from any player, even in the said cases of collapsed scrums where nobody, other than the props involved, can possibly know who is responsible.
It seems every few years, after condoning this or that practice, World Rugby, or the Rugby Football Union, finally understands what referees have created by not applying the laws and an edict goes out to them to take corrective measures – something that would not be necessary if they did not allow things to get out of hand in the first place.
They realise they have fallen into what I call the creeping trap. You allow A because it does not seem that bad, but then you get B, which you allow because it is not much worse than A. Then you allow C, which is not much worse than B, and before you know it, you find you are at G, miles from where you started but you find it difficult to penalise as it is only marginally worse than the last example.
The solution is not to allow A in the first place and be strict about it, knowing that if you do condone something, it will not end there. Professional players and coaches will push at a door that is slightly ajar, and amateurs will follow because they ape what they see.
This benign ignorance leads to coaches posing as water carriers and feeling able to get involved in on-field coaching. It even extends to physiotherapists trying to instruct players and comment to referees about decisions.
What referees, and those who try to manipulate them, have to understand is where it leads. Look at football and international rugby to see how far people will go, if allowed. Then go to a Sunday kids game and see the mimicry. From there go to the statistics about volunteer referees, without whom there is no game, and see how they are falling.
No good comes from not setting clear boundaries and the consequence of giving an inch is clear. The 10-metre rule is so effective because even your own players and fans will not support you if you cannot keep your mouth shut. We need to see more of its use from those with the whistle.