Xavier Rush: 'Refs have made it impossible to play the game'
The fans' favourite at Cardiff Blues, Xavier Rush blames rugby's ills on officials. He tells The Independent's James Corrigan why they threaten to ruin his Heineken Cup hopes, and why he's tempted by a move to Japan.
"There is much to discuss with Xavier Rush, what with the do-or-die mission facing Cardiff Blues against Sale this afternoon and all the talk of the Welsh capital's favourite No 8 moving to Japan. But one subject seems to resonate with the former All Black more than any other. It is the current debate over refereeing. Officials of a sensitive disposition should perhaps look away now.
"Referees are a lot more pedantic than they used to be," says Rush. "And what gets me is that they all seem to come from the same mould these days. Back in the day, you would know what sort of game you'd be in for – there'd be one ref who'd like it to flow, another who'd be tighter. Now they're all like clones."
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