More TMO - or none at all
Paddy O’Brien, the IRB’s man in charge of referees is in favour of extending the scope of the television match official. In fact he would not like the status quo to remain.
O’Brien said: “Let’s hope we can take the TMO a bit further – either that or get rid of it and live by referee’s decisions.”
O’Brien, a New Zealander, is only too aware of his countrymen’s upset with a non-decision during the World Cup which, they claim, “cost” them the match against France in the quarter-finals and sent the hot favourites home early. The coincident in question was a palpable forward pass from Damien Traille to Frederic Michalak which ended in a try for Yannick Jauzion, the last score in a match which France won 20-18, fuelling much New Zealand rage.
Earlier this year there were suggestions that the TMO’s area of adjudication would be increased. At present it is confined to scoring and incidents of foul play in in-goal. In the past the SANZAR countries were allowed to use the TMO to help in identifying the guilty party when foul play occurred anywhere on the field but that has been scrapped. That may well return.
The TMO may well be required to be called on to assist in any action in a movement that ends in a try. In the quarter-final, the TMO may well have been able to suggest that the pass from Traille to Michalak be investigated.
O’Brien said it would be a waste of money and technology if the TV match official’s roles weren’t increased.
He said: “It is all about accuracy. In today’s day and age, with so much at stake, we have had the much-talked about forward pass in the France/New Zealand game.
“Those sorts of things we could extend it to, if that is what the rugby world wants. We spend a lot of money on technology. I think it would be great if we could use it to its utmost.
“Certainly, I think in the future, we will see an extension of the TMO. How far it is going to be will be up to the council members.”
Before the World Cup O’Brien apparently suggested an extension of the TMO’s scope to the IRB’s Rugby Committee who did not want any such change. The rugby league experience may have discouraged them from extending the use of the TMO.
In rugby league the video referee has been used for more than a decade and more extensively than in union. Its scope can include, apart from the actual scoring of a try, knock-ons, off-side, foul play and obstruction but not the forward pass because of problems with camera angles. The scope was broadened for a while in Australia’s National Rugby League but has since been reduced somewhat as the process became drawn-out and tedious.
In rugby league the video referee was entitled to act off his own bat until referees were instructed not to ” reverse on field decisions on the basis of replays unless these involve issues of foul play.” though he could continue to tip the referee off and help in making decisions.
The NRL’s chief operating officer Graham Annesley said: “The video referee has been one of the most important innovations of the modern era. He can play an active role in supporting the on-field officials but it has never been the intention that he should be seen as undermining the authority of the on-field referee.
“Video referees will remain involved in the game but they will not be used to overturn decisions the referee has made in general play, other than those areas we have clearly set out.”
In speaking about the TMO on an IRB podcast, O’Brien praised Stuart Dickinson’s decision in ruling that Mark Cueto had put a foot on the touch-line in attempting to score a try in the corner.
O’Brien said: “It was an outstanding call by Stuart Dickinson. “We had the benefit when we went back to the team hotel by able to go frame by frame. And he was proved to be absolutely correct.
“How he did that live is beyond me. It was an outstanding piece of TMO work and full credit to Stuart.
“All we are wanting is for them to get it right. And that call was so tight that it did need the time that Stuart took to get it right.”
