David Leggat: Report card - can do better

Stop me if you've heard this one before: The Lions have two chefs on their New Zealand tour, one to cook the meals, the other to cook the facts. Boom, boom.

But Alastair Campbell, guv'nor of the Lions media management team and former top aide to Prime Minister Tony Blair, has ducked back to Britain for a few days.

There have been some familiar notes hit by the top table in the couple of weeks the Lions have been in New Zealand.

For one thing, no one singled out by the management, or whose name has been raised in a question from the floor, appears to have done anything other than played a terrific game.

In some cases, the lavish praise is justified. Such as for Charlie Hodgson, who turned in a stellar performance in shaping the win over Taranaki on Wednesday.

But there are times when the message is just too forced. There is a whiff of contrivance in the air. It doesn't take much imagination to picture the management getting in a huddle of their own after a game and making sure they're talking off the same page when they assess what they've just seen.

Now fair's fair. You're never going to see one coach turn to his sidekick and say "that's bollocks, he played rubbish". It would be great fun, for all that.

But there's been a large dose of "I'd like to fully endorse what Clive/Ian/Eddie/Gareth just said". Enough, please.

Yesterday, Sir Clive Woodward had a dip at New Zealand's chattering touch judges on tour, saying they have been poking their sticks in more than they should.

It is a fair point. They get involved in the Northern Hemisphere too, although the general view is not as much as down this way.

There is a problem here. Woodward yesterday implied that if a referee missed a forward pass, that's life, it is his call. Rather like a cricket umpire erring on a tight run out call without referring to the eye in the stand. It's his choice.

But what if in doing that a test or, perish the thought, a series is lost? Would Woodward still be as generous in his thinking?

There is no question there's too much yabber going on. And that's just the players.

I've long had one beef with officials. If a player commits an offence at a ruck or maul, too often you'll hear the referee in the Super 12 or NPC warn him to get back, get out, get up or get in, thus avoiding giving away a penalty.

What's that all about? Surely, if an offence is committed, especially one which could have a critical bearing on the next few seconds of play, it should bring a peep from the whistle.

Yes, there's a desire to keep the game moving, to cut back on the amount of involvement from referees.

Rugby is no different from any other sport in that. Think netball for starters. But it smacks of letting players off lightly, of steering them around the park like childminders watching the mischief-makers, especially the serial offenders.

And what of the Lions on the park? The report card after two games would read: Good in patches, ragged at times, lineout fine, scrum dodgy, some fine tries, defence up to scratch. Useful start, can (make that must) do better.