\u201cFinally, the tactic is evidently not legal, and we would be grateful for your confirmation of our position, and that the law must be refereed.\u201d That should wrap up the question nicely. Those who sit on the appeals court would undoubtedly agree with something so expressly forbidden in \u201cthe book of words\u201d. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s also still not too late for the governing body to take ownership of the issue. Being proactive and ensuring that match officials no longer opt out of applying a basic law would do the trick. <\/p>\n
Ireland<\/a> were poor against Japan<\/a> in the Nations Championship<\/a> despite winning 36-20. Again, nothing much clicked. All too frequently players decided that their best bet was to pound away at their opponents\u2019 goalline with short range pick and drives, which are quite an obsession these days. In these situations match officials have difficult decisions to make as they search for the position of the ball. A reader of this column recently wondered if rugby is the only sport where fans don\u2019t see anything until the referee makes a decision. It\u2019s a good question.<\/p>\n Attractive rugby it is certainly not. Players, who are often bashing away non-stop, leading with their heads, should study the research on the dangers of brain damage from sub-concussive blows to the head. They\u2019d do well to question the long-term wisdom of their actions.<\/p>\n France<\/a>, behind at half-time against Australia<\/a> by the scoreline of 12-21, put in a second half of sheer brilliance, notable for fast ruck ball and the evasion of defenders. Ireland\u2019s dull, collision-seeking play paled in comparison \u2013 Les Bleus were magnificent in their 42-26 victory. Karl Dickson was in charge, and, by my book, had a mixed afternoon. Both breakdown and scrums needed a firmer hand. France, for example, were guilty of a clearcut side entry before their third try. <\/p>\n Later on, Dickson would chalk off a French try for a forward pass. It was far away from being clear and obvious, which is normally the necessary criteria for such big calls. Ireland can be retrospectively relieved that these officials weren\u2019t the ones looking at Jack Conan\u2019s scoring pass to Jamison Gibson-Park for the vital try against Australia.<\/p>\n Dickson, having called one particular tackle \u201cdominant\u201d and no more, played on. He then allowed the Television Match Official (TMO) to intervene and changed his mind. It can be argued both ways, but that\u2019s hardly enough for TMO intervention in the first place. These guys need to butt out unless they have something indisputable that has been missed by the referee.<\/p>\n Hollie Davidson\u2019s performance in the Six Nations was not a particularly good day at the office, but in the England<\/a> v Fiji<\/a> game she returned to her straightforward \u201cmatter-of-fact\u201d style, inclusive of reducing irrelevant verbal communication. The straight red card for Fijian Simione Kuruvoli was absolutely the right call. His kick on Ellis Genge was an egregious offence; it\u2019s not up to the referee to measure its velocity in an effort to downgrade the sanction. <\/p>\n There were a lot of reviews with TMO Mike Adamson, yet it\u2019s hard to criticise the officials \u2013 there was a hell of a lot going on. Davidson, however, did not need any help in getting rid of Levani Botia. The yellow card decision was spot on and necessary too. It gave the player time to cool down and recover from a bad case of losing the plot. <\/p>\n Davidson\u2019s handling of a potential penalty for a deliberate knock-on was also on the money. On review, she decreed it was a genuine attempt to catch the ball. In these incidents the position of the player\u2019s hand is the critical factor \u2013 if it is an attempt to pull back the ball or an effort to get under it then it should not be penalised. Overall, Davidson\u2019s performance in a tricky assignment will have gained her valuable air-mile points towards a plane ticket to the next Rugby World Cup.<\/p>\n![\"Referee](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/CGTUL36IBAXNJM5TIREM4FE24I.jpg\")
Referee Karl Dickson had a mixed afternoon in charge of Australia versus France on Saturday. Photograph: Billy Stickland\/INPHO <\/p>\n![\"Referee](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/JNEJEJT6GGDAIHHWHNSHDFOMUM.jpg\")
Referee Hollie Davidson speaks with Fiji’s number eight, Levani Botia, during the game against England on Saturday. Photograph: Oli Scarff\/Getty <\/p>\n