World Rugby has signalled its intent to come down hard on any coach who criticises a referee in future, handing Italian coach Gonzalo Quesada a two-game ban for comments he made about officiating in the loss against the All Blacks.
The move forms part of the new outlook by the governing body, where coaches have had their official channels to query decisions changed while pre-game meetings with referees have all but been ruled out, unless the opposition coach agrees and is available to sit in the same meeting.
The move has already led to frustration, with Quesada questioning some of the referee's calls during his side’s loss against the All Blacks, and World Rugby has responded by coming down hard on him, banning him for two games.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus highlighted the change earlier this week, saying it wasn’t necessarily improving the way the game operates, and with the ban, all international coaches will have to walk a tight line now when commenting on anything in the game.
With rugby being a sport that is so open to interpretation - referees often have to interpret 200 laws in real time - there are bound to be differences in the way they approach key areas of the game. But by limiting the process whereby coaches can interact with referees, and coming down hard on those who raise concerns, the rigid approach is hardly likely to win much support from coaches across the globe.
NEW PROTOCOLS
While it is understandable that referees need to be protected from abuse, the new protocols allow coaches to only have a pre-game meeting if the opposition coach agrees and is present at the meeting. Coaches are also only allowed to use the official process after the game to highlight six clips, and those are uploaded for all coaches across the world to see.
Understandably, coaches don’t want to give away their concerns to the opposition before the game, which can be countered, but the process now leaves them to guess what a referee will interpret, rather than the previous system where a referee could respond to any queries ahead of the game.
Already coaches have highlighted that the new system is likely to lead to frustration, as it did when Quesada spoke out at the post-match press conference.
His comments can be viewed below, and you can decide for yourself if they crossed a line that warranted a two-game suspension.
Asked about a disallowed try, which came when the referee called 'release' and the All Blacks didn’t release Tommaso Menoncello, but then said the ball was held up, Quesada thought it was a try.
WERE HIS COMMENTS THAT BAD?
“Our try with Menoncello, when the attacker didn’t release him, after the referee told him to release, was a try,” he said.
There was also a red card to Italian lock Niccolo Cannone, and a yellow card that was bizarrely reversed for Ruben Love during the game. Quesada didn’t agree.
“I think the 20-minute red card on our No 4, Niccolo Cannone, held up on the floor by [All Black] 17 and not even seeing it, is a bit harsh,” he said.
“I think the yellow on Love, their number 10, it’s a yellow, and I will stop there because I can continue on. I don’t want to speak about that honestly.”
“It was tough to defend the try where they allowed them to play a quick penalty with two injured players of Italy plus yellow card. So it’s terrible to concede more than 40 points in a game like that. It’s tough, and I never like talking about the referee, but when I see the efforts of my players, I want to defend them.”
MORE FRUSTRATION
Erasmus said earlier this week that he didn’t believe the new protocols furthered the aim of rugby and there would be more frustration. It has now played out that way.
“You can’t communicate to the match officials directly anymore,” he said. “You can’t always have a meeting with them before the game.
“How it works now is the referee for the day will email you asking if you want a meeting, and if both coaches do not say yes, then you don’t have a meeting; and if both coaches say yes, then you meet together with the referee.
“We haven’t had a meeting with the referee [in the Nations Championship] because one of the coaches hasn’t said yes. I don’t 100 per cent understand the logic behind it, although I am not criticising them because they have communicated it to us.”
Erasmus referenced his own video produced during the British and Irish Lions series, which resulted in him being banned for two months.
“A while back I sent a very long video, but now, if you have a query, you can only load up six comments onto the system, but everyone can see it now – all the other coaches and referees,” he said.
“It is now almost impossible to criticise a referee because if you have 12 things that bother you from your last game or the upcoming game, you either have to sit with the other coach and the referee, or you have to put up comments that everyone can see.”
SYMPATHY FOR QUESADO
Erasmus said he had sympathy for Quesado, and that the change would not necessarily better the game.
“I know Gonzalo really well, and he is a good guy,” Erasmus said. “Italy are on the up, and he was probably frustrated with some calls.
“There has been a protocol change and, to be honest, I’m not sure it is bettering our game.”
World Rugby confirmed Quesada’s suspension in a statement released on Thursday.
“In line with the provisions of the Match Official Abuse Sanction Process, World Rugby can confirm that an automatic two-match suspension has been issued to Italy Head Coach Gonzalo Quesada for comments regarding match officiating,” the statement read.
“Agreed at the recent Shape of the Game forum and starting this July, World Rugby has introduced a new Match Official Abuse Sanction Process, featuring across all international rugby fixtures involving World Rugby appointed match officials. This includes the World Rugby Junior World Championship, WXV Global Series and Challenger, the World Rugby Nations Cup and the Nations Championship - the new elite tournament owned and operated by Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR.
WORLD RUGBY STATEMENT
“The Match Official Abuse Sanction Process is targeted at reducing comments which often are the basis of the unacceptable increase in abuse and threats towards match officials.
“Under the process, an independent panel comprising the independent judicial panel chair and two experienced judicial panel members consider whether any conduct or comments made by team personnel includes among other things, allegations that a match official acted with bias, prejudice, improper motive, external influence, or deliberate intent to affect an outcome and/or conduct which, viewed objectively, they knew or ought to know would undermine public confidence in match officials.
“Assessment of comments takes account of a full range of factors including the nature and reach of the comments, the timing, the role of the speaker and any aggravating factors, such as whether the conduct led directly to an increase in personal abuse against a match official. Outcomes range from “no further action” to a guidance letter, formal warning, or automatic sanction under the framework.
“In line with the provisions of the Match Official Abuse Sanction Process, World Rugby can confirm that an automatic two-match suspension has been issued to Gonzalo Quesada (Italy Head Coach), which includes a ban on all match-day activity, including being present in the stadium, as a result of comments made in broadcast, and subsequently reported, following the Nations Championship match against New Zealand on 11 July.
“Under the process, Quesada has the right to appeal the sanction to a full judicial committee hearing.”