Rugby: Bok coach ignores referee talks offer

Springbok coach Peter de Villiers. Photo / Getty Images

Springbok coach Peter de Villiers has so far snubbed the offer of a meeting with IRB referee supremo Paddy O'Brien and All Blacks coach Graham Henry.

O'Brien offered to meet both coaches in Hamilton today ahead of tomorrow's crucial Tri-Nations encounter to discuss any contentious issues or go through interpretations.

De Villiers criticised the refereeing of the scrums by both New Zealand referee Bryce Lawrence and English official Wayne Barnes after the Springboks Tri-Nations tests in Perth and Brisbane. On each occasion, the Springboks struggled in the set scrums.

Yet, the IRB have noted, de Villiers said nothing when the same official, Lawrence, handled the Springboks first test against the Lions in June and it was the tourists who were heavily penalised in the scrums.

Then, the Lions were picked up for illegal scrummaging but de Villiers did not breathe a word of criticism of Lawrence's interpretation.

O'Brien said "Peter de Villiers is like every coach; he is able to write a report after every game and I respond accordingly. But I don't want to play that process through the media.

"All I will say is that I have not heard from him after the Brisbane game. However, I have offered to meet with Peter and Graham before Saturday's test and talk through any interpretations."

Henry had accepted the invitation but there had been no word from de Villiers.

However, O'Brien made it clear that he fully supported the refereeing performances of both Lawrence in Perth and Barnes in Brisbane.

Indeed, he went further, saying "I was very happy with Bryce's refereeing of the scrums in Perth and equally satisfied with Wayne's handling of that aspect of the game in Brisbane. Every game, there are some areas to discuss with the referee. But overall, the last two test matches in my view have both been refereed very well by each of them."

Welsh official Nigel Owens will take charge of tomorrow's clash in Hamilton.