O'Brien talks on the time controversy

From time to time at the World Cup referees have come in for criticism because of their timekeeping, none more so than Jonathan Kaplan. As a result Paddy O’Brien, the IRB’s manager of referees, has spoken out on the matter.

The match between Canada and Japan ran beyond the 80 minutes which was showing on the television broadcast of the match. In this time Japan scored a try which was converted to draw the match 12-all.

After the match the Canadian captain, Morgan Williams vented his anger against the referee.

Ryan Smith, the Canadian fly-half, kicked the ball into touch when the television clock was showing that time was up. But the line-out went ahead. Japan attacked. There was a long delay while Kaplan consulted the television match official who advised a penalty against Williams for knocking the ball over the dead-ball line with his hands. Japan took a tap kick and eventually scored.

Amongst other things Williams is reported to have said: “It’s unbelievable, the ball went out in the 81st minute and he [Kaplan] played another three minutes.

“Every other game we’ve played, as soon as it hits 80 that’s the end of the game – I don’t know maybe his watch is broken or he’s blind, one of the two.”

“There has been criticism since Jonathan Kaplan’s Japan vs Canada match with claims that Jonathan played extra time, hence enabling Japan to score in that period,” responded O’Brien.

“The truth is that the TMO who is acting as timekeeper told Jonathan that there was 30 seconds to go when the line-out was formed though the television and stadium clock showed there was 80.34 time played.

This was because of the people in charge of the stadium clock had not stopped it correctly during injury breaks and other stoppages during the match and also a communication problem between the timekeeper and those synchronising the stadium and television clocks..

“It has been an ongoing problem during the tournament and we are doing our best to address it.”

He went on to say that he thought it unfair that referees were being blamed for incorrect timekeeping when the error was not theirs.

“The time taken to consult the TMO is not playing time and a penalty kick does not end a match. The penalty must be taken, as happened in this match. As a result the public thought that we were in the 84th minute when Japan scored,” he said.

It was not the only match in which the referee’s final whistle did not coincide with the time on the stadium clock or the television broadcast.