The former coach of the XV of France spoke to Figaroas part of the Étoiles du Sport last November in Tignes.
Philippe Saint-André kept one year “rest” since leaving Montpellier. The former coach of the French XV took advantage of it to regenerate and enjoy his family, before returning to service next season as Sports Director of Provence Rugby, in Pro D2. The former French winger (69 caps) spoke to Figaro last November, as part of the Étoiles du Sport in Tignes where he is regularly invited. Straightforward, he agreed to discuss refereeing, which has often been singled out in recent seasons.
“What you need to know is that rugby is the only team sport where the rules are constantly changing”he begins. Before detailing the three reasons why they change. “For the safety of the player, first. With, for example, the three-step scrum, the mastery of aerial duels or the control of dangerous tackles and clearances… Then, the rules change in favor of play and speed. We establish rules in relation to the development of our players who are increasingly stronger, increasingly faster and more and more technical. Finally, we also try to simplify them so that they are easier to arbitrate and easier to understand by the general public.
“More precise because better trained”
Philippe Saint-André also highlights the communication of referees, sometimes broadcast in the stadiums. He states: “I find that, compared to what I explained, the refereeing is getting better and better, contrary to what some people may think.”
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“The referees are becoming more and more clear and are relatively well helped by video refereeing. Before, in the sidelines, guys would crash into each other in dangerous ways. I played with Olivier Roumat or Olivier Merle who did not hesitate to elbow the player in front of them as soon as they took the ball. (laughs). Now, a player who interferes with the jumper is penalized. It’s a good thing”is satisfied with the former manager of Toulon, in particular.
20 or 30 years ago, you almost never won away. For what ? Because the referees were afraid and almost never whistled against the team playing at home.
Philippe Saint-André
The former international winger also finds that the “referees are better, more precise because they are better trained”. To support his words, Saint-André compares what is happening now to what he experienced as a player. “Twenty or 30 years ago, you almost never won away. For what ? Because the referees were afraid and almost never whistled against the team playing at home. Today we are light years away from that !».
However, he qualifies: “Our sport remains complex. He is atypical. We cannot always agree with the assessments. During the World Cup quarter-final lost in 2023 against South Africa, Eben Etzebeth (Springboks second row) commits a rude forward. At the discretion, the referee indicates that the ball is going backwards. That was his assessment… Despite that, I find that the game is going faster and faster, the effective time at international level is increasing”continues the future boss of the club based in Aix-en-Provence.
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Philippe Saint-André concludes: “Of course, when you are a coach and you lose at the last second, there is a frustration with one or two decisions that could have weighed in the balance. But, sincerely, as a general rule, refereeing has never been so good in world rugby and in French rugby.
