It's time to take back the monstrous power bestowed on TMOs
Perhaps surprisingly, given that professionalism is now into its third decade, rugby’s law makers currently face an unusually lengthy list of challenges.
The question of player welfare – and especially head injuries – is a burning matter. Since 1995 players have got bigger and fitter, and the contacts have increased pro-rata. We have also become more aware of the long-term damage they risk.
The attempts of the sport’s various governing bodies, headed by World Rugby, to improve this situation are well intentioned. More replacements, HIA spotters and touchline assessments, return-to-play protocols and crackdowns on tip tackles, lineout contact and high challenges are all testament to this, as is the citing procedure.
However, in largely removing the question of intent from both the referee’s thought process and the subsequent on-and-off-field disciplinary process, a hornet’s nest has been opened. Manslaughter and murder have become one in the same in the eyes of the law.
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The Friday night clash between Newcastle Falcons and Wasps highlighted a further area where a review of operating procedure surely cannot be far away.
The TMO is now a well-established part of English rugby’s top flight, and despite intermittent complaints from the ex-player-turned-TV pundit community, most rugby followers view its introduction as having more upside than down.
Admittedly, matches do occasionally run to close-on two hours as wary referees apply belt, braces, a handful of safety pins and a coil of rope to decisions they would have made without blinking in the pre-TMO age.
But since the TMO’s presence means we should never again see a crucial match decided by an in-goal howler – who can forget David Campese against the 1989 Lions – a few lost minutes is surely a small price to pay.
In addition, the impact of the TMO’s arrival, alongside the presence of a comprehensive citing process, has virtually eradicated old-school foul play. Maybe this is taken as read these days – since it draws very little comment – but it is probably the biggest and most positive change to impact the game in the last 25 years.
There is no doubt that what we all see on our TV screens is very quickly replicated at grass roots level. And while a lot less junior club rugby is played now than in 1992, stamping and mass brawls are a relic of a bygone age, which can only help our sport find new recruits into mini, junior and ladies’ sections.
All of which brings us to a wider question prompted by Wasps’ tense win over Newcastle – are the roles carried out by the match officials at elite level still relevant to today’s game?
There were two crucial TMO interventions in the course of the 80 minutes, which disallowed one try apiece. The second of these – to advise referee Karl Dickson that the Falcons had put a foot on the touchline thanks to Ben Morris’s brilliant last-ditch tackle – was both pivotal in determining the outcome of the match and correct.
This responsibility would have sat with the touch judge prior to the advent of the TMO.
And when the referee is unsure which side of an upright a conversion has passed, who does he turn to for an answer? The TMO – not a touch judge.
Similarly, is it the trailing touch judge or the TMO who is now more involved in identifying off-the-ball obstruction or foul play?
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So what exactly are the assistant referees, to give them their modern title, left doing beyond putting a flag up when the ball is hoofed into row Z.
Beyond providing moral support – and jelly babies – to the referee, the men on the touchline are widely believed to play a key role in midfield offside.
But in reality, this has not historically always been the case since some referees only want communication from a touch judge when they miss something really blatant out of their field of vision. Their logic for this, besides not always trusting the TJ to view the game exactly as they do, is that establishing whether a breakdown is a tackle or a ruck (and therefore whether a midfield offside line existed) is difficult from distance.
But the law change triggered by Italy’s infamous disruption of England has surely changed all that. The aftermath of almost every tackle now has a midfield offside line, and as Wasps continual unchecked encroachment as Newcastle sought a last-gasp winner showed, it is not well policed.
And this is not an untypical situation. As fans sat in the stand, there are points in every match when we have the perfect angle to judge whether the defensive midfield is onside, and too often transgressors go undetected.
With more tries being scored than ever before, this may be of little consequence. But like feeding at scrums, why have laws if no-one intends to apply them?
It’s time for the flag-carriers to have their mute buttons released so they can demonstrate why they are now assistant referees not touch judges.
Comments on RugbyPass
The World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
1 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
19 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments