Right call, but wrong protocol

For the first time in 12 years Ireland returned from Paris undefeated in the Six Nations but not in the circumstances they would have wished.

This tournament has known a number of twists and turns over the years but nothing quite as bizarre as the scenes witnessed on Saturday night in the Stade de France. For a contest of this nature to be postponed with the teams ready to take to the field beggars belief.

When referee Dave Pearson conducted his inspection at 7pm French time (6pm, Irish), I was stationed just meters away preparing for a live piece for the RTÉ Six One news. Pearson, along with his assistant referees and a contingent of officials undertook a brief inspection on the in-goal area at one end of the field as the protective covers were being removed. Within a matter of minutes, Pearson decided the surface would accommodate a game of this stature. I spoke to Pearson on his way to the dressing room and he appeared in good form and confident the game could go ahead. He also commented that the ground temperature in the stadium at 9pm would only be 0 degrees Celsius.