The Alain key to sensible refereeing

Alain Rolland’s refereeing philosophy has been shaped by vast experience. “I often say to academy referees, you’re not there to show the players how well you know the law book: you’re there to show them how well you can use it. That to me is very important.”

“As Richie McCaw moved towards me and Steve [Borthwick], the England captain waved his New Zealand counterpart away dismissively, as if to say ‘F*** off, this has nothing to do with you’ I had to explain that I wanted both captains in the conversation. There was a lot of tension and a massive undercurrent all the way through.

Two minutes into the second half I binned Toby Flood for a high tackle. It was a penalty kick but not necessarily a yellow card. I could have left him on but with my mindset and so many infringements, the card was out of my pocket before the guy had hit the ground. It was the reaction of a completely annoyed referee. It was obvious that I wasn’t getting the message across as the penalty count totted up. My body language wasn’t good as I started to get frustrated with my inability to influence the English pack in particular. I was not helping with my tone and my reaction to the players.