The observation is clear: not a match without a card since September 18, an average of 14 penalties per match, and peaks of up to 23 whistles against Stade Toulousain … this affects the CAB to the point of losing stupidly points and risk the descent.
Take the last match against Pau, the effect is immediate: the CAB remains in its camp. “We can put these penalty figures in connection with the occupancy statistics” explains David Reboursière, a referee in love with rugby statistics that he publishes on his Twitter account. “As we can see throughout the game, possession is 53% for Pau and 47% for Brive. as regards the occupation, the territory, 63% for Pau, 37% for Brive. “
“When you are dominant, you put your opponents at fault”
Advocacy for the use of referees by clubs
We are then less lucid, explains David Reboursière. “It’s a vicious circle” he points out, a difficult circle to break. Certainly, the CAB did bring in the referee Pierre Brousset to lead a training session. But that cannot be enough, explains Maxime Chalon, a Brivist referee who also intervened at the club during the time of Nicolas Godignon. “It’s very good that he intervened” explains the Top 14 referee, “But what worries me is that people come when there is a fire in the house … This work must be daily and weekly” emphasizes Maxime Chalon. The proof for Montpellier, which hired the former referee Alexandre Ruiz, and which is the least penalized team of the championship.
Because indeed, “understanding the rules starts with understanding what the referee expects from the player in scrum, in touch, in ground play, which is the black spot for faults“continues Maxime Chalon. “Every weekend, we see it, the players do not know the rules” he explains. You also have to know how to play with refereeing, being smart. This involves changing your attitude in a match: “How can I give a positive image to the referee while being on the rule without giving a negative image of me to the referee?” This is the question that the Brivists must deal with to avoid mistakes in the ground game. It also goes through different routines continues Maxime Chalon, “to avoid making completely avoidable mistakes”.
Everything will not change overnight, but to hear these two referees, it is only by progressing around the refereeing body that Brive will lose this title of the most penalized team in the championship. And will be able to win back clean matches.