Losers Blame Referees

New Zealand's reaction to defeat by France was predictably - and by now familiarly - lugubrious. But sadness was animated by some waspish criticism of referee Wayne Barnes. The sin-binning of Luke McAlister and the forward pass in the build-up to the winning try by Yannick Jauzion provoked a storm of ref-bashing on all the outlets known to modern humankind.

It took a Kiwi to deal with the Kiwi outrage. 'Grow up,' said head of refereeing at the International Rugby Board, Paddy O'Brien.

O'Brien has been nothing but a success in the job. 'If you have a problem with referees, talk to us.' This has been his mantra from day one. 'Don't blaze away without knowing the full story.'

He has invited anyone who wishes to see the ways of elite referees to their workshops. Maybe I was brainwashed - there may be some proselytising in the new openness - but I left one such session at the Lensbury Club in London with two impressions. First, rugby is faster and more complicated than ever at the topmost level. Second, the refs could not work harder to keep their error-rate low.

New Zealand did not lose to France because of the forward pass. The momentum of the game had already swung. The All Blacks had started imperiously but France were on an irresistible surge.

No side plays the referee better than the All Blacks. The difference between cheating and realising faster than most what the referee will not notice at, say, the breakdown, is fine to the point of non-existent. And nobody reacts quicker to the interpretation of the hour than your rugby-playing New Zealander.

New Zealand, that is, make life as demanding for the rugby referee as they possibly can. They are looking for as much of an advantage from him as they are from their opponents. It is all part of their game. If referee Barnes missed in the blink of an eye a forward pass, it is all part of the circumstances they have created. So, get over it.

As for the sin-binning of McAlister it should be shown in future seminars of a perfect example of how subtle fouls - a check off the ball - can be as disruptive as a spear-tackle. McAlister was spotted. Excellent work by the referee.