Smith: referee acted under Welsh pressure

ENGLAND coach Brian Smith yesterday claimed referee Jonathan Kaplan was influenced by pressure from the Wales management in last weekend’s RBS 6 Nations clash.

Kaplan sent Mike Tindall and Andy Goode to the sin-bin and awarded 14 penalties against England, which helped Wales secure a 23-15 victory at the Millennium Stadium.

England’s discipline has been under the spotlight since Martin Johnson took charge and they have now been shown eight yellow cards in three Tests, which equates to a whole match down to 14 men.

After the Wales defeat Johnson claimed England were suffering from a “perception problem” among officials – but Smith yesterday went a large step further.

“His (Kaplan’s) whole demeanour through that match, the way he addressed our team in the changing room beforehand – he had clearly had heaps of pressure put on by Wales,” said Smith.

“The way our team was addressed prior to the Wales game took me a little bit by surprise. It was clear to me that Wales had done their job in terms of getting stuck into the referee.

“Fair play to them for doing it. Teams are looking at every advantage they can get.

“What we are really trying to say to the refs is: ‘Please judge us the same way you judge other teams and do not come into the game with a preconceived idea’.”

Smith directed that message directly at Craig Joubert, the South African who will take charge of England’s Six Nations showdown with Ireland at Croke Park this coming Saturday.

And it was backed up by captain Steve Borthwick, who admitted to being left bemused at the raft of penalties England conceded in the opening quarter against Wales.

Borthwick said: “I asked the referee: ‘What is going on here?’ He was seeing things I wasn’t seeing and we needed to find out the interpretation.

“What we hope is that Joubert referees both sides equally, with the same interpretations for 80 minutes. Then we have got a level to be accountable to.”

England felt both Cardiff sin-binnings were questionable and they were frustrated Lee Byrne escaped a yellow card for taking out Delon Armitage in the air.

“We’re frustrated by those decisions,” Smith added.

“It was Mike Tindall’s first infringement and he gets a yellow. It was touch and go whether he had actually won the football.

“Our issue with the referees is that there is no doubt Wales played up on the fact (there is this perception about England) to Kaplan.”

Northampton hooker Dylan Hartley is England’s main injury concern ahead of tomorrow’s team announcement after suffering a calf strain.