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The Match Commissioner assigned to the controversial match in Brussels between Belgium and Spain has written a critical report of the match officials involved, writes Fermín de la Calle of Spanish publication Revista 22. The latest in the ongoing chaos that has engulfed Rugby Europe is in relation to the officiating of Romania’s Vlad Iordachescu.
It follows comments from outgoing Romanian Head Coach Lynn Howells who stated that Romanians should not have refereed the Belgium vs Spain match.
Under immense pressure to come to a decision, and for it to be the correct one, Rugby Europe postponed their scheduled meeting earlier today. There was to be a conference call but the saga is now set to go on until next week.
The possibility of a statement being made today from Rugby Europe exists though no resolution in response to Spain’s filed complaint is yet on offer from the organization.
de la Calle notes that not only has Rugby Europe been overwhelmed but that it is under heavy pressure to green-light a rematch of the March 18 contest. He insists that Spain’s position regarding the appointment of the Romanian officials is gaining support, even within Rugby Europe itself.
Match Commissioner Michel Arpaillange, a Frenchman, reportedly noted that Spain were absent from the post-match function in Brussels, a claim which de la Calle says is false. According to the article Arpaillange goes on to note that the events at the end of the match greatly aggravate what happened.
More important is Arpaillange’s impression of the performance of Iordachescu. Arpaillange is said to have noted “two or three” actions of the official which had a notable impact on the final result of the match, and a “continual bias” from Iordachescu.
de la Calle also comments on the situation regarding Romania who fielded Sione Faka’osilea throughout their qualifying matches. He claims that World Rugby are to take action on this very situation. Born in Tonga, Faka’osilea represented his home country at the 2013 Gold Coast Sevens. This fact makes him ineligible for Romania.
Of note is that the article does not address the selection of Mathieu Bélie or Bastien Fuster to Spain’s test side. Both players have come under question having previously represented France u20 in matches that should be considered binding according to World Rugby Regulation 8.
