NPR

What was also noticeable up close was how slim the French backs were compared to their English counterparts bar Ford.

laurent wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 4:23 pm

Kawazaki wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 4:18 pm Totally deserved win for the French. They got rinsed by the referee.

Cheers I despise her she has been shafting the french ladies for long enough.

I share that view. Yesterday is just one in a tiresome line of decisions that defy co-incidence when it comes to taking charge of the French. She is probably already booked as an insurance for the potential semi in the WRWC: RRs v Les Bleues.

IMO, she deserves her opportunities in the men's game but, please, never in a crucial France Men's RWC game.

Barely one month ago we had her downgrade the direct-contact flying headbutt to a yellow in Bath v Lyon.



And now yesterday.

I'm too much of a gentleman to troll a woman referee doing her job so please fill in the blanks for me....

Two weeks seems a little on the lenient side

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union ... 2dz3rpn62o

Stranger wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 3:54 pm Two weeks seems a little on the lenient side

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union ... 2dz3rpn62o

It does
He’s going to miss 2 of Englands 3 matches
I wouldn’t take him

shereblue wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 11:33 am

laurent wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 4:23 pm

Kawazaki wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 4:18 pm Totally deserved win for the French. They got rinsed by the referee.

Cheers I despise her she has been shafting the french ladies for long enough.

I share that view. Yesterday is just one in a tiresome line of decisions that defy co-incidence when it comes to taking charge of the French. She is probably already booked as an insurance for the potential semi in the WRWC: RRs v Les Bleues.

IMO, she deserves her opportunities in the men's game but, please, never in a crucial France Men's RWC game.

Barely one month ago we had her downgrade the direct-contact flying headbutt to a yellow in Bath v Lyon.



And now yesterday.

I'm too much of a gentleman to troll a woman referee doing her job so please fill in the blanks for me....

"flying headbutt" definitely wins the hyperbole award. Almost all refs will find every possible minor reason to avoid giving a red, it's not exactly something that is specific to one official. Top 14 has the lowest ratio of matches with a red card v matches with a yellow card out of T14, URC, Prem, Challenge Cup and Champions Cup so it's something French refs must specialise in.

If you're going to accuse a ref of corruption and deliberate bias against one specific nationality at least have the balls to come out and say it instead of weaseling around it with phrases like 'defies coincidence'.

I just watched the highlights, genuinely can’t see what the issue is with either yellow.

The English one is obvious and the French one he went in with the shoulder to a prone players head. I don’t think either are red but both definitely yellows

Stranger wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 3:54 pm Two weeks seems a little on the lenient side

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union ... 2dz3rpn62o

Exactly what I predicted he'd get on the previous page. Precedent is pretty well established. No matter how bad the incident they seem to go in at the 6 week tariff, that gets halved for good record, saying sorry, not eating all the biscuits at the hearing etc. and then the professional player gets to go to 'tackle school' to shave off another week.

topofthemoon wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 4:30 pm

shereblue wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 11:33 am

laurent wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 4:23 pm

Cheers I despise her she has been shafting the french ladies for long enough.

I share that view. Yesterday is just one in a tiresome line of decisions that defy co-incidence when it comes to taking charge of the French. She is probably already booked as an insurance for the potential semi in the WRWC: RRs v Les Bleues.

IMO, she deserves her opportunities in the men's game but, please, never in a crucial France Men's RWC game.

Barely one month ago we had her downgrade the direct-contact flying headbutt to a yellow in Bath v Lyon.



And now yesterday.

I'm too much of a gentleman to troll a woman referee doing her job so please fill in the blanks for me....

"flying headbutt" definitely wins the hyperbole award. Almost all refs will find every possible minor reason to avoid giving a red, it's not exactly something that is specific to one official. Top 14 has the lowest ratio of matches with a red card v matches with a yellow card out of T14, URC, Prem, Challenge Cup and Champions Cup so it's something French refs must specialise in.

If you're going to accuse a ref of corruption and deliberate bias against one specific nationality at least have the balls to come out and say it instead of weaseling around it with phrases like 'defies coincidence'.

For me, your response indicates the other aspect to the Laws themselves which is their Interpretation.

Firstly, you've chosen to introduce completely irrelevant refereeing stats from the Top 14 and then to draw your own conclusions on what these mean. Think about it, the absence of reds could indicate how compliant are Top 14 clubs in avoiding red card offences. Your interpretation, rather than the stats themselves, supports your viewpoint.

Secondly, at no point have I suggested Davison is "corrupt" and "deliberately biased". She is super confident in women's rugby and calls play as she sees it. But I certainly question her level of sensitivity towards communication and game management when refereeing a non anglophone team. Does she engage in superfluous chatter with the anglophone side, does she take care to ensure non-anglophone players understand her requests, does she feel more reticent to penalise (and card) players she knows quite well and so on? I obviously appreciate it is up to non-anglophone players to improve their rugby English and to manage referees and that their can be an inherent disadvantage not connected to the referee. And in terms of captaincy, some captains (anglophone or otherwise) are more persuasive and skilful than others at managing a referee.

I just feel Davison is one of the less sensitive referees when it comes to managing French sides. She can rightly feel that is not a requirement of the Laws. But excuse me, however straight or competent, I just don't like seeing her in charge when French teams are playing.

Woki's red was rescinded (as expected)