Writing in his Guardian Shaun Edwards has cast his eye across to the French Top 14 who will use referees from across the channel in this weekend's round of games.
"Three Irish referees plus one each from England, Wales and Scotland will oversee matches in an attempt to familiarise French clubs with, according to the French referees commission, another style of officiating ahead of the opening rounds of European competition.
"The six referees are not among the better‑known officials on the circuit, but the plumb job goes to Peter Fitzgibbon, the most recent addition to a growing line of good Irish referees, who gets to control the match between the European champions Toulouse and the current league leaders Racing Métro (who, incidently, will be without their coach, Pierre Berbizier, for the next 60 days after a spat with the referee Christophe Berdos).
"Now, I am no expert on the ways of French referees, but this exchange of officials seems to be a clever move and it's good to see the French putting their hands in their pockets in a good cause because there has been considerable unease in some quarters about the way the new directives at the breakdown have been applied in the Top 14."
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