Vodacom Super 14
Stormers no issue with Walsh
2010-03-11 11:59
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Gavin RichJohannesburg - The perception that Steve Walsh has it in for South African teams is just that, a perception.
That is the attitude of the Vodacom Stormers to the appointment of the former New Zealand referee, now officiating out of Australia, for Saturday's Super 14 match against the Hurricanes at Newlands.
Walsh was at the centre of a controversy last week when he awarded a questionable penalty try against the Lions in their match against the Brumbies in Canberra, and was also criticised for yellow carding Lions front-row forward Kevin Buys. Television cameras also picked him up winking at a Brumbies forward, something some media have made quite an issue over.
However, Stormers coach Allister Coetzee said he was not perturbed at having Walsh, who a few years ago was ranked among the top three referees in world rugby, in charge of the match. He pointed out that the refs were under so much scrutiny from their SANZAR and IRB bosses that they were under pressure to deliver their best.
"The thing with the Lions and Steve Walsh doesn't concern me. It is a totally new game and for him the referees are under the spotlight too," said Coetzee.
"The assessors are looking at them, and it is a job for them to do. The most important thing for me about the guy officiating is that the players adapt to the referee. We do follow trends, but the players are doing well in adapting. It doesn't matter who the ref is." Stormers captain Schalk Burger agreed with the coach.
"We don't worry too much about the referee, we just want to do our own thing," said the Springbok loose-forward.