Saracens 15 LEICESTER 22 BRENDAN VENTER jumped to the defence of Steve Borthwick after the England skipper's yellow card misery cost Saracens dear.

The furious Sarries boss launched a scathing attack on referee David Rose and Guinness Premiership referees in general, who he claims are "killing rugby".

And he accused Tigers of "getting at the ref" at half-time to turn the game on its head.

Yet Sarries remain tabletoppers despite defeat, after the Saints beat London Irish.

It was neither a good start to 2010 for the Vicarage Road club nor Borthwick, ahead of next month's Six Nations Championship kick-off.

Borthwick spent 10 crucial minutes in the sin-bin near the end for getting in the way of the ball in an offside position.

And Sarries suffered as Toby Flood kicked three penalties to give the Tigers real bite.

Venter fumed: "The scrumhalf deliberately threw the ball at Steve, who was retreating at the time. He didn't mean to get in the way of the ball, it was accidental.

"He should not have been yellow-carded for that. But that was just one decision that baffled me and my coaching staff. "Something happened to this poor ref, because there was a 12-point swing after half-time. Someone seemed to get at him!

"It was like a walk through a maze at the interval. The ref was like a totally different man from one half to the other.

"From penalising Leicester in the first-half, someone then had a word in his ear to suggest he was killing them - then he started killing us.

"I can assure you I didn't tell my players 'We're winning without cheating, go out there and cheat!'. Why should I when we were on top and doing well? "People asked me why the game is dying? Maybe this is the reason. After the Irish game, which we should have won, the referee admitted he'd missed 25 offences.

"Refs aren't dishonest, but seem to be swayed by what players say or complain about."

"We're struggling in this League because refs don't seem to know what's going on. There seems to be a bigger problem here than in the Super 14s."

Richard Cockerill, Tigers head coach, was banned for a month this season after verbally abusing officials during a game against Newport.

But he denied that he or anyone from his coaching staff had tried to influence ref Rose.

He said: "I know from my recent problems with refs that the regulations state no-one is allowed to speak to the ref at half-time. It would not have been a good idea for me to speak to him!" England fly-half Flood made his play to try to win back the No10 jersey from Jonny Wilkinson by kicking 17 points. And the first-half was a mess, which Sarries edged 6-3 thanks to fly-half Glen Jackson's boot while Tigers had prop Boris Stankovich sin-binned for deliberate obstruction.

Then half-time sub Derick Hougaard showed his kicking prowess after seven minutes.

Tigers grabbed the only try of the game when Dan Hipkiss claimed a forward-dominated score, which Flood converted.

Flood and Hougaard exchanged penalties, but then came Borthwick's misery.

As he walked slowly back, Sarries tried to force the issue and the ball struck him - but Rose decided he got in the way.

Hougaard kicked Sarries back in front only for Tigers to pour forward with a trio of Flood penalties to see seal the points.

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A new year, and soon enough rugby union will swing into prominence as the RBS Six Nations Championship begins. Now place your hand on your heart and tell me: do you understand the laws of this bloody game? When the referee blows for an infringement, do you know what he is blowing for before you are told?

This is not a question that divides serious rugby buffs from the rest. Nor is it a question that divides rugby professionals from the rest. It is not one that divides the players on the field from the rest, or even the player doing the infringing from the rest. It is a question that separates the referee from every other individual on the planet.

What happens in rugby? A player takes the ball, moves forward a little and gets tackled. A whole load of players then roll about on the ground. Pheep! The referee gives a penalty.

It is a judgment that appears to have very little relevance to what is happening. I used to think this was just me and my silly ignorance. But it’s not. It’s a fundamental problem with the game.

All match officials have a taste for power, or they wouldn’t do it. The best use that power without letting it get to their heads. But if you have a taste for power without responsibility, rugby union is your game.

A rugby union referee holds the destiny of a game in the pea of his whistle and has carte blanche to apply this power in a totally arbitrary fashion.

The players don’t understand, the crowd don’t understand, the press don’t understand, the commentators don’t understand. It is a mystery to which only the referee is privy.

This has been the case for years. The most famous example is the 2003 World Cup final in which England, manifestly superior to Australia, were constantly penalised for utterly mysterious reasons. André Watson, the referee, had a reputation for bringing about close games; he made that one close, all right.

But as the laws of rugby union change and change again in their baffling way, so the mess gets worse.

Some apologists say: “Oh, rugby union has to be complicated, because it’s so violent.” Reasonable point. But I can follow the decision-making of American football and rugby league easily enough. Even Australian No Rules football makes more sense than rugby union.

That’s because rugby union makes none at all. Which is why we should all salute Brendan Venter, who has pointed out that the emperor has no clothes, that the sport has no rules.

Venter, the Saracens director of rugby, treated the press to a 40-minute jeremiad on the state of the game, with the main point being that refereeing has become not perplexing but random: “You get a penalty, then they get a penalty.”

You can hire an earpiece to listen to the referees at Twickenham internationals. I never take one; I get too fascinated by the bizarre drivel of pre-emptive refereeing, another thing Venter hates. Imagine trying to do it in another sport: “No, Thierry, don’t touch it with your hand — no, really don’t. Now that’s twice, don’t do it again — oh, it’s a goal.”

It all goes wrong at the breakdown, the point at which the ball-carrier is tackled and must release the ball while the rest scrabble about for it. Then the whistle goes pheep. I always thought rugby was about running and passing and tackling, but it has become a game of scrabbling about until the next baffling penalty is given.

How do you solve the problem? Search me — though rugby league’s simple convention that you keep the ball in a tackle works superbly. But I do know where to begin, and that’s by acknowledging that there is a problem, and that it’s a serious one.

But instead, they’ll fine Venter for telling the truth, and then we’ll have a Six Nations Championship of scrabble-and-pheep.

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Leicester Tigers coach Richard Cockerill believes fly-half Toby Flood is ready for the Six Nations after his best game since his comeback from injury.

Flood put himself back in the England frame with a superb performance in the Guinness Premiership win at leaders Saracens on Saturday, kicking 17 points and controlling the game splendidly.

It was Flood's eighth appearance since recovering from a ruptured Achilles which kept him out for six months, and Cockerill thinks he is ready for England, who open their Six Nations campaign at home to Wales on Saturday February 6.

Cockerill said: "I think last weekend showed he is starting to get back to where he would like to be.

"In previous games, he was great with ball in hand but his kicking wasn't brilliant.

"Against Clermont, his kicking out of hand wasn't as good as we would have liked but we have worked on that and his tactical appreciation, and it was the first time since he came back that he has controlled a game as we would have liked.

"Floody has been good since he came back, he's fitted in and taken the physical parts of the game, which is hard after a long time out. He is playing on the gain line and playing well with ball in hand.

"The thing that pleased me most about Saturday was his control of the game, which we have been working on. He did that really well."

Flood was the man in charge of the England No.10 shirt before suffering the Achilles injury in the Heineken Cup semi-final against Cardiff at the Millennium Stadium last May.

Since then, his former Newcastle team-mate Jonny Wilkinson has returned to full fitness after moving to Toulon and played in all the autumn internationals.

Former Tigers fly-half Andy Goode and Northampton's Shane Geraghty is likely to be in the frame, while Wasps' Danny Hipkiss is also on the comeback trail after suffering a broken leg.

Flood, however, must stand a good chance of a recall, especially if he continues his good form this month when Tigers face Wasps in the Premiership followed by Viadana and Ospreys in the Heineken Cup and Bath in the LV= Cup.

"If England want to play him he offers something different to what they have got," said Cockerill.

Meanwhile, Cockerill revealed that he will have to make a change at inside centre for the visit of Wasps on Saturday because of Anthony Allen's ankle injury, picked up at Saracens.

Allen, who has played in 17 of Tigers' 19 games since joining from Gloucester, is due to have a scan but Cockerill expects him to be out for a few weeks.

With Billy Twelvetrees and Sam Vesty fit again, he has two ready-made replacements, but he could go for Jeremy Staunton, or even move Flood inside.

The kick-off time for Tigers' home match against London Wasps on Saturday has been brought forward to 3.15pm.

After being selected for Sky Sports live coverage, the Guinness Premiership fixture was scheduled to start at 5.30pm.

But because of extreme weather conditions forecast this week, Tigers have been requested by Premier Rugby Limited to bring the kick-off forward.

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Head coach Richard Cockerill believes young prop Dan Cole has a chance of an England call up next week despite having played just a handful of games for the club.

The 22-year-old is third choice tight head at Leicester, behind Julian White and Martin Castrogiovanni, and has made just 32 appearances since his debut in 2007.

But he has made such a big impact this season in a position where England have injuries and are not blessed with many outstanding players that some believe he will be included in the revised elite squad for the Six Nations next Wednesday.

Cole had a fabulous game in the Heineken Cup win at home to French giants Clermont Auvergne as an early replacement and played a big part in the pack's demolition of Saracens' scrum last weekend.

It has catapulted him into a frame now without White and Wasps' Phil Vickery, who are both injured.

England turned to David Wilson and Duncan Bell in the autumn, and even if Cole fails to dislodge one of those he may make the Saxons squad, who have two games before the Six Nations, or England's trip to Portugal for a warm-weather camp.

Cockerill refuses to get carried away but he admits it is possible Cole may get the call from England manager Martin Johnson.

He said: "He has still got things to learn.

"Is he close to playing Test match rugby? Possibly, because there aren't a huge amount of English tight heads about.

"Has he enough quality to go and survive in that arena, well maybe, maybe not. He is learning all the time and his potential is huge.

"There are times when he struggles but, of all the young tight heads around, he is doing it week in week out because of a certain scenario with injuries."

Cockerill said Cole was outstanding against Sarries, adding: "He has done very well all season and he is getting a run in the team.

"You stick Louis Deacon behind him, who is a pushing brute of a man, and there is some power coming through."

With White still making his way back from hamstring surgery and Castrogiovanni out for another two to three weeks with as pulled stomach muscle, Cole will keep his place in the side for Saturday's Guinness Premiership showdown with great rivals Wasps at Welford Road.

But Cockerill will resist the temptation to field the same pack that did so well at Vicarage Road.

England flanker Lewis Moody, who was rested last weekend, and prop Marcos Ayerza are back, while Tom Croft, fit again after injury, will make his comeback off the bench.

Cockerill said: "There will be two or three changes in the pack. Marcos Ayerza is a quality player and because he had a knock we didn't start him last week.

"We will have a look at hooker as well. George Chuter played well last week but Mefin Davies, as old as he is, has been doing the business for us.

"Craig Newby has played well but Brett Deacon was also there for us."

Cockerill said centre Anthony will be out for three of four week after injuring an ankle at Saracens.

But he refused to say who would replace him. "Sam Vesty is fit, so is Billy Twelvetrees. Jeremy Staunton and Toby Flood have played 10-12 for us. That's an option.

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The new packs of oats will feature Scottish rugby union stars such as Thom Evans for a limited period

It is one of the nation's most iconic brands, stirring the pride of many a passionate Scot.
For generations of youngsters, the musclebound Highlander on packs of porridge oats was the ultimate role model for finishing every morsel.

But now the famous image of the strapping shotputter which has adorned boxes of Scott's Porage Oats has been replaced for the first time since 1955 – to help support Scotland's rugby favourites.

Kilted images of three leading players – Chris Paterson, Thom Evans and Ross Ford – will be featuring on some two million packs of the leading porridge product, which dates back almost 100 years.

Quaker, which makes the porridge product at its long-running factory in Cupar, Fife, has agreed to the move under a new sponsorship deal with the Scottish Rugby Union which will see star players offered free supplies.

Paterson, the Scottish cap record-holder, said: "I grew up eating Scott's Porage and now eat it before training and a big match. It is truly an honour to be on the new packs."

The limited-edition packs will be launched later this month to coincide with the kick-off of the annual Six Nations championship.

The image of Scott's famous kilted advertising star, known only as "Big Rory", was first deployed in 1924, ten years after original producer A&R Scott created the brand Scott's Porage Oats to distinguish its brand from market rivals.

The inspiration for the original shotputting Scot was said to be an anonymous soldier from the King's Own Scottish Borderers, who were barracked beside Scott's original factory in Colinton, Edinburgh.

Scott's Porage Oats have had the same packaging since 1955 when colour advertising was introduced.

However, the image did inspire a television advertising campaign in 1998, with a kilted actor striking a similar pose to the one made famous by Marilyn Monroe in the film The Seven Year Itch.

The current Cupar plant produces Quaker's entire supply of European oats.

Sean Summers, who is marketing director at Quaker, said: "This is an exciting partnership for Scott's.

"We have always championed Scottish sport and now we are celebrating the heroes of Scottish rugby.

"Not only are we putting the players on the pack, we are also providing porridge to fuel them to win in the Six Nations."

Gordon McKie, the SRU's chief executive, said: "Our national team is entering an exciting new chapter.

"It's great to have the support of one of Scotland's most famous brands.

"To perform at the highest level in sport means players have to eat wisely and well, and if this partnership encourages young Scots to give themselves a healthy start to the day then that has to be good news."

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