Top 14 helps top refs to learn right language

THE France national rugby team might be all over the place at present but French referees are flying the flag in some style.

Remarkably France will be supplying more referees – four – in the forthcoming Six Nations than the other five nations combined who contribute just three referees – Wayne Barnes, Nigel Owens and John Lacey. As per normal there will a smattering of Southern Hemisphere referees this year it is Glen Jackson, Jaco Peyper, Angus Gardner and Ben O’Keefe

Frenchmen, though, will be in charge of six off the 15 games. There is Pascal Gauzere who takes the opening game between Wales and Scotland and Italy’s home match against Scotland on the final Saturday and Jerome Garces who is also in charge of two games – the England and Wales clash at Twickenham and the Wales meeting with Italy at the Millennium.

Meanwhile, Mathieu Raynal is in charge at the Stadio Olympio when Italy play England and finally the ever faithful Romain Poite will be in control at the Aviva for Ireland-Italy.

So whats going on here? Why the disparity? Is the T14 a better breeding ground for top refs than the Premiership and PRO14? And is it a good or bad thing that one team – Italy – have four of their five games reffed by a French official? Answers on a postcard.

One thing is certain. All four French referees have made it their duty to become pretty fluent in English as well as French and I wouldn’t be surprised if one or two of them unelash some Italian in the coming months and can also function in Spanish.

Working in the tower of Bable that is the T14 must help and is surely one reason why French referees rocket up the World Rugby pecking order, the elite list of referees from which the appointments are made.