Refs for RWC and Tri Nations announced

[chief]

http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/mediazone/news/newsid=2042298.html#match+officials+selected+rwc+2011

The International Rugby Board has announced the Panel of match officials who will preside over the 48 matches at Rugby World Cup 2011 in New Zealand in September and October.

A streamlined Panel of 10 Referees will be supported by seven dedicated Assistant Referees and four Television Match Officials at Rugby’s showcase event.

The selection was made after a comprehensive review of refereeing performances by the IRB Match Official Selection Committee, chaired by IRB Council Member David Pickering, at its meeting in Dublin on Tuesday and Wednesday.

While the appointments for the 40 Pool matches will not be announced until August, the IRB can confirm that Ireland’s George Clancy, making his Rugby World Cup debut, will take charge of the opening match between hosts New Zealand and Tonga at Eden Park on September 9.



Appointments for the knock-out matches will be made following a performance review after the completion of the pool phase when 10 of the 21 match officials will be retained.

Clancy is joined in the Panel by countryman and Rugby World Cup 2007 Final Referee Alain Rolland, England’s Dave Pearson and Wayne Barnes, France’s Romain Poite, New Zealand’s Bryce Lawrence, South Africa’s Craig Joubert and Jonathan Kaplan, Nigel Owens of Wales and Australia’s Steve Walsh.

Kaplan and Walsh will be officiating at their fourth Rugby World Cup (a tournament record), while the referees have taken charge of 287 Tests between them at an average of 28.7 Tests per Referee.

The IRB Match Official Selection Committee is pleased with the way that the High Performance Referees have responded to refereeing the key areas of the Game identified 12 months ago and also the manner in which they have responded to a lift in fitness standards that have been set over the course of the past two years in preparation for Rugby World Cup 2011,” said Pickering.

“In selecting 10 Referees we are underlining our commitment to further enhancing consistency and a policy of selecting the best match officials for the world’s best teams at Rugby’s showcase tournament.”

“While inevitably there are those who are unlucky to miss out on selection, it is really exciting to see the likes of George Clancy, Dave Pearson, Romain Poite, Bryce Lawrence and Craig Joubert included within a Rugby World Cup Referee Panel for the first time on merit.”

In addition to the Panel of 10 Rugby World Cup Referees, seven specialist Assistant Referees have been selected who will assist during the tournament’s pool stages. Chris Pollock and Vinny Munro (New Zealand), Jerome Garces (France), Stuart Terheege (England), Tim Hayes (Wales), Simon McDowell (Ireland) and Carlo Damasco (Italy) comprise the Panel. Pollock and Garces are the reserve Referees for the Tournament.

Four highly experienced Television Match Officials complete the Panel. Giulio De Santis (Italy), Graham Hughes (England), Matt Goddard (Australia) and Shaun Veldsman (South Africa) will preside over every match.

The IRB Match Official Selection Committee has also announced the appointments for the May-August international match schedule that incorporates the pre-Rugby World Cup Tests, IRB Pacific Nations Cup, IRB Nations Cup and Tri Nations. A highlight includes Chris Pollock taking charge of his first Tri Nations Test when he officiates the 2011 opener between Australia and South Africa in Sydney on July 23.

http://www.irb.com/mm/Document/Training/MatchOfficialPnl/02/04/23/08/2042308_PDF.pdf

 

[cyclopath]

A few odd ones there, and also not there.
Where is Mark Lawrence? Why is Bryce Lawrence there? Kaplan obviously selected on past form, as he has been far from that in recent times. Interesting that Steve Walsh makes it ( which I think is good - he is a good ref for mine) but Dickinson does not, not even in assistant ref capacity. Munro should be reffing, not just an AR.
Then again, it is the IRB so you can't expect too much common sense. Hardly surprising they have tried to get most of the NH refs in.

 

[chief]

Kaplan's last two years as a referee has been dreadful. I didn't mind him before then, I actually thought he was pretty good, but there are countless games where he has impacted the result of the game particularly within the last two years. I find that strange also, because Dickinson got a semi last year in S14, over Walsh.

 

[Ash]

Bryce Lawrence is one of the most inconsistent refs around; when I see him name I get scared. Yet Mark Lawrence is usually one of the best refs around. Chalk me up as confused as well.

 

[Lindommer]

B Lawrence and Kaplan in while M Lawrence and Dickinson miss out? Not good enough, iRB.

 

[Newb]

yet another thoughtful and well run process by the IRB resulting in an outcome that dedicated watchers of the game completely agree with.....

 

[Hawko]

If you took out Poite, B. Lawrence and Kaplan and replaced them with M. Lawrence, Dickinson and Munro then the list would have some credibility. If you took Pollock and Garces off the reserves list it would be even closer to credible.

I hope the semi's and final come from Barnes, Joubert and Walsh with Barnes to get the final, but somehow I doubt it. There's too much politics in these selections, POB needs to retire gracefully and the new head can come in and sweep the broom through.

 

[Lee Grant]

I mentioned in another thread that Dickinson was unlikely to be chosen since the 10 used for 6N would be first cabs off the rank and that only 12 were chosen for the 2007 RWC - and Walsh seems to be the poster boy, and is categorised as an Aussie. Read that how you like.

Eyes and Ears, who has good referees mail, said that only 10 would be used this year and he is proved right.

They are the usual suspects. Clancy has been the bolter in the last 12 months or so. He is a good enough ref though and better than some of the others but he doesn't jump up at you watching the Magners League and such.

Kaplan has been increasing nutty, year by year, and some of his performances this year eg: Brumbies v Rebels (the Ma'afu handbag decision) and Wales v Ireland (the wrong ball game) were egregious and not for just those incidents.

Walsh is highly regarded, obviously, because he was given the biggest game of the year to date: England v France, though he had to pull out of it through injury. To me he still talks a bit too much and captains still seem to think that they want to be the last one who spoke to him.

Poite, hears voices and not always the right ones. He has had some poor games in the Top14 this year, but at least he is better than Berdos, who is ignored. Neither is as good as Garces. The best ref in France gets a touchie job though.

Pearson had a fine game Ireland v France, give or take, but his demeanour is poor and I've always though about him as a crowd ref in the Premiership. He certainly hammered the French mercilessly the last time they played the Wallabies in Oz.

As for Bryce Lawrence: others have covered his deficiencies better than I can. At the highest level, in big test matches, he is found wanting IMO.

Everybody would have cause to denigrate the others: Barnes, Rolland, Owens and Joubert, it is the nature of the job, but they are the cream of the crop, with Owens being the big mover in, and of, my opinion.

Any of these could be the referee of the final, though if Oz and NZ don't make it, poster boy Walsh could be a smokey.

Mark Lawrence is unlucky to miss out as he did last time and so is Dickinson who doesn't even make the touchie or TMO list. Who can forget his correct decision as a TMO in the final last time though?

 

[Slim 293]

Mark Lawrence is unlucky to miss out as he did last time and so is Dickinson who doesn't even make the touchie or TMO list. Who can forget his correct decision as a TMO in the final last time though?

I'm still gobsmacked that the English commentators kept jabbering on about it being a try with Cueto's foot clearly on the line...

 

[Gnostic]

Kaplan's last two years as a referee has been dreadful. I didn't mind him before then, I actually thought he was pretty good, but there are countless games where he has impacted the result of the game particularly within the last two years. I find that strange also, because Dickinson got a semi last year in S14, over Walsh.

I agree except for the part with not minding before two years ago. Kaplan has always been a terrible ref.