Lam calls for major revamp of refereeing structures

Highlighting inconsistencies in the manner in which his players are refereed compared with international ‘stars’ of other provinces, Lam has proposed an overhaul of the refereeing structure in club competitions in the northern hemisphere. Lam fumed that it is “a waste of time”, as things stand, filling in post match reports on referees.

What’s needed, he said, is a new structure, an umbrella incorporating all the nations involved, and with one person at the top, giving direction to referees and coaches within the various unions. 

It would be modelled on the Super Rugby competition in the Southern Hemisphere, he said, which is a “much better system”.

In that system, coaches get to ‘rate’ referees, which coupled with independent assessments, have a bearing on whether the officials are picked again. The ‘head official’ for the Super 15 also emails coaches and referees every week outlining the different areas which need to be policed better in the following round of matches.

“It was our responsibility then as coaches to tell the players we can’t be doing this or that. Referees were all on the same page. The best thing about it was there was a process, and we were being heard . . . it gave real credibility to the process and the system,” he said.

Immediately after the Leinster game on Saturday at the Sportsground, in which several dubious decisions went against Connacht, Lam was restrained in his criticism of officials. He, quite rightly, pointed to Connacht’s own second-half failings for the loss.

Again, at this week’s press conference to preview the Heineken Cup game against Zebre, having reviewed the Leinster controversial decisions, Lam wasn’t letting emotion cloud his judgement. He deals in facts, he said, and those facts suggested that Connacht were blackguarded. 

Lam said the “biggest frustration is, because of who we are, we have to work hard for everything, for all the points”, yet the visitors’ points were accumulated through dubious decisions.

“When you go 8-3 up, and 8-3 becomes 8-6 on a marginal call of offside, when we can find so many instances of offside that haven’t been picked up. That becomes frustrating. Then 8-6 goes to 8-9 when there’s a crooked feed in the scrum, number eight loses the ball (forward) and now it’s 8-9. And then obviously the forward pass (for the try), I know they’ve been talking about hands going back but I didn’t see that and the player was already ahead before the pass was made.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.