Colin Drury, Vale of Glamorgan
Presumably Stephen Jones thinks last weekend’s final score should have been England 30, Wales 13, or even a Welsh win because yet again a referee diddles the Welsh! Nice try, Stephen. I suppose you have to have some crumbs of comfort after such a thrashing.
Advertisement
Mark Finnigan, via e-mail
Not so long ago rugby union referees interpreted the laws of the game and judged whether they were transgressed. Last weekend’s internationals revealed glaring inadequacies in referees’ interpretation of the laws. Perhaps they should show a little less arrogance.
Ron Newitt, Yarm, Cleveland
Rugby has a tradition of officials intuitively favouring the stronger team in respect of marginal decisions such as dubious tries. The opening games in the Six Nations were awash with such extravagance. It’s not cheating by the officials, but there must be a word for it.
Huw Beynon, Llandeilo, Wales
Advertisement
Scotland’s immense victory over France owed as much to their skill, tactics and inventiveness as to the team’s fitness and determination. And unlike Ireland and France, no help with their tries was forthcoming from the referee.
Edward Monaghan, York
Advertisement
Emile Heskey was sent off for a second yellow card against Arsenal, ‘much of which was in the over-imaginative mind of the fussy referee Mike Riley’, says Rob Hughes. Heskey obliterated Mathieu Flamini with an arm-thrusting charge more suitable to the rugby field. He should learn these tactics will bring censure now he is not a member of the saintly big three (or should I make it four and include Chelsea?).
Malcolm Baldwin, Alicante, Spain
Advertisement
Your article on Alan Shearer (last week) was very appropriate. It seems he is held in higher regard by the Newcastle United board than any manager could be, and woe betide anyone with the temerity to think otherwise.
Tom Thacker, Ellesmere Port
Fair comment by Rod Liddle on his Everton policing article (January 22) but there are two sides to the story. Last season I took my four-year- old daughter to watch the Blues against Birmingham. Outside the Gwladys Street end Sophie admired a giant police horse. The copper asked if she wanted a ride, and her face beamed as I lifted her on to the horse. It was a wonderful moment for us and hundreds of fellow- Evertonians.
Paul Holden, Worthing
Write to: The Sports Editor (Letters), The Sunday Times, 1 Pennington Street, London E98 1ST. Fax: 020 7782 5720 or e-mail sportletters@sunday-times.co.uk (please include full postal address and keep letters short)