Romania rugby chief issues Woodward with verbal smackdown over ref controversy

The head of the Romanian Rugby Alin Petrache has lashed out at Sir Clive Woodward, after England’s 2003 World Cup winning head coach led calls for Spain’s match with Belgium to be replayed, following a disputed 18-10 defeat.

He’s also revealed that he rang Rugby Europe prior to the game suggesting they change the officials.

Spain have vigorously appealed to World Rugby over the result, citing that Romanian officials should never have been put in charge of the fixture, with the result directly affecting Romania’s participation in the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

“This is just not right and World Rugby are totally right to step in” Woodward said in the aftermath.

https://twitter.com/CliveWoodward/status/975791199180279808

Now Petrache has weighed in by saying “Who is Clive Woodward? Clive Woodward is a retiree who does nothing.”

Spain’s rugby governing body, the FER, have submitted video evidence to World Rugby over perceived incorrect calls made by referee Vlad Iordachescu.

The players were so incensed by his performance that at the final whistle they confronted Iordachescu, who had to be escorted off the pitch.

In a statement earlier this week the FER said “As evidence that the suspicion of alleged bias has been fulfilled, the FER has contributed a video in which 19 referee actions are collected during the course of the meeting in which it is clearly proven that the interests of the Spanish game during the encounter were harmed.”

“The FER trusts that World Rugby allows the repetition of the game since the image of rugby is being damaged by what happened in this match.”

Petrache was speaking to Romanian-based publication Gazeta Sporturilor, he feels that a complaints could have been made by Romania following their 22-10 defeat to Spain in Madrid on February 18th.

“We were widowed in Madrid. The Referees were French, and of Spain’s 23 (man squad), 13 were French, mostly (from) Bayonne and Pau. We did not say anything, I accepted man’s defeat. After the game, we all got together in a room and we talked about what happened. ”

The FER said it had asked Rugby Europe to change the officials 20 days before the match, a request which was denied. Now Petrache claims he did so too.

“I asked for this on the phone, but Rugby Europe decided to keep it.”

As it stands Romania will face Ireland, Scotland, hosts Japan and the Play-Off winner in Pool A of the World Cup.

They will also play Japan in the opening match at the Toyota Stadium on 20 September, 2019.

Spain’s hopes of qualification are still not extinguished, they are the second-placed team in European qualification and must now play Portugal for the right to play Samoa in home and away fixtures.

The winner on aggregate will join Romania in Pool A as the Play-Off winner, while the loser will participate in the four-team Repechage in November against Canada.