By WYNNE GRAY
In a refereeing career that stretches back almost 20 years, Patric Denis O'Brien has taken repeated looks at only three of his days at the office.
His standard routine is to watch his refereeing on tape once, to assess his performance and then move on to his next assignment, such as tomorrow's NPC final in Hamilton.
But three matches O'Brien controlled get special viewing.
They are the pool game at the 1999 World Cup between Fiji and France, which O'Brien labels his worst, and two of his favourites, the third test last season between the Lions and Wallabies and the Tri-Nations conclusion this year between the Wallabies and Springboks at Johannesburg.
The last two need little explanation. They were matches of enormous significance, tension and scrutiny and O'Brien melted into the background as they flowed to their conclusion.
O'Brien keeps a copy of the World Cup match to keep him sharp and remind him how even the best referees can have a shocker.
"It was my worst test, it disappointed me but it was also the making of me," he said. "Instead of it knocking my confidence, it made me accept things can go wrong but we have to move on."
By his count, O'Brien made five incorrect decisions in that match.
He made his admissions then, in public, and it is that sort of confession mixed with his accurate and entertaining control of matches that has made the 42-year-old a much-admired referee.
At Waikato Stadium tomorrow he will whistle his first grand final since 1998 in what will be his 175th first-class match, to equal the New Zealand record held by Colin Hawke. When O'Brien referees the international next month between the Springboks and England he will equal the 26-test mark set by fellow Southlander Dave Bishop.
O'Brien has passed all the medicals on his calf strain, which restricted him to television match official duties for the first semifinal between Auckland and Canterbury. Those duties did not shield him from controversy when he ruled Justin Collins had scored a clinching try for Auckland.
"Whether there was obstruction or not upfield is not part of my jurisdiction and Paul [Honiss, the match referee] did not ask me about that anyway. He just asked me whether there was a knock-on or the ball was grounded."
Once O'Brien was appointed to tomorrow's final he began his preparations. He watched a replay of both semifinals to see if there was anything he needed to talk to the coaches about.
"It is unfair to go in with any preconceived ideas about how either side play, it was more a refresher look at the sides."
O'Brien rang Wayne Pivac and Ian Foster early in the week to tell them he would be vigilant about the offside line at rucks and mauls and players who slowed the ball in the tackle. He gave the coaches that warning early so they could deal with it all week.
He was not a great person for hosting coaches on the morning of a match. "There is only one lawbook. If we start doing that we could set ourselves up.
"I will visit the teams before the match to give some instructions and listen if Wayne or Ian have some minor points they want to explain.
"Having an NPC final is special for me, it signals that for this year I am at the top of the tree. Tests are great but there is something great about refereeing the biggest domestic game there is."
O'Brien began refereeing as a precaution against injury. He played senior club rugby but was also in the police athletics team and won a gold medal in the high jump at the World Police Games in Texas in 1982 with a leap of 2.06m.
His first rep refereeing appointment was in 1988, the same year he became a detective. O'Brien left the force after 17 years to become a sports administrator and then a professional referee. His first test was Wales against Fiji at Cardiff Arms Park in 1995 and his aim is to continue to the next World Cup and a couple of years beyond that.
During that time O'Brien intends breaking more new ground by writing a book that he says will offer a very different perspective.
Once his whistling is over he wants to stay working in rugby or sport.
But like the players, his aim is the next World Cup in Australia.
The 16 referees for the A panel will be picked next August. O'Brien does not take his selection for granted but he suspects he is in the top group in the world.
The NPC final deserves a referee of that calibre.
NPC schedule/scoreboard
A referee born to the big time
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