Latest news with #Piardi
The 42
2 days ago
- Sport
- The 42
No scrum, no win: Leinster set to lock horns with the Bulls
ITALIAN REFEREE ANDREA Piardi will have lots of big decisions to make in the URC final on Saturday evening at Croke Park. And it's likely that some of his most demanding calls will come at scrum time. South African sides have long been respected for their aggressive, powerful, technically strong scrummaging. The Bulls are of that ilk. And over the last two seasons in particular, Leinster have also emerged as a pack who want to scrummage for penalties. In the past, some Irish sides have primarily seen the scrum as a platform to play off, but that mindset has shifted in Leinster. Piardi saw more evidence of that last weekend as he refereed their semi-final win over Glasgow, awarding several scrum penalties in Leinster's favour. 'It's something that had frustrated us over the last couple of weeks,' says Leinster hooker Dan Sheehan. 'Playing against Scarlets [in the quarter-final] in particular, we were told when the ball was at the back just to play it, [even] when we were going forward and it was collapsing. 'I think it has definitely been part of our DNA over the last year or two that we want to be scrumming for penalties, getting access [into the opposition 22] that way and playing off the back of a going-forward scrum. 'Obviously, the Bulls have their own threat. They have the best scrum in the league stats-wise, which is what I was told next door… by a South African. 'But that's their rugby. I'm sure they will have a plan to disrupt our scrum and try and get over the top of us and we'll do similar and bring energy to the scrum. I look forward to the battle on Saturday.' Advertisement Leinster's scrum has been more aggressive in the last two years. Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO Whichever South African told Sheehan about the scrum stats was right. Data from Oval Insights shows that the Bulls and Leinster are the two best teams in the URC at winning scrum penalties. The Bulls have won 62 scrum penalties this season and Leinster have won 54. But the South African side have conceded significantly fewer scrum penalties – 20 to Leinster's 35. That rate of scrum penalty concessions won't surprise Leinster fans who have watched their pack rather relentlessly go after success in that area. The flip side of being so aggressive is that refereeing decisions can go against you. But play it safe and there is never any reward. Leinster had a good day at the scrum last weekend against Glasgow as tighthead Thomas Clarkson found favour with referee Piardi, so they'll be hoping for more of the same this weekend. Tadhg Furlong remains on the comeback trail, so Clarkson and Rabah Slimani look set to go again as Leinster's tighthead duo, while Sheehan and Rónan Kelleher will be the hookers. It remains to be seen how Leinster configure their starting pack, with Slimani and Kelleher's scrummaging qualities surely tempting. Key man Andrew Porter will start again at loosehead unless Leinster decide to go with the tactic of bringing him off the bench during the first half. Jack Boyle backed Porter up last weekend and could do so again, even if Cian Healy is bidding farewell to Leinster after this game. Leinster scrum specialist Robin McBryde will hope his charges can earn set-piece momentum for their team in this URC decider. Bulls scrum coach Werner Kruger – who previously played for the Bulls, Scarlets, and South Africa – has some serious firepower to work with. Leinster have felt the force of the Bulls on several occasions in recent years, while the Sharks were on the receiving end in last weekend's semi-final. Heavyweight Springboks tighthead Wilco Louw is backed up by the assertive Mornay Smith, that duo providing plenty of power on the right-hand side of the Bulls front row. Loosehead prop Jan-Hendrick Wessels has been one of the most impressive Bulls this season. He made his Boks debut last year and still covers hooker, making two starts there in this URC campaign. The Bulls can call on the dynamism of Alulutho Tshakweni or Simphiwe Matanzima off the bench. Italian referee Andrea Piardi will be in charge for the final. Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO Johan Grobbelaar is a consistent operator at hooker, where he competes with the more experienced Akker van der Merwe, who has been capped by the Boks. All in all, it's a serious front row unit and the Bulls have a huge scrummaging culture that every forward buys into. Bulls flankers don't tend to hang off scrums; their shoulders are to the wheel. The physical challenge will be similar at the lineout, maul, ruck, and in every carry and tackle. More than anything, Leinster believe that his final is about fronting up. 'I think everything comes off the back of physicality,' says Sheehan. 'You can have the best game plan in the world and it won't go well if your physicality is not right. 'Whereas if you have a poor game plan and get your physicality right, a lot of the time it works.' And Leinster know the Bulls will be honing in on this element of the URC decider. 'You have to brave and put yourself in front of these big fellas,' says Sheehan. 'They'll try to test you. They'll push buttons. It's chat after the ball goes out, it's rubbing your head in the dirt. But you know, you get that on both sides of the ball and I think people enjoy it. I think fans enjoy it. 'I think when you get it right, it's incredibly rewarding to get a win over a South African team. We've experienced that over the years, so I think it's a good battle and it's a good spectacle and I hope there's good excitement building through the week and we get a good crowd there. I think it will be a good game on Saturday.'
Irish Times
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Three referees for Lions Tests against Australia announced
World Rugby has announced that New Zealand's Ben O'Keeffe, Andrew Piardi (Italy) and Nika Amashukeli (Georgia) will each take charge of a Lions Test match in the summer series against Australia. James Doleman (New Zealand) will referee the opening test of the July window, when the Aviva Stadium hosts a game between Andy Farrell's Lions and Argentina on June 20th. Richard Kelly (New Zealand), Eric Gauzins (France) and Marius Jonker (South Africa) are the three Television Match Officials (TMOs) selected. O'Keeffe will referee the first Lions Test in Brisbane, Piardi the second in Melbourne and Amashukeli the final one in Sydney. The New Zealander O'Keeffe is the only one of the three who has previously presided over a Lions Test, which he did in the second one four years ago in South Africa. Piardi, who hit the headlines recently when incorrectly reducing Munster to 14 players in a URC match against the Bulls at Thomond Park, becomes the first Italian to referee a Lions Test, while Amashukeli is the first Georgian to have that honour. READ MORE Six referees will take charge of matches on the Lions tour with James Doleman (New Zealand), Paul Williams (New Zealand) and Pierre Brousset (France) joining O'Keeffe, Piardi and Amashukeli. Piardi will take charge of Ireland's international against Georgia at Mikheil Meskhi Stadium in Tbilisi on Saturday, July 5th, while a week later England's Adam Leal will have the whistle as Ireland take on Portugal at the Estadio Nacional do Jamor in Lisbon on Saturday, July 12th. Ireland's Andrew Brace will referee Namibia v Italy in Windhoek and the second Test between South Africa and Italy at the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium, having run the line the previous week as the two countries meet in Pretoria. Another Irishman Eoghan Cross will referee USA v England in Washington (July 19th) and will be an assistant referee in two further tests involving the Americans, against Spain and Belgium. He will also assist Hollie Davidson who presides over England's game against France at Twickenham. Olly Hodges is also on the World Rugby summer officiating roster at TMO and the man in the bunker respectively. Referees for the Under-20 World Cup in Italy will be confirmed over the next fortnight.
The Journal
01-05-2025
- Sport
- The Journal
Piardi, Amashukeli, and O'Keeffe to referee Lions Tests
WORLD RUGBY HAS confirmed that Andrea Piardi, Nika Amashukeli, and Ben O'Keeffe will referee the three Tests between the British & Irish Lions and Australia this summer. New Zealand's O'Keeffe will referee the first Test in Brisbane, Italian referee Andrea Piardi will be in charge for the second clash in Melbourne, and Georgian official Nika Amashukeli will be on the whistle for the final Test in Sydney. Advertisement 32-year-old Piardi and 30-year-old Amashukeli will become the first Italian and Georgian to referee British and Irish Lions Tests. The same trio of match officials will act as assistant referees for each of the three games Down Under, while Marius Jonker, Richard Kelly, and Eric Gauzins will rotate as the television match officials [TMOs] and foul play review officers [FPROs]. James Doleman, O'Keeffe, Paul Williams, Pierre Brousset, and Piardi will referee the Lions' warm-up games ahead of their three clashes with the Wallabies. Before travelling to Australia for the Lions Test, Piardi will referee Ireland's clash with Georgia on 5 July. Adam Leal and Ben Whitehouse will be his assistants for that game in Tbilisi, with Matteo Liperini on TMO duty. English referee Leal will take charge of Ireland's second summer Test against Portugal in Lisbon on 12 July. He will be assisted by Whitehouse and Anthony Woodthorpe, with Liperini named as the TMO again. For a full list of World Rugby's match official appointments for the men's July internationals, click here .
The 42
01-05-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Piardi, Amashukeli, and O'Keeffe to referee Lions Tests
WORLD RUGBY HAS confirmed that Andrea Piardi, Nika Amashukeli, and Ben O'Keeffe will referee the three Tests between the British & Irish Lions and Australia this summer. New Zealand's O'Keeffe will referee the first Test in Brisbane, Italian referee Andrea Piardi will be in charge for the second clash in Melbourne, and Georgian official Nika Amashukeli will be on the whistle for the final Test in Sydney. Advertisement 32-year-old Piardi and 30-year-old Amashukeli will become the first Italian and Georgian to referee British and Irish Lions Tests. The same trio of match officials will act as assistant referees for each of the three games Down Under, while Marius Jonker, Richard Kelly, and Eric Gauzins will rotate as the television match officials [TMOs] and foul play review officers [FPROs]. James Doleman, O'Keeffe, Paul Williams, Pierre Brousset, and Piardi will referee the Lions' warm-up games ahead of their three clashes with the Wallabies. Before travelling to Australia for the Lions Test, Piardi will referee Ireland's clash with Georgia on 5 July. Adam Leal and Ben Whitehouse will be his assistants for that game in Tbilisi, with Matteo Liperini on TMO duty. English referee Leal will take charge of Ireland's second summer Test against Portugal in Lisbon on 12 July. He will be assisted by Whitehouse and Anthony Woodthorpe, with Liperini named as the TMO again. For a full list of World Rugby's match official appointments for the men's July internationals, click here.
The 42
25-04-2025
- Sport
- The 42
URC says faulty app contributed to 14-man farce during Munster-Bulls clash
THE UNITED RUGBY Championship has said that an app malfunction contributed to the farce which saw Munster incorrectly reduced by a man for 14 minutes during last Saturday's defeat to the Bulls at Thomond Park. Andrea Piardi and his officiating team erroneously reduced the hosts to 14 men for almost a quarter of an hour after Munster lost both tightheads to injury. After Oli Jager went off in the first half for a HIA, which he failed, and Stephen Archer was subsequently injured in the second half, Italian referee Piardi correctly switched to uncontested scrums for the remainder of the contest. However, Piardi and his match-officiating team additionally dictated to Munster that they withdraw a further player, failing to recognise that this provision in World Rugby's laws — which is designed to prevent sides with weaker scrums from gaming the system — did not apply to a situation in which one of Munster's front rows had gone off with a head injury. Munster eventually identified the error and, after consultation with the touchline officials, back row Alex Kendellen was allowed to return to the field of play after Munster had unjustly played with a man less for 14 minutes. A URC statement on Friday confirmed that the league's head of officials, Tappe Henning, had been in contact with Munster to acknowledge the error. The league said that 'a full review of the process was conducted', from which one of the outcomes was that referees were reminded that 'they must own the process' and that they are 'ultimately responsible and accountable for the final decision of the correctness of any substitutions and all decisions during a match'. Advertisement However, the URC partly attributed Saturday's mishap to a malfunction within the app which is typically used to register substitutions and alert officials to any irregularities. 'Normally, the technical officials would have entered the player exchange information into the sideline management app on a tablet which would have flagged that Munster did not need to be reduce their team by one player in this situation,' said a URC statement. 'However, performance issues meant the app was not working correctly and with an incorrect interpretation of the laws, the technical zone officials incorrectly confirmed to the match referee that Munster had to play with 14 players.' Andrea Piardi, who has been mooted to referee a Lions Test this summer, is not on duty for any URC games this weekend but the league insisted that he has not been stood down, but rather that he was never scheduled to work during Round 16. The URC said that 'a full review of the process was conducted' following Saturday's faux pas at Thomond Park, and that 'learnings were gathered'. The league determined that the following actions be taken: 'Referees will be made aware that they must own the process and reminded that they are ultimately responsible and accountable for the final decision of the correctness of any substitutions and all decisions during a match. 'All documents regarding technical zone protocols and the uncontested scrum table circulated at the start of the season will be circulated again as a point of emphasis for match officials, technical zone officials and club personnel. Protocols for referees and technical zone officials also updated. 'Continuation of on-going training and law interpretation for technical zone officials and club personnel.' Saturday's incident marked the second time this season that Munster were incorrectly reduced to 14 men due to an officiating error. A similar incident occurred during their October defeat to Leinster at Croke Park.
