Rugby: Ref adept at fending off insults

By Wynne Gray

Many watching test referee Derek Bevan see an officious, pedantic operator. You know the drill: small man's complex in charge of 30 rugged individuals.

That viewpoint is enhanced by some of Bevan's style and antics.

He wears the snug shorts, has a choppy running action, one of the meanest blows on the whistle and a penalty signal which threatens to dislocate his arm as he thrusts it dramatically skyward.

Detractors would suggest Bevan should be allowed to rule only on secondary school matches just as he is doing today at Hauraki Plains College.

That line of thinking and those sorts of theories bring steady quips from the 50-year-old Welshman. He has had plenty of practice fending off the insults during his lengthy international career.

His dealings with the All Blacks go back to 1986, and this Saturday's Tri-Nations test with the Wallabies, which doubles as a Bledisloe Cup test, will be his 15th involving the men in black. The problem is that the All Blacks have won eight and lost six tests involving Bevan.

It is far too close a win/loss ratio for the suspicious New Zealand rugby public which, even with last year's disasters, is much more used to their rugby side winning.

Those siding with that conspiracy theory will be even more concerned to learn that Bevan last blew a test match in March and has not refereed any game since May. A touch judge for the opening two Tri-Nations matches, Bevan wanted to ref today to get back into rugby mode.

Bevan enjoys that flavour far more in the Southern Hemisphere than he does in his native lands.

"I hope this test is a good game and I hope to play my part in that and if no one is talking about me after the game then I will have succeeded," he said yesterday.

Bevan agreed with the observation that Northern Hemisphere officials were far stricter than their Downunder counterparts. It was a by-product of the way the game was played.

"Every time I come down here I hear this talk," he said. "I think your players are more positive and when they play each other you don't get the killing of the ball they do at home. There you give penalties but it is easier here because of the attitude.

"You do have a valid point.

"But you can only rule according to the laws and the way the players respond."

Bevan is one of the merit-based referees involved in the Tri-Nations and also the World Cup. That end-of-year tournament will be Bevan's fourth and last. He intends doing the European Cup then the Six Nations before quitting next May.

"That will be curtains. I have been refereeing for 28 seasons and that will be enough," he said.

That career began by accident or with an accident when Bevan hurt his back after a partial mine collapse when he was working as a coalminer near Swansea. He was advised to stop playing rugby and working in the mine so took up refereeing and employment as an electrical training officer for BP.

Bevan has kept that job round his refereeing and after Saturday's test will fly back to Wales and be back at his desk on Monday. Critics reckon that is the best place for him.

All they remember are Bevan's tests like 1993 when he was in charge of both All Black losses to France or the opening defeat by the World XV in 1992 or the narrow 21-18 squeak against Scotland in 1992 which led to Wayne Shelford's axing as All Black captain.

And Bevan was in charge of the All Blacks only defeat in 1996 at Ellis Park and the Christchurch test loss against the Wallabies last year which meant the end for the regular All Black tight five.

Then there was the watch. The gold one South African supremo Louis Luyt presented to Bevan at the World Cup dinner the night of the Springboks' 1995 triumph. That presentation appalled All Blacks and others at the dinner who felt there was a sinister link between Luyt's award for best tournament ref and Bevan being in charge of the Springboks fortuitous semifinal win against France.

"I would like to forget the whole thing," said Bevan. "Nobody knew what was happening, it was embarassing."

It was not even a great watch, Bevan recalled. It was a pocketwatch worth less than $300 but he had been the victim of jokes about the episode ever since.

"The watch went to charity soon after the World Cup, it was an auction done for JPR Williams who runs a sports clinic for injured players."

Bevan also gets ribbed about his demonstrative on-field style and some of his flamboyant gestures.

"Normally I am quiet off the field and I can't remember anyone having a great influence on my work. I used to talk to players a lot but I have changed a bit lately because the players should know what to do."

That could signal a problem area for Saturday, the potential for penalties rather than verbal warnings from an official with a reputation for bringing goalkickers into games. Before anyone starts jumping up and down or to conclusions, just remember Joel Dume at Carisbrook in 1997. He blew the side out of his whistle.

Most of Bevan's comments come with some humour, almost a self-deprecating glimpse of himself, rugby or issues in sport.

He can see the levity in most situations, he can find amusement where others see distress. Come Saturday if we all take some of that attitude to Eden Park, this Bledisloe Cup test may be all the better.