Ref Ben Whitehouse has been trending on Twitter...and it's not good

Heineken Cup

12:33pm, 21 October 2017

We all have the occasional bad day at work.

However, for most of us, that doesn’t happen in front of 20,000 people live and a television audience of hundreds of thousands at home.

But that is the exactly what happened to referee Ben Whitehouse, who was officiating Clermont’s European Cup match with Northampton Saints in the Parc des Sports Marcel Michelin.

The match was incident-ful, and it seems just about everyone watching was calling it differently to Mr Whitehouse, who was taking charge of just his 7th European Cup match.

Twitter did not spare him either, and the response to his afternoon shift was brutal.

When 'Whitehouse' & 'Embarrassing' are trending and it's nothing to do with Donald Trump it tells what type of game Ben Whitehouse is having
— Ricky Harries (@RickyHarries) October 21, 2017

Terrible performance from this bloke. Tough day at the office. Won’t be at the top table for a while after this. ?
— Joe Marler (@JoeMarler) October 21, 2017

Great spirit shown by Saints to claw back a try against Clermont.
Is is Ben or Paul Whitehouse refereeing?
— Brian Moore (@brianmoore666) October 21, 2017

So how bad has Ben whitehouse been? I'm not watching the game but it's all I'm seeing on my feed
— Carl fearns (@Carl_Fearns) October 21, 2017

As Wayne Barnes made for a terrific Bledisloe Cup so Ben Whitehouse is making this Clermont game a faff-about mess
— Mick Cleary (@MickClearyTel) October 21, 2017

Can Ben Whitehouse be subbed off?
Ruining what should be a great days of #ChampionsCup rugby #toomuchego
— In At The Side (@Inattheside) October 21, 2017

I know that there was a time before Ben Whitehouse starting talking, but I'm struggling to remember it.
— Blood & Mud (@bloodandmud) October 21, 2017

Some charitable soul(s) defended the young Welsh ref.

Everyone slating Ben Whitehouse but he's had
Sin Bin
Leg break
two HIA's
blood replacement
And uncontested scrums?!
Impossible Job#clevnor
— KrisPurnell Westgate (@KrisWestgateVIP) October 21, 2017

All Ben Whitehouse needs in the second half is an earthquake, ghost sighting, a player to lose an arm & it will be complete.
Poor bloke.
— Paul Williams (@thepaulwilliams) October 21, 2017

It's fair to say referee Ben Whitehouse won't be bought beers in Clermont tonight. He's having a 'tough day at the office'.
— Tom Vickers (@WheresTommyV) October 21, 2017

From the amount of abuse Ben Whitehouse is getting on Twitter, I can only assume Northampton are losing. #CLEvNOR #Sore
— Ian MacGilp (@IanMacGilp) October 21, 2017

To all the haters, all I know is that Ben Whitehouse did a better job than I could have. #ClermontVSaints ???
— Daryl Flacks (@Saintsman001) October 21, 2017

@Nigelrefowens can you take Ben Whitehouse under your wing. Hard to think of a worse refereeing performance!! #CLEvNOR
— Mark Jessop (@Je55op) October 21, 2017