IRB backs Pearson on postponement

by Brendan Cole

The International Rugby Board has backed referee Dave Pearson’s decision to postpone the RBS 6 Nations clash between Ireland and France in Paris on Saturday night.

The match was called off minutes before the scheduled 8pm (Irish time) kick-off, leading to massive frustration for players and the 80,000 fans who had turned up to watch the game. Up to 10,000 Irish supporters had travelled to France for the match.

The late postponement has also created a fixture problem for the two nations, and both could be forced to play four Test matches in a row.

An announcement on when the fixture will be played is due to be made by the Six Nations committe on Monday with next weekend (18/19 February) and the weekend of 2/3 March among the possibilities.

If the latter date is chosen, Ireland will have to play Italy, France, Scotland and England on successive weekends. France will also have to play three matches in a row before a potential Grand Slam decider against Wales, who beat Scotland in Cardiff today, on 17 March.

The IRB statement said: "The International Rugby Board supports referee Dave Pearson over the decision he made in deeming the Stade de France pitch to be unplayable for the RBS 6 Nations match between France and Ireland on Saturday evening.

"Player welfare and safety is the primary concern for the IRB and its match officials and having witnessed and assessed the rapid deterioration of the playing surface between the final pitch inspection and the scheduled kick-off time, and following consultation with the match official team, both coaches and Championship organisers, Pearson deemed the pitch unplayable on player welfare grounds."

The IRB statement added: "The RBS 6 Nations is not under the jurisdiction of the IRB and all questions relating to rescheduling of the fixture should be directed to the Six Nations Committee."

The Board said it would be making no further comment on the matter.

It has been reported in French media that the French Rugby Federation offered to play the match at 3pm on Saturday afternoon to avoid the scenario that played out on Saturday night.

But former Ireland manager Eddie O’Sullivan has said that the FFR were to blame for letting the situation play out as it did.

He said: "Obviously you can’t blame the referee. If Dave Pearson had put the players on that surface and a player had got badly hurt, he would have to take the blame for that. He did what was right.

"To consider there were 80,000 people at the stadium and millions of people watching at home and at the final moment the game was postponed, it beggars belief.

"Ultimately it’s down to the French Federation for managing this situation. Then it was left to the referee to make the hard decision.

"There were no curve balls here. We’ve known for the last few days where we were, yet we reached this stage at the last minute. It’s hard to believe that the French Federation couldn’t predict this outcome given the bad weather here hasn’t changed in the last 72 hours."

Head coach Declan Kidney and the Ireland management team had checked the rules on postponements prior to the situation that played out Saturday night.

According to Kidney, the area of the pitch where France warmed up was of particular concern.

He said: "We had done our homework. Where we were things weren't too bad, but the officials were keeping a close eye on it and they were left in the invidious position that it was one man's decision.

"I didn't give an opinion because we had done our research beforehand and if it's the Six Nations policy that it all comes down to one man, why give a decision on something you can't change.

"Talking to him [Pearson] it was a really difficult decision to make, but he had the courage to take it. I know what I thought about [the ground in] that right-hand corner and I can't criticise him."