'The ERC's decision is a disgrace'

Friday January 20 2006
'Yet another disgraceful show of bias'

The ERC's decision to award Leeds Tykes maximum points following last weekend's abandoned Heineken Cup clash against Calvisano has left the vast majority of our readers slightly perplexed. Leeds refused to play despite the referee deciding that the pitch was in playable condition - circumstances that many believe should have counted against the Tykes. Here are some of your views...

'ITALY SHOULD PULL OUT OF THE SIX NATIONS'

The ERC decision is ridiculous. This precedent is very dangerous, as any team might just  decide not to play and go home with a victory.

The ref said they could play. A match was played the same day. The pitch was fine, and Calvisano did everything to make pitch available, they even contacted all the clubs in a 50 miles radius to find alternative pitch, but they were all solid frozen. What else could they have done?

In fact, they made the pitch playable. But it wasn't enough. I am disgusted.

Match suspended because of fog? Law says: Italian team loses.

English team refuses to play? Law says: Italian team loses.

Thank you, bosses - we feel very welcome in the Six Nations.
- Gaetano Palmiotto, AS Rugby, Monza

The ERC have got the decision spot on. Leeds Tykes arrived to play the game on Saturday, stayed behind to play the game on Sunday, ending up getting back late on Monday which has botched up there routine for this week and meant the players were stuck in Italy for a lot longer than planned. Its cost the club, time money and resources and it is quite right that they were awarded the full compliment of points and all the other clubs now moaning would have expected the same if the shoe was on the other foot.
- Jon Symonds, Darlington

Just another case of the worlds rugby elite pissing on their poorer relations.
- Gareth Davies, Wales

Absolute joke! The pitch was playable according to the referee. Calvisano played a second team match on the pitch to prove it was safe. Just adds to the argument that the rules are applied differently depending on which country you are from - whether it is off or on the pitch.
- Adam Jeremiah

It's a shame! All I can say it's a shame. And so if Calvisano refuses to play their next away game, they'll take all five points then? I don't think so....

Shame on you ERC, shame on you. I think all Italians teams must sit out from all next European matches and the national team from Six Nations.
- Paolo Baldini, Italy

1) How can the ERC bring a misconduct charge against Calvisano when the referee had declared the field fit for play?
2) How did the ERC assess the state of the field retrospectively and over-rule the referee?
3) What action will ERC now take against the referee, given that they consider he made the wrong decision?
4) What were Calvisano meant to do? The field was declared fit for play by the official present on the day (i.e. the ref) - now they are told that they are getting no points at all from this match.
4) How is it "fair" to other teams for Leeds to be awarded all 5 points?
5) How did the ERC decide they would have scored 4 tries against Calvisano, let alone win? Other second placed teams competing for the 7th and 8th qualifying places must be spitting mad!

If Leeds find themselves with a frozen pitch in future and cannot defrost it, they will no doubt argue that their visitors should walk away with all 5 points, even if Leeds' second team is able to play on the pitch the same day.
- Thomas Fothringham

I really can't believe this ruling from the ERC. The Italians have been done here. Am I not right in saying that it was Leeds who refused to play, not Calvisano? The ref said the pitch was fine and Calvisano were willing to play. Why are Calvisano being penalised for the weather? It's beyond belief and sends out all the wrong messages. It's a poor reflection on the ERC. They got it wrong big time.
- Dave Ryan, Ireland

This verdict is incredible. After the departure of the English team, the second team of Calvisano played a game of 'Serie B' Italian Championship on the same pitch without a problem - and all the player are amateurs.

The decision mean that Italian clubs are discriminate by the ERC because if a referee decide to play the match and a team refuses to play in that match, that team would lose the match - it would be the same in every competition.

The last thing to say is that I hope Leeds will go in second division, there they will find probably very green field and they will not have to leave England - but it will still be very hard from them to actually win a match.
- Giuseppe Franzosi, Parma, Italy

So the referee's call on the pitch being playable prior to kick-off is now open for review? The logical extension of this is that so then must every call a referee makes during a game. 

Let nobody ever again mutter about falling standards as some loudmouthed player remonstrates with the referee about a decision or lack of one.  In fact, if a referee gets a bit of a slap every now and again, what of it? While we're at it let's have a full judicial review of every game's scoreboard prior to a result being declared.

Ireland, home of the Meandering Tribunal is perfectly suited to host the necessary legal administrative and legal organs required to effect these reviews, and frankly if it keeps a few lawyers off the streets, then that's an added bonus.

When will people cop -  without refs we have no game.

ERC. Have pooch. Will screw.
- John Dundon, Ireland

Is it me or is this whole situation somewhat bizarre? I can understand the Tykes management not playing if they deemed the surface dangerous to play on. I can understand the Calvisano management wanting to play if the referee declares the pitch fit to play on. What I can't understand is how this can be married up with Leeds getting five points! The only conclusion that can be drawn is that the ERC did not believe/trust the referees decision on the pitch. And where does that leave the whole thing? Very confusing.
- John Coppins

The financial powers that throne over the World of Rugby have once again proven that they have little respect for the teams, be they at international or club level, from the emerging or poorer nations, and continue to insist with their short-sighted Old Boys' Club management of the game. The ERC's decision is yet another disgraceful show of bias in favour of the economically and politically powerful.
- John Wukovits

How dare the ERC award five points to Leeds after Leeds simply refused to play on a pitch that the ref deemed playable?

What does this say about our sport? It's an abomination. And where will it end? Now any team can simply decide to ignore the ref and collect maximum points.

In fact, what is the point of playing? Let's just sort out the season's winners now. Yeah, let's just dish out the trophies to the established sides and tell all the smaller sides to get lost.

If I was the Calvisano boss I'd take my team out of the competition - they don't deserve to be bullied like this.
- Peter Huxford, Bristol