Publications
Partners
London - Saracens have promised a vigorous defence of rugby director Brendan Venter when he faces a Rugby Football Union (RFU) disciplinary panel here on Tuesday.
The former Springbok centre was charged with "conduct prejudicial to the interests of the game" after criticising referee David Rose following Saracens' 22-15 English Premiership defeat by Leicester at Welford Road on January 2.
Venter is accused of questioning Rose's integrity by saying the official had been a different referee in the second half.
The South African's remarks received wide publicity, partly because he broadened his comments to slam the standard of officiating in the Premiership in general, which he blamed for a lack of tries this season.
Venter said: "There is a problem and that is the game is determined by referees and not by teams.
"Everybody says: 'Why don't you play a lot of rugby?'
"I go: 'Maybe it's just not worth it because it is a lottery'.
"Everybody wants to know why the game is dying. Maybe that is why the game is dying."
Saracens chief executive Edward Griffiths said at the time of the charge: "The club will mount a vigorous defence.
"Brendan offered an impassioned, rational and widely supported analysis of problems currently facing the game.
"He did not question the integrity of the referee at any stage and, in fact, on the contrary, stressed on several occasions he does not believe any of the officials are dishonest."
Some said Venter's remarks would have had more force if they had not been made on the back of a defeat.
There were also those who questioned whether Venter had been right to reveal that RFU referees' assessor Tony Spreadbury, in what the English governing body clearly thought was a private meeting, had told him that refereeing errors had taken place during Saracens' defeat by London Irish in December.
But he also won backing for drawing attention to the confusion surrounding what players can and cannot do at the breakdown area.
After the Leicester match, Venter said: "The penalty count in the first half was 9-3 to Sarries. The penalty count in the second half was 10-4 to Leicester.
"We asked the referee to keep everything the same in the second half. Something happened to this poor referee and there was basically a 12-penalty swing.
"There was one referee in the first half, he walked through a maze or something, and he came out another referee.
"This is a professional game and this is a problem. I don't think referees are dishonest, we just do not have the ability to stay objective."
Venter has been charged specifically due to comments he made during the course of a BBC radio interview, in which he said: "I think the referee was influenced at half-time, and that's all I can think.
"All I know is something happened at half-time, the game changed."
Venter faces a heavy fine and a touchline ban if the charges against him are upheld.
