Six Nations referees

[FKlopper]

Round 1
Wales vs England
Referee: Alain Rolland
Assistant referees: Alan Lewis, Simon McDowell
Television match official: Jim Yuille

Italy vs Ireland
Referee: Romain Poite
Assistant referees: Jérôme Garces, David Changleng
Television match official: Geoff Warren

France vs Scotland
Referee: Wayne Barnes
Assistant referees: Andrew Small, Stuart Terheege
Television match official: Giulio De Santis

Round 2
England vs Italy
Referee: Craig Joubert
Assistant referees: Peter Fitzgibbon, Peter Allan
Television match official: Tony Redmond

Scotland vs Wales
Referee: George Clancy
Assistant referees: Romain Poite, Simon McDowell
Television match official: Graham Hughes

Ireland vs France
Referee: Dave Pearson
Assistant referees: Wayne Barnes, David Changleng
Television match official: Geoff Warren

Round 3
Italy vs Wales
Referee: Wayne Barnes
Assistant referees: Dave Pearson, John Lacey
Television match official: Iain Ramage

England vs France
Referee: Steve Walsh
Assistant referees: Alan Lewis, Tim Hayes
Television match official: Giulio De Santis

Scotland vs Ireland
Referee: Nigel Owens
Assistant referees: Andrew Small, Pascal Gauzere
Television match official: Graham Hughes

Round 4
Italy vs France
Referee: Bryce Lawrence
Assistant referees: Peter Fitzgibbon, Stuart Terheege
Television match official: Jim Yuille

Wales vs Ireland
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan
Assistant referees: Craig Joubert, Peter Allan
Television match official: Geoff Warren

England vs Scotland
Referee: Romain Poite
Assistant referees: Jérôme Garces, Carlo Damasco
Television match official: Tony Redmond

Round 5
Scotland vs Italy
Referee: Alain Rolland
Assistant referees: Alan Lewis, John Lacey
Television match official: Hugh Watkins

Ireland vs England
Referee: Bryce Lawrence
Assistant referees: Nigel Owens, Tim Hayes
Television match official: Giulio De Santis

France vs Wales
Referee: Craig Joubert
Assistant referees: Jonathan Kaplan, Simon McDowell
Television match official: Graham Hughes


Surprisingly there are no appointments in the Six Nations this year for Mark Lawrence, Stuart Dickinson, Marius Jonker or Christophe Berdos, and Alan Lewis is only appointed as an Assistant Referee.

 

[Ian_Cook]

I am not at all surprised that Lewis and Dickinson missed out, given their recent poor performances in the AIs.

I predicted Dickinson would miss out. That's three major tournaments in a row now that he has missed, 2010 6N, 2010 3N, and now 2011 6N.

 

[Toby Warren]

How did Steve Walsh get the biggest game (in terms of rankings) in the 6 nations?!

 

[SimonSmith]

That, my friend, is a very debatable point after the AI.

 

[andyscott]

How did Steve Walsh get the biggest game (in terms of rankings) in the 6 nations?!

Because he never pings the scrum or gives out YCs

 

[chief]

Can I just say that this is a flawed system. The 10 referees selected for the 6 Nations ARE the referees who are going to the RWC. I assure you that. These 10 are the refs.

Walsh selected over Dickinson is a farce, as SANZAR rates Dickinson Number 2 ahead of Bryce Lawrence, Jonathan Kaplan. However yet Walsh is selected ahead of him!?!? WTF, Walsh doesn't deserve to be there.

Lewis did have a good 3 nations game, yet Rolland is selected ahead of him.

Pearson had a clanger of a test at Murrayfield yet he is going.

Kaplan was shocking but so was Mark Lawrence. Yet Lawrence ranked 2 tied with Dickinson for SANZAR missed out?

If Dave Pearson, Alain Rolland and Steve Walsh are going over, than the RWC is in serious trouble.

 

[ddjamo]

clancy??? if I remember correctly his last int'l/big match he seemed over his head. some times I think he's got it - other times he seems to struggle. fitz seems to be progressing past him??

 

[andyscott]

clancy??? if I remember correctly his last int'l/big match he seemed over his head. some times I think he's got it - other times he seems to struggle. fitz seems to be progressing past him??

IMO fitzy is a much better referee, in fact I have always liked him since he was on the U21 international circuit. I reckon he is up there with Owens and Barnes.

Pearson is a good referee, but gives to many penalties (for the elite game).

 

[FlipFlop]

I don't agree with Chief that those are the refs going. Bear in mind this is the NH comp, so there will always be a leaning to the NH refs, just like in the 3N there is a leaning to the SH refs.

Looking at that list, I would guess that:
Alain Rolland, Roman Poite, Wayne Barnes, Craig Joubert and Bryce Lawrence are all definitely going - they've got 2 games each.

I think some on the list are there so they can be looked at again, or because they only have a long shot at going - namely Pearson, Clancy, Walsh.

That leaves Kaplan and Owens on the list above - probably going, but not everyone can get 2 games. A train crash could derail these two, but even then they are likely to go.

Those left out, still have a chance, which improves no end if any of those above have a train crash (Walsh in Eng v Fra?), and there will still be warm up matches etc before the RWC (and 3N?)

 

[tevisv]

Agreed FlipFlop. It looks like they are giving another look at Walsh, Clancy and Pearson. I don't see Lewis being left out of the RWC and I agree with chief about Dickinson. Maybe they are hurt and are being rested?

I'm not too worried about Owens and Kaplan only getting one match. After all, they are considered to be the top 2 refs, correct? They have been running a lot, so maybe they have already proven themselves and are getting a rest. Be concerned if you don't see their names in the 3N before the RWC.

The M. Lawrence and Berdos omissions are odd indeed. Personally, I like Berdos over Poite and think Mark "George Michael" Lawrence calls a great match, but then again, the head refs are probably seeing something that I'm not...wouldn't be the first time. Like some have posted, since this is a NH tournament, they are using the NH refs over the SH refs, which probably explains why certain SH refs were left out.

 

[chief]

Referees are announced in April for the RWC, 10 referees to go. So warm up matches in August the refs for that won't matter in the slightest.

Dickinson and Lewis won't be making an appearance I tell you that.

Clancy's a fantastic no nonsense ref, his interpretations have been impressive this year hoping for more

 

[Mike Selig]

Not as certain as Chief that these are the 10, but certainly those getting 2 games seem certain.

Owens and Kaplan have regularly been given big games over recent years without making fools of themselves (although Kaplan had a poor season last year by his standards) it would be a shock to see either of them miss out.

Surely M Lawrence is going to the WC? Been regularly highly ranked locally (indeed ahead of Kaplan it would seem this year), and had quite a few high profile appointments, I'd be surprised to see him miss out also.

Which leaves 2 places: I agree with Chief that Dickinson and Lewis now seem unlikely, unfortunately it seems that this is the consequence of having bad games involving NZ.

Clancy's had a great year so far after some indifferent moments, so has clearly pushed himself into consideration. Someone obviously likes Walsh and he is handed a big game which looks potentially like "make or break". Ditto Pearson (who I'm not a big fan of). Fitzgibbon and Berdos as more junior refs now look out of the running. Jonker likewise.

 

[andyscott]

Clancy's a fantastic no nonsense ref,

You have to go off, you cant continue, lads hes gone, hes slurring his words, he is going off.

Yet he stayed on and had the doc come on at every stoppage

Yep thats no nonsense

 

[OB..]

You have to go off, you cant continue, lads hes gone, hes slurring his words, he is going off.

Yet he stayed on and had the doc come on at every stoppage

Yep thats no nonsense

It's a poor example. You have a specialist doctor saying OK. Do you really feel it right to over-rule him?

 

[andyscott]

It's a poor example. You have a specialist doctor saying OK. Do you really feel it right to over-rule him?

No its a good example, no nonsense

He does have the right to overrule him, he had concerns about his safety. If he didn't want to overrule the doc, he should have kept his gob shut, not order him off and then let him play. His credibility went out of the door with me when I heard that!!

Specialist doctors for rugby clubs? that are not driven by medical welfare, but results of teams? Hmm we have a good example of that dont we :wink: I am not convinced that doctor had the welfare of his 'patient' in mind that day, but that is only my personal view.

 

[OB..]

andyscott - I disagree. There can surely be no doubt that the doctor is better qualified to judge than the referee. As for your cynicism, any doctor who allowed a player to turn one injury into a worse one would not be much use to a team.

 

[andyscott]

andyscott - I disagree. There can surely be no doubt that the doctor is better qualified to judge than the referee. As for your cynicism, any doctor who allowed a player to turn one injury into a worse one would not be much use to a team.

Didnt say he wasnt best to judge, but he has the right to overrule the doctor. And has 1 premiership/international referee once said in a game, doctor or no doctor he is going off (Owens I think)

Hmm what about a doctor that causes an injury to a player?

If the player was ok to continue, why did the medical staff need to check on him at every stoppage, not just a couple every single one? My thinking was they didnt have a good replacement.

 

[Ian_Cook]

Walsh selected over Dickinson is a farce, as SANZAR rates Dickinson Number 2 ahead of Bryce Lawrence, Jonathan Kaplan. However yet Walsh is selected ahead of him!?!? WTF, Walsh doesn't deserve to be there.

Err, if SD is rated No. 2 In SANZAR, how come he didn't get any appointments for the last Tri-Nations?

 

[FKlopper]

Didnt say he wasnt best to judge, but he has the right to overrule the doctor. And has 1 premiership/international referee once said in a game, doctor or no doctor he is going off (Owens I think)

I remember Alain Rolland doing this in a Six Nations match between Scotland and Wales in 2009.

Simon Webster took a blow to his head early in the game, and whilst there was a serious injury to another player, he went to the Scottish bench and told them that regardless of their doctor's opinion, Webster wasn't right to continue (and whilst this conversation took place, he was sick on the side of the pitch).

They took note of Rolland's chat, made the change and got on with the game.

 

[OB..]

Didnt say he wasnt best to judge, but he has the right to overrule the doctor.

He has the right, but is it right to overrule somebody who is best placed to judge. It is not the touchstone for no nonsense decisions.