Replacement ref replaced
Bleeding wound
Christophe Berdos, the French referee, had a memorable weekend. The unwitting cause of chagrin, he left the field bleeding and was replaced.
It started when Nigel Whitehouse of Wales withdrew from his match, Leinster vs Gloucester at Lansdowne Road, because of injury.
At that stage, Parisian Berdos had been appointed to referee another Heineken Cup match – London Irish vs Llanelli Scarlets.
Romain Poite, also of France, had been appointed to referee the European Challenge Cup match between Connacht and Harlequins.
Eric Darrière, an experienced and much travelled French referee, was having some time off.
Whitehouse pulled out of his Heineken Cup match and Berdos was switched from London Irish to Lansdowne Road. In his place Poite was bumped from Connacht to London Irish and Darrière was hooked out of his easy chair to go to Connacht. Poite is one of 18 referees on a panel to referee France's Top 14 matches.
The removal of Berdos from London Irish incurred the wrath of Brian Smith, the coach of London Irish who claimed that their match had been downgraded in the eyes of the European Rugby Cup by giving them a referee of a lesser standard.
Such changes are nominated by the IRB's appointments committee – Colin High of England, Robert Yemen of Wales and Michel Lamoulie of France and then approved by the European Rugby Cup's match officials committee which is made up of the referee managers in the six participating countries – Peter Boyle (Chairman), Joel Dumé of France, Claudio Giacomel of Italy, Owen Doyle of Ireland, Colin High of England, Iain Goodall of Scotland, Robert Yeman of Wales. and Derek McGrath, the ERC's Chief Executive.
Berdos refereed at Lansdowne Road but he did not finish the match. With just two minutes to go he clashed with Wallaby Owen Finegan. The clash opened a gash in Berdos's head and he had to leave the field. Touch judge Eric Gauzins finished the match.
There are no reports on Finegan's condition!
Whitehouse had a knee cleaned out earlier this year and was to have refereed on 14 October but had to withdraw because of work commitments. He is a rare bird – a top referee who has a full-time job. He is policeman. Being unable to referee that match he would have been thrown straight into the Heineken Cup. But he was back on the field last weekend and will be available for Heineken Cup duty.
