South African official Jaco Peyper has not had the best press in the past few days. He has refereed two Ireland matches in 2016, against France in Paris in the Six Nations and against New Zealand on Saturday.
After both games, the Irish dressing room resembled a First World War field hospital.
Several of his rulings were controversial and provoked groaning boos from the home crowd. On the matter of New Zealand playing 'on the edge' - a euphemism which we believe has migrated over from hurling - Peyper took a soft line.
He only flashed two yellow cards and opted, after consultation with his equally derided TMO, not to bin Sam Cane for the Henshaw charge.
Not only that but he refused to consult with his TMO on the matter of New Zealand's final try, waving away the frantic lobbying of Rory Best that he at least go upstairs and have a look.
He also chose not to award Ireland a first half penalty try when Liam Squire effectively dived into the Irish scrum when it was grinding towards the line.
On this point, supporters of the competing nations of the Rugby Championship claim to have been on the wrong end of this stuff for years.
@Murray_Kinsella mate, welcome to the twilight zone. you've now seen the AB rulebook, usually visible only to SA, AUS and ARG.
— tex (@base_element) November 20, 2016
Play the bastards twice/thrice a year and you get used to it.
— tex (@base_element) November 20, 2016
This goes back to that familiar refrain about the big teams getting all the decisions, a cry which is common to nearly all team sports.
In Italy, in the 1970s and 80s, there was even a grandiose sounding term for this.
Juventus, for years, were said to benefit from "psychological slavery", aka, the sense that refs deferred to them and held within them an unconscious bias which told them that the Turin giants should be winning matches. This was said to influence their decision making. (This was pre-1990s by the way - before Juve actually began to control the refs). Supporters of said strong teams typically dismiss this as the raging of the sore loser.
But the most damning verdict on Jaco Peyper has come from Alan Quinlan in the Irish Independent. It leads with the dramtic header: Peyper failed in his duty of care to the players and an example must be made of it.
Speaking to Balls.ie this year, the legendary Willie John McBride described the French tactics as "disgraceful". Quinlan also referenced the France game.
This isn't the first time we've spoken Peyper like this. Earlier this year, he refereed the Ireland game in Paris and we all know what went on there. The incidents involving Yoann Maestri and Guilhem Guirado on Johnny Sexton and Dave Kearney again went unpunished by Peyper.
Players have to front up and take the flak when they make mistakes. It's important to remember that referees at the top level are getting paid. They must take some of the responsibility.
Peyper has refereed three matches involving Ireland. The first was a November match against Argentina in 2012. Ireland won 46-24. No memorably dangerous incidents to be speak of.
