From Gavin Mortimer, writer from Rugby World Magazine

Imagine, it’s Leicester Tigers against Clermont Auvergne at Welford Road in the fourth round of Heineken Cup matches. Leicester kick off, oops, overcooked and straight into touch. Back for a scrum on the half-way line. The two packs square up to one another, the props snorting like bulls in a field and the hookers eye-balling each other fit to bust. Then the Italian ref steps between the warring factions to make sure it’s clear who is in charge. “Alors, Messieurs, ecoutez-moi. Aujourd’hui, c’est moi qui est le chef, d’accord? Et je n’accepte pas la bêtise [Right gentlemen, listen to me. Today, I’m in charge, got that? And I won’t tolerate any tomfoolery.]

Julian White’s face would be a picture, wouldn’t it? And George Chuter might have something to say to the ref, too, something along the lines of ‘You what, guv? Speak the Queen’s or get off the park’. But of course, it would never happen. Danny Cipriani has got more chance of receiving a Get Well card from Josh Lewsey.  

Yet that’s more or less what happened on Sunday when Sale took on Toulouse in the south of France. Irish whistle-blower George Clancy couldn’t speak a word of French, not a word. At times, as he admonished Toulouse players during the game, he resembled an Irish tourist trying to order steak and chips in a Paris bistro – talk loudly and slowly in English and wave your hands in the air.

That’s not a criticism of Clancy, a good ref as it happens, it’s more a criticism of the ERC and the IRB, who should be sending their Anglophone referees on language courses. It’s nothing short of rank discourtesy to send a non-French speaking referee to officiate a match in France. There’s absolutely no excuse for it, particularly not that lame one about most French sides having a few English-speakers in their ranks these days. So what! Leicester have a couple of Argentines in their squad – does that mean they’d be happy with a referee who spoke only Spanish?

It’s not the first occasion it’s happened but it’s high time the French clubs told the ERC to show them some respect and start appointing referees for matches in France who can speak the lingo. We’re not talking fluent here, just a bit of basic rugby French will do. It would make life easier for everyone, the players, the fans and the referee. I mean, for Heaven’s Sake, if James Haskell can learn some French, it can’t be that hard…

 Imagine, it’s Leicester Tigers against Clermont Auvergne at Welford Road in the fourth round of Heineken Cup matches. Leicester kick off, oops, overcooked and straight into touch. Back for a scrum on the half-way line. The two packs square up to one another, the props snorting like bulls in a field and the hookers eye-balling each other fit to bust. Then the Italian ref steps between the warring factions to make sure it’s clear who is in charge. “Alors, Messieurs, ecoutez-moi. Aujourd’hui, c’est moi qui est le chef, d’accord? Et je n’accepte pas la bêtise [Right gentlemen, listen to me. Today, I’m in charge, got that? And I won’t tolerate any tomfoolery.]

Julian White’s face would be a picture, wouldn’t it? And George Chuter might have something to say to the ref, too, something along the lines of ‘You what, guv? Speak the Queen’s or get off the park’. But of course, it would never happen. Danny Cipriani has got more chance of receiving a Get Well card from Josh Lewsey.  

Yet that’s more or less what happened on Sunday when Sale took on Toulouse in the south of France. Irish whistle-blower George Clancy couldn’t speak a word of French, not a word. At times, as he admonished Toulouse players during the game, he resembled an Irish tourist trying to order steak and chips in a Paris bistro – talk loudly and slowly in English and wave your hands in the air.

That’s not a criticism of Clancy, a good ref as it happens, it’s more a criticism of the ERC and the IRB, who should be sending their Anglophone referees on language courses. It’s nothing short of rank discourtesy to send a non-French speaking referee to officiate a match in France. There’s absolutely no excuse for it, particularly not that lame one about most French sides having a few English-speakers in their ranks these days. So what! Leicester have a couple of Argentines in their squad – does that mean they’d be happy with a referee who spoke only Spanish?

It’s not the first occasion it’s happened but it’s high time the French clubs told the ERC to show them some respect and start appointing referees for matches in France who can speak the lingo. We’re not talking fluent here, just a bit of basic rugby French will do. It would make life easier for everyone, the players, the fans and the referee. I mean, for Heaven’s Sake, if James Haskell can learn some French, it can’t be that hard…