Choice of referee for Pumas clash set to whistle up a storm
APOTENTIAL refereeing controversy is brewing over the appointment of the official for tomorrow’s Argentina v Wales first Test in San Juan.
That’s because World Rugby have given the game to a Cardiff-born whistleblower, whose rugby hero is Wales assistant coach Rob Howley.
Andrew Brace, who says his first rugby memory is Wales’ famous win over England in 1999, grew up in the city and worked as a community development officer for Cardiff Blues.
He moved to Ireland in 2009, after studying at the University of Plymouth, and is officially an ‘Irish’ referee as he comes under the Irish Rugby Union’s jurisdiction.
Brace is a former player who actually represented Belgium at scrumhalf through his father’s side of the family, before a serious ankle injury curtailed the 29-year-old’s career.
Having made his Test debut as a referee last summer in the Canada v Georgia clash, Brace had a brush with Wales in the 2018 Six Nations Championship when running the line in the Principality Stadium showdown with Italy and he was also an assistant referee for the Calcutta Cup match in Edinburgh and Scotland’s trip to Rome.
But it’s his first match in the middle for a Wales game this weekend that is attracting interest from some fans.
Podcast writer Josh Gardner said: “The ‘Andrew Brace is Welsh but an IRFU ref ’ thing is suboptimal but workable in the PRO14, but putting him in charge of a Wales Test match? That is a PR nightmare waiting to happen.”
The appointment comes just a few months after the Spain v Belgium controversy, when a crucial World Cup qualifier was given to a Romanian official, whose homeland also had a chance to go through.
The saga ended with all three countries being deducted points for breaking eligibility rules following an independent inquiry, with Russia going through to Japan in 2019.
Brace actually made his PRO rugby debut taking charge of Cardiff Blues’ home clash with Zebre in September 2015.
“It was a bit strange at first. Being from Cardiff, I was more worried about the perception about being a Cardiff guy, but I was happy to referee anyone,” he told the Guinness PRO14 website.
“You’re out there to do a job. Perception is such a big thing for a referee now.”
He added: “It wasn’t until I was 14 or 15 when I started playing in Cardiff that I got involved in rugby.
“I played scrum-half. I started off as a full-back and I’ve played wing over the years but scrum-half was my main position. Rob Howley was my rugby hero growing up.
“I know he’s quite modern, but when I was growing up I used to love watching him play.
“I took a lot of tips from him. “My first memory was England v Wales in 1999.
“It was at Wembley and it was a 32-31 Wales win, Scott Gibbs scored to stop England winning the Five Nations.
“I remember a random person just throwing me in the air. It will live long in the memory.”
The Western Mail contacted World Rugby for a comment, but had no reply at the time of going to press.
THE legendary frontman of The Clash, Joe Strummer, once reckoned the group “never played a good gig after Topper Headon left”.
For those who are unfamiliar with the work of the aforementioned Headon, he was the drummer who helped pound out “I Fought the Law” and “White Man in Hammersmith Palais” for one of Britain’s finest-ever rock bands.
When he left, things were never quite the same. Drummer became the group’s problem position.
None of which will bother Warren Gatland a jot. There again, some believe he has his own problem area...
WHERE DOES GATLAND HAVE A POTENTIAL CONCERN? WELL, tight-head prop isn’t a bad place to start.
Wales have two solid citizens in Tomas Francis and Samson Lee, but below those two there is an expanse of uncertainty.
Around the regions not-quiteready youngsters rub shoulders with some who never will be ready, alongside others who have the wrong stamps on their passport.
Maybe in a few years Wales will have quality at their disposal in the scrum-anchor position. Leon Brown, after all, is a fine prospect but he is still young and last autumn he received something of a schooling from experienced Georgia prop Mikheil Nariashvili.
It underlined that for all the Dragon’s potential, especially in the loose, he has a fair way to go when it comes to the real bread-and-butter stuff.
At the Ospreys, young Alex Jeffries is another who needs to acquire miles on the clock before getting within a space flight’s distance of interesting Gatland and the same applies to Cardiff Blues’ Kieron Assiratti.
Which brings us to Assiratti’s regional squad-mate Dillon Lewis, who features against Argentina this weekend.
Those who have followed his career say that within a few years he is going to be a serious player.
But the World Cup is in 15 months, and Gatland could do with someone now.
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE FOR DILLON LEWIS TO DEVELOP?
IT won’t happen overnight, let’s put it that way.
Indeed, it can take an age for a No. 3 to engage top gear.
Adam Jones, after all, once said he didn’t truly start firing on all cylinders until 2008, when he was 27. That year saw Jones put in 200 extra training sessions in an attempt to take a great leap forward from being a decent prop to an outstanding one.
It worked for him. He got there. But in the same breath, Jones admitted he perhaps hadn’t worked as hard as he might have before his personal Year Zero. It is still early days for Lewis.
He is only 22 and has banked just eight starts for Cardiff Blues.
When he featured for Wales Under-20s, he excelled as a scrummager and around the park, looking every bit the modern prop, so his potential is undoubted.
But he needs to acquire experience and that means banking game-time with his region.
IS LEWIS READY TO ACT AS THE THIRD MAN BEHIND LEE AND FRANCIS?
SATURDAY should tell us more.
He had a quiet game last weekend, though Wales always appeared second best in the scrums. When he went off, their set-piece went downhill quicker than Franz Klammer circa 1976.
It was far from satisfactory and Gatland will want Lewis to stand up to Argentina’s front row, which, as tests go, is a fairly stern one, it has to be said.
WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT THAT WALES SORT OUT THEIR TIGHTHEAD OPTIONS?
THERE is no hiding place for a No.3, especially in the international game.
“You know you’ve had a bad game when your wife and your mum send you text messages saying they still love you,” said Phil Vickery after he had endured a nightmare outing for the Lions in the first Test against South Africa in 2009, with almost every scrum turning into a personal trauma. Adam Jones put matters right a week later to the point where the Lions would have probably levelled the series had the Osprey not dislocated a shoulder.
Teams that have issues at No.3 are flirting with trouble.
BUT MESSRS LEE AND FRANCIS ARE ON HAND?
OF course they are, and that will help Gatland sleep at night.
But injuries happen and Lee, especially, has had more than the odd concern in that respect over the years.
Gatland could do with a reliable extra option.
WHAT DOES GATLAND SAY ABOUT THE PROPPING MIX FOR THE WORLD CUP?
HE actually spoke on the matter this week, saying: “Looking at the World Cup squad, can we do what we did in 2015 and take five props, someone who can cover both sides?
“At the moment we don’t think that’s an option for us, so we’re looking at nine front rowers. Three loose-heads, three tight-heads, three hookers. If you’re doing an 18-13 split that only leaves four second rows and five loose forwards.
“It’s pretty tight and given the depth of loose forwards we’ve got in Wales at the moment there are going to be some quality players who miss out in that position.”
SO WHICH LOOSE FORWARDS MIGHT MISS OUT IF GATLAND IS FORCED TO TAKE NINE FRONT ROWERS?
SOME seriously big names who could struggle.
The assumption, rightly or wrongly, is that Sam Warburton, Justin Tipuric and Taulupe Faletau will take three of the places. They are at home this summer, presumably resting up for the rigours of the next 15 months.
Ross Moriarty’s ability to play at No. 8 and blindside could swing him a place, which would leave the likes of Josh Navidi, Ellis Jenkins, Dan Lydiate, Aaron Shingler, James Davies and Ollie Griffiths battling for the remaining spot.
DOES GATLAND HAVE A PLAYER WHO COULD PLAY ON BOTH SIDES OF THE SCRUM, A FLOATER?
HE could do with one, for carrying a prop who can play on both sides would allow him to take an extra loose forward.
Aaron Jarvis gave him that option at the last World Cup, but he hasn’t played Test rugby for two years while he has been away in France.
Rhodri Jones has pleased the Ospreys at loose-head in recent months, but he hit issues at tighthead off the bench for Wales against South Africa. He offers a lot around the field, but it is clear teams target him when he scrums on the tighthead side.
The question is whether Gatland believes Jarvis has another World Cup in him, with the former Osprey set to blow out 33 candles on his next birthday cake.
Has he improved after two seasons in the Top14, an unforgiving environment for props if ever there was one? Could the man who made his Test debut at tight-head against Marcos Ayerza, then arguably the top
loose-head prop in the world, fill a dual role?
It is hard to say.
But the certainty is Gatland will be watching closely when Jarvis features for the Dragons in the coming season.