Moaning about referee bias towards Irish teams when two Irish teams are playing one another.
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No fear @dodgy_keeper would acknowledge his ridiculous post which was very much defamatory towards Mr Owens.
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How was it defamatory, pal?
Point out there what was factually incorrect.
- he had Christmas dinner with Munster fans.
- it was reported in the local media.
- he then took charge of bitter rivals Munster v Leinster.
What is defamatory there I ask?
People can draw their own conclusions.
That you are an anti rugby homphobe?
Plenty will draw their own conclusions alright. Sickening accusation to make against Nigel Owens a universally respected referee and thoroughly alright sort
Ah here Gil, homophobia? 
Ridiculous. Don’t know how anyone could deduce that from the post.
I admit to being an anti rugby football apostle. Guilty as charged.
Irish rugby took umbrage when the proposed linesman for the England game helped them out at a training session on match week. There was a big hoo ha and eventually the poor chap was relieved of his duties.
On the other hand you’ve a referee openly mingling with supporters of one team hours before one of the supposed biggest games of the season but nobody bats an eye lid at it…?
Imagine the ire if alright sort Wayne Barnes did the same with die hard Racing fans before the semi final…
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Who aren’t Irish in your moaning here about a Munster v Leinster game?
He had his dinner with his colleague John lacey who is a Tipperary man living in annacoty.
Its a disgrace what you are insinuating here but thats the influence of the scummy soccer clouding your thinking , rubby is not like soccer.
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I’m just protecting the integrity of rugby mate. Don’t want one side gaining an unfair advantage.
Get your own house in order first, the scummy soccer is a laughing stock
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Make your mind up.
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Vindication for Franno.
Sunday Times - 1 April 2018
Neil Francis, the former Ireland rugby international, was being “provocative” but not racist when he described the French as “cheese-eating surrender monkeys” in a column on the Irish Independent’s website in February, the Press Ombudsman has ruled, writes Colin Coyle.
The watchdog was ruling on a complaint by Madeleine Halpin that Francis’s column, in which he began with a reference to the French preparing for the Nazi invasion of 1939, breached principle 8, which relates to prejudice, of the code of practice of the Press Council of Ireland.
Previewing a Six Nations rugby international between Ireland and France, Francis wrote “Maybe France cheese-eating surrender monkeys that they have been for the last few years, might actually do something.”
The complainant said the use of the phrase could not be “construed as anything other than racist”. She said that while she was “aware of the provenance of this phrase in a satirical context”, Francis’s article had gone beyond satire she said.
The editor of the site independent.ie defended the phrase, saying it was clearly tongue-in-cheek. “The point of the article as a whole is that the French rugby team should not be underestimated despite Ireland’s recent good run of form against them,” he said.
The editor added that the reference to the period before the Second World War, which Francis referred to as the “Phoney War of 1939-40” was “an analogy, not a statement of fact or a serious historical comparison”. The editor said he had offered to publish a letter from Halpin outlining her concerns.
The complainant rejected this offer, saying the article was racist and “could not be dismissed under the guise of irony or tongue-in-cheek commentary for comic effect.”
In its defence, independent.ie said Francis “often writes in a comical style for effect” and that he had the “highest regard for the French national team”.
Peter Feeney, the press ombudsman, who adjudicates on complaints from the public against publications that are members of the Press Council, ruled that while the use of the phrase “cheese-eating surrender monkeys” was provocative, it was clearly not intended to be taken literally.
“I do not believe there is any evidence to support the view that the article caused grave offence or stirred up hatred,” ruled Feeeney.
“The use of satire in commentary is fraught with the potential to cause offence. But this does not mean satirical references cannot be included in articles if used in an appropriate manner. On this occasion the article fell within acceptable boundaries.”
Francis has courted controversy in the past, suggesting in an interview on Newstalk radio in 2014 that gay men are more interested in ballet and the “hairdressing industry” than sports such as rugby.
The usual suspects are like sausages in a pan here. They are, quite frankly, appallingly trying to bring a referees sexuality into an argument which clearly demonstrates them to feel this is somehow relevant, and shows only themselves up as potentially biased. I won’t use their word, homophobic, as I’m above that sort of thing.
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disgusting that the bandwagon rugby fans are crying homophobia
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You were the first person to question owens integrity. More or less saying favours had been bought through corporate speaking gigs. Im not sure you are above much with absolutely outrageous allegations like that.
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The rugby haters making a show of themselves here again.
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Change your username
No, I won’t change my username. Now piss off and stop spamming.
Nope. I think that in general, any referee on the corporate buck should not be allowed to referee games involving that country. The rugby mob then had their veneer scratched enough to leap straight to homophobia, demonstrating clearly that its clearly a major issue for them.
Having said that, his decision not to award a penalty try to toulon was inexplicable. In his own words, it was fine because “the palm was upward”
You of course leap to all sorts of inferences, demonstrating the level and logical assessment that stood the banking industry so well in the noughties.
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Sweeep sweep sweeeep
You accused Owens of being influenced by his corporate gigs. Then decided to take the moral high ground. Now your windmilling.