Former World Rugby referee Nigel Owens has said that players who feel strongly about an incident of foul play should raise their complaints with the referee on the pitch, rejecting suggestions that such matters should be left off the field.
Owens was commenting on the recent incident involving Ireland prop Tadhg Furlong, who was accused of grabbing the groin of Munster's Gavin Coombes during a URC match last Saturday. Furlong was later cleared of the accusation.
A Referee's Dilemma
Owens recalled a match he officiated between England and Ireland at Twickenham, during which Stephen Ferris approached him to allege he had been bitten by Dylan Hartley. At that time, referees could not consult the TMO as they can now. Owens noted that while there was a clear bite mark on Ferris's hand, he could not send anyone off based solely on an accusation without seeing the incident himself.
"Clearly, he had been bitten, but I had no idea who did it. So there was nothing I could do," Owens said. Hartley was subsequently cited and banned, confirming he was the culprit.
Owens acknowledged that referees face a difficult situation when players report bites or gouges, as it is relatively common but often without clear identification of the offender. In such cases, he said, referees often have to leave it to the citing process, which can review replays without time pressure.
No Unwritten Rule
Owens addressed suggestions that players should not raise accusations with referees, referencing the case of Joe Marler, who was banned for 10 weeks after grabbing Alun Wyn Jones's genitals at Twickenham years ago. Some believed there was an unwritten rule that such incidents should stay on the pitch.
"But that just doesn't wash," Owens said. He argued that even if Marler's act was done in jest rather than malice, it was still inappropriate and needed dealing with. "You just shouldn't do that on the pitch. Do it on the street and you're in big trouble, after all."
Owens compared this to a player reporting a bite or gouge, noting that nobody would hesitate to bring such an incident to the referee's attention. "If a player feels seriously that any type of behaviour was totally unacceptable, why shouldn't it be brought to the referee's attention?" he asked.
The Citing Process
Owens acknowledged the difficulty for referees in determining intent during a match, especially without clear footage showing a deliberate act. He noted that referees must decide whether contact was accidental or intentional, which is challenging in the heat of the moment.
The citing process, he explained, allows for a thorough review of all angles and evidence without the pressure of making an immediate decision. "It's a bit more difficult for a referee to deal with on the field, but I think if a player feels strongly enough and the complaint is genuine - like a gouge, a bite or this particular incident - then why would you not bring it to the attention of the referee?" Owens said, adding that he would have no issue with a player approaching him as Ferris did that day at Twickenham.
