ERC delaying decision on Venter

HEINEKEN CUP chiefs are currently making no comment on Saracens boss Brendan Venter’s bizarre post-match television interview after his team lost to French club Racing Metro.

Venter refused to offer any opinions during the minute-long exchange at Vicarage Road on Saturday, often answering a question by merely repeating the question.

It has been interpreted by many as Venter’s protest against a €25,000 fine imposed by European Rugby Cup for being “inappropriately critical of ERC, the tournament, match officials and the sport of rugby union” following his team’s Pool Two game against Leinster at Wembley in October.

Some €15,000 of that fine was suspended after South African Venter was found guilty of misconduct at a subsequent disciplinary hearing.

After his latest performance, Saracens chief executive Edward Griffiths said: “That’s what you call an ERC-style interview.”

An ERC spokesman said yesterday: “All games in round three of both tournaments (Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup) are being reviewed at the moment, as is customary.

“There is no comment on any specific matter relating to any one game at this point.”

Venter, who will leave his post at Saracens next month, incurred the ERC’s wrath following the Leinster match with comments made to the media.

The suspended portion of Venter’s fine runs until June 30, 2012, and would be payable only if he is found guilty of further acts of misconduct arising from ERC tournaments before that date.

Venter was furious at the performance of French referee Christophe Berdos in the 25-23 defeat against Leinster.

He warned the International Rugby Board that the game was in danger of being ruined by confusion over the interpretation of the breakdown area.

Venter told reporters: “Before the Heineken Cup began, I asked if we would have a conference so all the officials from abroad were in tune as to the new interpretations of the laws.

“Instead, we got some European referees in the Premiership, but there is a real danger that if we don’t take action going into a World Cup year, the game of rugby is going to die, be killed stone dead because the public won’t come to watch. We will end up playing one type of rugby in the league, another in Europe and when you get to the World Cup, wait and see which referee you get. Last season we won 10 games in a row playing a kicking game, a horrible game to watch, but necessary because the breakdown regulations favoured defending teams.

“I may consider returning to that in Europe because there is no system in place to complain about these problems, and that makes it a flawed competition.”