Woodward puts heat on touchies

An unprompted crack at New Zealand officials by Sir Clive Woodward has put the heat on three of the country's best tonight when the Lions play New Zealand Maori in Hamilton.

Woodward yesterday voiced concerns at the involvement from the touch judges on the tour so far.

He insisted he had no complaints about the standard of refereeing. The first two games against Bay of Plenty and Taranaki were refereed by Paul Honiss and Kelvin Deaker.

The topic was first raised after the win over Taranaki, when mid-week coach Ian McGeechan ducked a question over the work that night by touch judges Steve Walsh and Honiss.

However, Woodward brought the topic up unsolicited yesterday, maintaining that having three leading referees - Honiss, Walsh and Deaker are all international panel officials - running a game is not necessarily the right mix of officials.

"My experience says that sometimes the best referees do not make the best touch judges," Woodward said. "Touch judging is an art and I can hear [during the games] what's going on and there's a lot of talk.

"To me the touch judges are there to put the flag up when the ball goes out of play ... they're there to watch for foul play behind the ball."

Woodward reckoned it must make the referees' job difficult "if you're in the middle of the field trying to referee with two voices coming in, calling forward passes and everything else, when you were in a perfectly good position to see yourself".

The Lions boss has had pre-game meetings with the referees and was meeting Walsh last night. But the flick at the touch judges is a variation on an old theme.

Walsh and Woodward are old acquaintances. Walsh was fourth official in a World Cup match two years ago between England and Samoa, and had a heated exchange with English fitness trainer Dave Reddin over a substitution, earning both a short holiday courtesy of the IRB.

Woodward yesterday got support from his captain, Brian O'Driscoll, who said it was easier dealing with one official, with whom he could develop a rapport during the game.

"It's difficult at times when there's so many interruptions from the touch judges," O'Driscoll added.

So while there will be eyes on the officials, as for the rugby, Woodward is relishing what he called a "mouthwatering" prospect against the Maori.

"We know how the Maori are going to play. They're very talented, very quick.

"I'm delighted Carlos Spencer is there. The more you can put your team up against world-class players the better. Everyone's telling me this is the strongest Maori team in a long time. From my point of view that's fantastic."

There is a late change to the Lions, Scotsman Simon Taylor yesterday getting a recurrence of his hamstring problem which has sidelined him so far. Michael Owen comes in at No 8 and newcomer Simon Easterby goes to the bench. Welshman Ryan Jones will join the squad from Canada.

It will be Owen's second game in four days before he flies home to Wales to be with his pregnant wife for a few days next week.

If the Lions - who field a monstrous tight five tonight - win well, it will be a significant fillip for their confidence. Beating Bay of Plenty and Taranaki is all very well, but the Maori, loaded with a dozen All Blacks in their 22, and inspired to send coach Matt Te Pou off in style, are a different story.

There are a string of little match-offs worth watching, such as

Carl Hayman against Andrew Sheridan in the front row - it could be a forerunner to the first test - and Marty Holah and Martyn Williams quarrelling over the loose ball and looking to dominate the tackle area.

The key for the Maori will be their ability to hold a hefty Lions pack, which looks close to a possible first-test eight.

Jono Gibbes is among the best lineout takers in the country, and can be a talismanic figure. The Maori backs certainly have enough pace and trickery to trouble the Lions.

The match holds plenty of promise for the 31,000 crowd.

"For us it's about being up for it straight away," Gibbes said. Sentiments Woodward would doubtless echo.

Maori record

1930: lost 19-13
1950: lost 14-9
1959: lost 12-6
1966: lost 16-14
1971: lost 23-12
1993: lost 24-20