“O’Keeffe and his men have landed a silent blow for sanity”
IT IS preposterous to announce a star of the season so far. In the northern hemisphere at least, our season is still a couple of weeks away from resuming – although the sense of anticipation is now growing, even if at first the loyal followers themselves will be unable to attend.
Back to the hero. Ben O’Keeffe, the New Zealand referee, is the man. He was a rising star during the last World Cup. He confirmed his status after the first half of Super Rugby Aotearoa, which began in June. It was not through what he did but what he said. And what did he say? Nothing. It was a wonderful sound.
It will be wonderful to have live rugby back in Europe, but as sure as night follows day it will not be long before we are frustrated at the way the laws are applied; frustrated at the refereeing and other aspects of officiating. In a complicated game such as rugby, such matters are only natural.
