Shake up among the Elite?

[tevisv]

Let us look at this from another point of view...the summer tests themselves. Over the past few years, very few of these have actually amounted to anything. Sure, it is an honor to receive a test match of any stature, but could it be that the selectors are using these as proving ground matches? Let's face it, most of the NH teams will rest certain players after a long season while the SH teams will test up and coming players ahead of their Tri-Nations series.

I mean no offense to anyone here, but outside of England's tour to South Africa and Wales going to Australia, the other "Tier 1" tests look like warm ups for the Tri Nations teams and cool downs for their NH counterparts. We all know Australia will use their match against Scotland as a warm up for their Welsh series and given their current form, Ireland may be in for a true shellacking in their NZ series. While the quality may not be there, the Pacific Nations Cup matches will mean more on paper since this is no different than the Tri Nations or 6 Nations competitions.

I wouldn't get too worked up over who's dropped and who's retained until the Tri Nations and Fall Tests appointments are announced. If certain names are missing from those appointments, then I think we will all know what's up. Keep in mind, those coming up through the ranks must prove themselves somewhere and the summer tests series is an ideal place to do so. Same for those needing to fine tune their game.

[Pinky]

I don't think that the IRB has published an referee panel for some years. It used to be on the IRB website, but it disappeared and they now seem to concentrate on anouncing the appointments to particular groups of tests, be it the 6N, June, Autumn, Tri-N and of course WC.

But they seem to be being clearer about how the appointment process is to happen, by this group of 4 (or 5 if you include JJ as Chair) or 6 if you include POB. But the one thing that looks certain is that POB will have less direct influence over elite referee appointments.

[LankyStreak]

Clancy over Barnes and Pearson is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard. Clancy, rabbit, headlights, depth, out of, end of.

[The Fat]

Really? You see that as a demotion?

I see that as a promotion, to be leading Referee Management, training and selection in the lead up to the Olympic Games in 2016; the greatest sporting event on the planet, bar none!!.

And it needs it! Some of the Sevens refereeing has been bloody awful in the past couple of seasons, and POB is just the man to start rattling some cages on that front.

The committee agreed that the key areas of the Game identified for particular focus by referees needed constant reviewing. Those five key areas are:

- All aspects of the tackle with particular emphasis to be placed on the tackler releasing the tackled player and rolling away and arriving players staying on their feet
- Offside at the breakdown
- Offside from kicks
- All aspects of the scrum, particularly the engagement process and front-row binding
- All aspects of the maul, particularly what constitutes legal maul defence

And about bloody time too!!!!

June Test Appointments (From sarefs)
The IRB's new selection committee of Lyndon Bray, Tappe Henning, Donal Courtney and Brian Campsall with Paddy O'Brien as the manager and John Jeffrey as the chairman from the IRB's council has made the appointments of referees to international matches in June.

Obviously wearing 2 hats now???

[Ian_Cook]

Heard POB on the radio this am

They offered for me to stay on (as Referee Manager) until after 2015, but I said no.

Its a tough job. You have to live with getting your credibility called into question on a daily basis by people who are pushing their own agendas.

They know nothing about me. I stood up for Wayne Barnes in 2007 and was unreasonably criticised by Kiwis who felt hard done by, then when I went the other way (in 2009) I was accused of bias.

It will be a new and fresh challenge getting the (sevens) refereeing up to scratch for Rio in 2016

Just about sums it up for me.

[Robert Burns]

Good luck to him!

[didds]

Good to hear paddy's versiion of things - sounds more like a SCW/RFU scenario.

Indeed good luck, but if what he intimates is true then whoever/whatever follows will end up being equally toothless.

didds

[ddjamo]

Clancy over Barnes and Pearson is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard. Clancy, rabbit, headlights, depth, out of, end of.

couldn't have said it any better. the fascination with clancy is amusing.

[Ian_Cook]

What ever happened to that other young Irish referee, Peter Fitzgibbon. I was impressed with him, but he seems to have fallen off the iRB's radar.

[The umpire]

He was no better than Clancy, in my view.