Blackett blasts Adams Park officials
September 23 2008
Guinness Premiership referee Martin Fox has been blasted for decision-making "almost beyond comprehension" - by the Rugby Football Union's disciplinary chief.
His Honour Judge Jeff Blackett has blown the whistle on Leicestershire official Fox, who took charge of the domestic clash between Wasps and Worcester earlier this month.
An incident during the Adams Park encounter led to Wasps and England back-row James Haskell being cited.
Haskell received a one-week ban - he misses Wasps' Welford Road meeting with Leicester on Friday - for striking an opponent with his head.
But a three-man RFU disciplinary panel, chaired by Blackett, also criticised Fox and match citing officer Matt Bayliss in a no-holds-barred fashion.
Haskell can resume playing on September 30, a day before Wasps meet Bath in the Premiership with Wasps opting not to appeal the suspension.
Haskell's team-mate, lock Richard Birkett, avoided a ban after being cited for stamping in the same game nine days ago, although he was reprimanded and warned on Tuesday.
"Wasps defending one metre from their goal-line. A ruck formed. Wasps number three [Phil Vickery] attempted to go through the middle," Bayliss' post-game report said.
"He was then pushed back by Worcester number six (Tom Wood). Worcester number four (Greg Rawlinson) then joined the ruck. Wasps number three again attempted to go through the middle, grabbing at the skull cap of Worcester number four.
"A fracas developed between Vickery, Rawlinson and Wood. Seeing this, Wasps number eight [James Haskell] took it upon himself to dive in with his head and connected to the head of Worcester number four. He then also followed through with a punch to Rawlinson's head."
However, the panel claimed video footage of the incident "showed much more detail" than Bayliss reported, as Blackett's signed report revealed.
"This case has not been handled well by match officials or the citing officer," he said.
"The referee was very close to the incident and must have had a clear view of what occurred, yet he took no or insufficient disciplinary action.
"This is very disappointing, given the recent [International Rugby Board] directive on 'clearing out'.
"The first act by Wood, in which he jumped into Vickery with a swinging arm, is exactly the sort of action envisaged in, and prohibited by, the directive.
"The IRB have asked for referees to apply zero tolerance to this sort of dangerous play, and that means taking early and decisive action.
"Having not penalised Wood, the referee then observed Vickery grabbing Rawlinson by the scrum cap and dragging him into the ruck [the action which was subsequently penalised].
"He then stood by as Rawlinson punched Vickery five times in and around the head, despite Haskell's request for intervention, and then he observed Haskell clearing out Rawlinson by lunging towards him head-first - another example of the behaviour envisaged in the IRB directive.
"Had the referee taken action against Wood initially, then none of the rest of the foul play would have followed.
"It is almost beyond comprehension that he then decided to penalise Vickery for the least of all of the acts of foul play.
"Unfortunately, the citing officer also took insufficient action.
"His written observation of what occurred failed to describe adequately or properly the full extent of the various offences committed.
"Although Haskell's citing was correct, the citing officer should also have cited Rawlinson for the punching and Wood for illegal clearing out.
"By failing to do so, the panel were placed in the invidious position of taking disciplinary action against one person, when other similar acts of foul play in the same incident will remain unpunished because the time limit for citing has passed and there are no exceptional circumstances which would allow those limits to be waived or extended."