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Owens' appointment has Irish fans - and one former player - nervous about facing the All Blacks

Referee Nigel Owens talks to Ireland's Brian O'Driscoll and New Zealand's Richie McCaw during a June 2012 game in Christchurch (Photo by Martin Hunter/Getty Images)

The referees for next weekend’s World Cup quarter-finals have been announced and Irish fans are slightly nervous about the appointment of Nigel Owens for their contest with the All Blacks in Tokyo. 

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Games refereed by Owens tend to be more free-flowing, with fewer penalties and the ball in play longer than any other referee. The All Blacks are synonymous with free-flowing rugby, and the appointment of Owens plays into their hands, according to Irish fans on social media who include Luke Fitzgerald, the former Ireland and British and Irish Lions international. 

Although this selection has not filled Irish fans with optimism, it is not a criticism of Owens per se – or at least it should not be. The Welshman has been revered as one of the premier referees in the world over the past decade and he refereed the RWC final in 2015 between New Zealand and Australia. This is simply a case of his refereeing style not suiting Joe Schmidt’s side. 

In contrast, All Blacks fans will be elated that they have a referee that will facilitate their brand of rugby. It is just the luck of the draw and, in this circumstance, Ireland feel they are not winners.  

While this may be a stylistic clash between Ireland and Owens, some fans also feel that Owens’ approach does allow the All Blacks to get away with a lot more on the field, largely at the breakdown and pushing the offside law to the limit. 

(Continue reading below…)

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This is a long-held theory amongst the rugby world that New Zealand are treated more favourably than other teams and Owens will potentially only help them.

 The Welsh official has never been a hugely popular figure in Ireland since the All Blacks denied them in the final play of the game at the Aviva Stadium in November 2013 due to what some fans feel were some dubious calls. Similar criticisms were aired in June 2012 when Owens was in charge of a match in Christchurch which the All Blacks only clinched with a late Dan Carter drop goal.   

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Then again, every country will inevitably have a vendetta against one official. This is what has been said: 

https://twitter.com/gerry4813/status/1183999934229561344?s=20

Elsewhere, England versus Australia is being refereed by Jerome Garces, Jaco Peyper takes charges of Wales versus France, and the hosts Japan are officiated by Wayne Barnes against South Africa. 

Despite beating the All Blacks the last time they played in November, Ireland will go into this game as underdogs and the fans feel this is appointment only makes the job harder. 

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N
NB 35 minutes ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Nice bit if revisioniusm but that's all it is JW.


For your further education, I found the following breakdown of one prominent club's finances in the Top 14 [Clermont].


For Clermont (budget of €29.5 million for 2021-2022) :

- 20% from ticket sales

- 17% from the LNR (includes TV Rights, compensation from producing french internationals and other minor stuff)

- 5% from public collectivities (so you're looking at funds from the city of Clermont, the department of Puy-De-Dôme and the region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes)

- 4% from merchandising and events

- 3% from miscellaneous

- 51 % from sponsorships and partnerships. They've got 550 different partners. The main ones are CGI, Groupama, Limagrain/Jacquet, Omerin, Paprec, Renault and of course Michelin (not surprising since they're actually the founders of the club).


As you can see nothing comes from the FFR at all. The LNR is a separate entitiy to FFR and their aims frequently do not accord.


It is also why the European breakaway plotted by LNR and PR back in 2013 had nothing to do with the governing bodies of either England or France - and it most certainly did not have their blessing https://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/story/_/id/15331030/jean-pierre-lux-anglo-french-cup-detrimental-european-rugby


And from the horse's mouth [ex AB skipper Sean Fitapatrick] about the comp between Top 14 and Super Rugby:


"The Top 14 in France is probably the best rugby competition in the world at the moment, purely for the week-in, week-out.”


“I think the quality of players. They are bigger, they are faster, they are stronger. Which then carries on into the international game.”

Take it from someone who knows JW😅

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