By Brooke Sabin
Rugby history was made last night as the first super rugby referee fronted up to the media so that his performance could be picked apart.
What a game it was to start the policy, with the Australian referee at the centre of the Blues vs. Hurricanes game – awarding one of the highest penalty counts in Super Rugby history.
It was a busy night for the Aussie, locking lips on his little Acme Thunderer more than 30 times; and running, 3 News calculated, about 10km after the ball.
But at the final whistle it's normally into the shed, where refs are sheltered from post-match bombshells.
But last night was the beginning of a seismic shift in protocol – the ref was first picked apart by the coaches.
“I know there was frustration on behalf of some of the calls that were made,” said Blues coach Pat Lam.
“I don't like blowing lots of penalties,” said Dickinson. “But if it has to be done, it has to be done.”
As for Isaia Toeava's yellow card in the dying minutes of the game?
“I said to Keven Mealamu, ‘right next one goes to the bin’,” said Dickinson.
“So we started again at half time and then we got a couple, and I said ,‘next one goes to the bin’, and Toeava was the next one.”
But it's feared refs will be highly media managed when wrong calls are made, at crucial moments.
“I guess the real test of it is going to be, is when there is something that may be a little bit controversial, or contentious, whether we're going to see the same openness in that situation,” said Nigel Malden.
“If you've made a mistake, you stick your hand up and answer the questions,” said Dickinson.
So an era of silence looks to have just ended.
3 News