All Blacks v Italy: World Rugby’s referee dilemma as best officials sidelined for emerging names – Elliott Smith

Luke Pearce refereeing during the All Blacks v Namibia match at the Rugby World Cup France 2023. Photo / Photosport

Opinion

THREE KEY FACTS

• World Rugby is trialling multiple referees, including Nika Amashukeli, following the retirement of top officials.
• Luke Pearce, considered the best referee, has only one game as the main referee this window.
• The All Blacks are to take on Italy in their final match of the Northern Tour at 9.10am on Sunday.

Elliott Smith is Newstalk ZB and Gold Sport’s lead rugby commentator and reporter. He’s been a sports journalist since 2010 and has travelled to three Rugby World Cups.

OPINION

An observation... World Rugby has a referee problem. In a desperate bid to try to find the next crop of top referees – following the retirement of Wayne Barnes, Mathieu Raynal and Jaco Peyper from the top tier in the last 12 months after the World Cup – they seem to have used 2024 as a rotational policy to give as many referees as possible test matches with an eye to 2027. Or at least, that’s what it looks like externally. A whole lot of referees are being trialled – including some unfamiliar names. But the issue with that is test matches roll on and are expected to be refereed to a high standard. The sport’s governing body is seemingly obsessed with fast-tracking English and Irish referees while trying to find referees from emerging rugby countries and promote them too quickly, while often referees from this side of the world (and I’m including Australia) are ignored.

An explanation... Georgia’s Nika Amashukeli has the signs of a promising referee. But he’s exactly that, promising. And has been fast-tracked to the top. He was clearly out of his depth at times last week in the All Blacks and France match – he effectively put his whistle in his pocket as the All Blacks bested the French scrum. He also allowed himself to be dictated to by the TMO; the best referees (Barnes, Angus Gardner) don’t allow themselves to become overruled by the man in the sky. The best referee with Barnes retired, England’s Luke Pearce, inexplicably only has one game as the referee in this window (tomorrow’s France v Argentina game) and a couple of others with a flag in his hand as an assistant. We expect high standards from referees, and they are given an increasingly complex and confusing rule book to officiate from. Why wouldn’t you give the best ones more games?

A suggestion... Pearce made an interesting appearance on The Rugby Paper podcast earlier this month, where he pondered whether the dial needed to move back towards empowering the on-field official to make the ultimate decisions. It’s a question I’ve previously pondered in these pages, and the more technology intervenes in rugby, the more I think rugby needs to do away with it entirely.

A prediction... Pearce says he would love nothing more than to be the “captain of the ship” on the park. He’s absolutely right. While the bunker has eliminated the “three blokes stare at the big screen element” in rugby, with a TMO and a foul play review officer, there are too many captains on the ship. Any boat can’t be sailed properly when there are three captains jostling for the helm, and World Rugby needs to accept mistakes will be made regardless of whether there is one, three or however many more officials they want to put in the process.

A question... On the topic of refs, with Jaco Peyper retired, when was the last time South Africa didn’t have a referee in the top group at World Rugby? Aimee Barrett-Theron does an excellent job in the women’s game but the men are lagging for the first time in some time. It can’t be good for the game not to have a major South African voice in refereeing circles.

All Blacks v Italy – How to follow the action

For live commentary of the All Blacks v Italy match, join Elliott Smith and Gregor Paul on Newstalk ZB, Gold Sport and iHeartRadio.

Plus, James McOnie and Mike Lane of The Alternative Commentary Collective will be providing commentary on their iHeartRadio stream.

You can watch the game on Sky Sport 1 and it will be live-streamed on Sky Sport Now.

You can also find live updates at nzherald.co.nz.