Six Nations 2018: England risk Irish row by calling in assistant referee to training four days before Grand Slam decider
The use of Marious van der Westhuizen ahead of England's Grand Slam-deciding match with Ireland is not against the regulations but will not go down well with their opponents
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Your support makes all the difference.The assistant referee for this weekend’s Six Nations clash between England and Ireland was invited by Eddie Jones to officiate their training session on Tuesday in a move that could trigger a war of words with the recently-crowned champions.
The Times revealed on Wednesday that Marius van der Westhuizen, the South African official who will assist referee Angus Gardner at Twickenham this weekend, attended Pennyhill Park to take charge of England’s training session just four days before their final championship match.
Having lost back-to-back Six Nations matches for the first time since 2009 after the defeats by Scotland and France, head coach Jones is evidently looking for any little advantage that help get his side back on track this weekend, given the size of the challenge in taking on an Ireland side that has won all four of its games so far, is chasing a Grand Slam triumph and who beat England the last time the two sides met in Dublin a year ago.
While World Rugby has been keen to make officials available to visit training camps and work with teams to better the understanding and relationship that they have during Tests, referees are not allowed to help sides if they are due to take charge of them during that particular Test window.
But there is no such regulation on assistant referees, meaning that Van der Westhuizen was able to be utilised by England as he has not refereed them during the current Six Nations. The South African was one of the two assistant referees for their last outing, the 22-16 defeat in France, while the referee of that game, Jaco Peyper, will be the other assistant referee at Twickenham this Saturday.
World Rugby has no objections to teams inviting referees to assist with training camps, but the use of one of the match-day officials so close to a game in which they will be involved is an unusual scenario and one that Ireland are unlikely to take kindly to.
With Ireland gunning for just their third men’s Grand Slam in their history after 1948 and 2009, the clash still has plenty riding on it even if the much-hoped Grand Slam decider has not materialised due to England’s surprisingly poor form this championship. But the Irish camp have talked up the challenge that they expect to face from the English, and given that England’s last home defeat in the Six Nations came in 2012, their 15-match unbeaten Twickenham streak will also be on the line in what is the longest run of its kind in the championship.
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