Success of Ruiz puts refs in hot demand
JAMES HARRINGTON
FRENCH COLUMN
You'd be forgiven for thinking – especially after World Rugby's sanction against Rassie Erasmus following his video rant after the First Lions Test and the more general outpouring of social media bile against individual referees when they make a decision one team's fans don't like – that relations between officials and teams was in freefall.
Erasmus apart, however, it's all shouting at the TV via another medium. Referees and teams, on the whole, work well together. The former are keen enough to help out at the latter's training sessions, the latter are ready enough to ask for help.
Recently, in France, the relationship has evolved. Les Bleus took full advantage of Jerome Garces' on pitch retirement when he took up the post of Top 14's referees' manager to pick his brains at every opportunity. And, after seeking Garces' help first during this year's Six Nations, and then again ahead of the July tour to Australia, France head coach Fabien Galthie finally persuaded the referee who ran the 2019 World Cup final to join his staff permanently in September.
Garces' role, unsurprisingly, is to work on player discipline, to help them understand what referees are watching for. To cut the penalty count that has cost Les Bleus dearly. He also analyses referees selected for France games – in the same way team analysts study opponents – and passes on details to players and staff on how to manage individual match officials.
“Upstream, with the coaches, we define the game strategy, but always with a view to the laws,” Garces said. “We build pre-session meetings in this sense, in a project focused on games and rules. We also always work on video before training, with points on the laws. And on the pitch, we make sure that all that is applied.”
Garces' role with France is relatively new, but a prototype in the Top 14 suggests it could have noticeable benefits sooner rather than later.
Alexandre Ruiz gave up the whistle at the end of last season, aged 34, to become defence coach at Montpellier under manager Philippe Saint-Andre. More than a few eyebrows were raised when that announcement was made. Ruiz has all the coaching certificates, but his experience was limited to strictly amateur rugby.
Montpellier, the received wisdom went, were taking a big gamble.
Those who knew Ruiz, however, had few doubts – and, right now, there can be few doubters left.
Defensively, Montpellier – sitting third in the table heading into the second block of matches which kick off after the international break next week – are much-improved on last season.
In terms of points conceded, they are the fifth best in the Top 14. Across the season so far, they have a successful tackle rate of 89 per cent, at an average of 140 a game – the best in the league. But their discipline is hitting higher levels still. Last season, they averaged one yellow card a game across the season, picking up 26 yellows and a red. Only Agen, Pau and Bayonne had worse records.
After ten rounds of this season, Montpellier players have received just four yellows. Clermont, with three yellows, are the only more disciplined side in the Top 14.
Remarkably, in ten matches, opposition sides have successfully kicked penalties against Montpellier just 22 times. Only Toulouse, with 14 converted kickable penalties conceded, are more disciplined in their half. In their last match, the 37-21 on own the-road win at Stade Francais, Philippe Saint-Andre's side gave up only five penalties in the whole game – and two of those were open to debate.
“Garces passes on details to players and staff on how to manage individual match officials”
The club's forwards coach Olivier Azam has made no secret of his admiration for Ruiz's work on avoiding penalties, particularly at the breakdown. There were ‘points to improve' Azam said of Montpellier's discipline recently, but added: “Alexandre Ruiz is doing an enormous job in helping us to get better. We must make the players aware that we can progress [further] in this sector.”
Philippe Saint-Andre, a manager who didn't actually want the job in the first place, deserves the majority of credit for turning around Montpellier's fortunes since taking over from Xavier Garbajosa last January, with the club second from bottom.
He guided them to the Challenge Cup title against the odds, while dragging them away from the relegation zone to the safe waters of 10th. He did it on a return to simple rugby and team spirit. This season, the simple rugby and team spirit are as strong – Montpellier aren't setting the rugby world alight with their attacking play, but they are, mostly, getting the job done. And much of their defensive improvement – particularly their discipline – is down to a coach who was once a referee.
Other clubs, other referees, are taking note. Castres have employed former ProD2 referee Cedric Clave as a part-time consultant. He hasn't had quite the same effect as Ruiz at Montpellier – he wasn't intended to. But, after ten rounds, Castres have lost just five players to the sin-bin and one – Ryno Pieterse – to a red for a dangerously stupid tackle.
His job is made more difficult by the in-your-face style Castres call their own. As he admitted early on in the season. “The game played at Castres can lead to faults. When you play committed rugby, you sometimes make mistakes. The goal is to erase mistakes.
“Even if we concede two or three [fewer penalties] per game, it is as many times that possession is not given to the opposition – and that can change the outcome of a match.”
Romain Poite, too, having recently retired from international refereeing, has admitted that the prospect of teaming up with a Top 14 side may tempt him to hang up his whistle.
“This is one of the projects that I am studying,” he told L'Equipe. “We have to see if my profile can correspond to the demands of clubs. But I have thought about the subject, about what I could put in place if a proposal arrived.
“I can say it today: he who masters the rule masters the game. It would not be to destabilise my colleagues, I know where I come from, but it could help both parties to join in the best way. And you can see how the work of Alexandre Ruiz, who has his coaching qualifications, is paying off in Montpellier.”
He's not wrong. Expect more gamekeeper-turned-poacher moves in future…
