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Prop turned ref to debut as NFL talkback system gets first run out
Former Gloucester prop Nick Wood will make his top-flight refereeing debut when Sale Sharks host Newcastle Falcons in the Premiership Rugby Cup this weekend.
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Wood was a Premiership regular for more than a decade, appearing 278 times for Gloucester over a 13-year span from 2003 to 2016.
The 38-year-old will become the latest professional player to take up the whistle, following in the footsteps of Gallagher Premiership Rugby official Karl Dickson, as well as the likes of Glen Jackson and Nic Berry.
After losing to Leicester Tigers last weekend, the Sharks will be seeking to win their first Premiership Rugby Cup match, while Newcastle will be looking to build on their close win against Wasps in the previous round.
Assistant referees John Meredith and Neil Chivers will aid Wood, with Andy Blyth serving as the citing officer for the match, which begins at 7.45 p.m.
Also on Friday night, London Irish host Saracens at the Brentford Community Stadium, just two weeks on from their thrilling 34-34 Gallagher Premiership Rugby draw.
Both teams will be hoping for their second Premiership Rugby Cup triumph after Saracens overcame Harlequins and London Irish defeated Northampton Saints last weekend.
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The match will also see a technological debut – a new NFL-style referee talkback system that will allow fans to hear what the referee tells the players during the game.
The London derby will be officiated by Craig Maxwell-Keys, who will be assisted by Jamie Leahy and George Selwood, as well as citing officer Chris Catling and TMO David Rose.
Maxwell-Keys will be in the hot seat as the referee to be broadcast using the talkback system, which will use the PA address system at the new Brentford Community Stadium.
The pilot scheme will continue in other Premiership Rugby Cup matches this season, allowing referees to explain crucial TMO decisions directly to fans in the stands.
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Comments on RugbyPass
One that will start to come up from now on is penalties for back pushes during kick chase scrambles. Very difficult to detect. In Croke Park if you replay the Hendy NH try, you will see Furbank push Porter in the back, who collides with Larmour knocking the ball across into Hendy’s path to dot down. A more significant example was in the RWC QTR final where Arendse pushes Fickou into two other French players for the ball to spill into Arendse’s path for him to gather and run in to score SAs first try. Not cheating if you are not caught and very difficult to spot but with kicking becoming so critical I feel its an area that will referreeed/TMO-ed more.
3 Go to commentsWhat a pathetic little twit Andy Goode is, as if we care what he thinks…..😂
108 Go to commentsFoxy has been a wonderful player for the Scarlets and Wales.
1 Go to commentsNika the Georgian is the best referee in the world at the moment. Luckily we will be spared the shite SH refs and Barnes will hopefully remain retired given how shite and embarrassing he was at the RWC.
3 Go to commentsThis is the most exciting game of the summer imo, as we really won’t know in advance how both teams are going to play. - Will Robertson just reproduce his Crusaders tactics from last year, or will there be a conscious effort to borrow from the Hurricanes and Blues, and from the aspects of the ABs world cup strategy that worked well? - England under Borthwick have put in some good performances playing attacking rugby, and some good performances playing kick-oriented defensive rugby. Will Borthwick try to merge them together into a single all-court game, or will he continue switching between different approaches depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition?
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
9 Go to commentsFinals are always tense affairs for the players so I do not expect this to be a spectacle of running rugby unfortunately.
3 Go to commentsBulls***': Ex-England international calls out Eben Etzebeth… Not to his face but from very far away… after he’d left. Checked to make sure he wasn’t in the building.
108 Go to commentsHopefully this will mean a new Auckland league team to support in the west. Big Warriors fan but it’s very, very stale on that front and I’d like the option of another team if it was to watch league again. League needs to step up BIG time if its to get anywhere, another AK team and something from the capitol or south is a must for the game.
3 Go to commentsGood, deep interview, nice job Frankie!
1 Go to commentsNRL players don’t have anywhere near the number of Tests. Some people would be happy having Rest Homes full if 40 yo ex-players walking, or hobbling more like it, into walls. It’s just a game!
4 Go to commentsNOW Razor is worried about ABs getting injured or overplayed! Didn’t bother him last year. He happily played his AB Crusaders.
4 Go to commentsWhat is the World Rugby U20 players born year.
2 Go to commentsMuch like the Chiefs finally gave up waiting for Atu Moli to ever not be injured, you have to wonder if the Chiefs and Crusaders will let Josh Lord and Ethan Blackadder go next season. They’re being well paid to sit in the injury ward every year. Better off putting those funds towards someone who might actually play.
7 Go to commentsShowed better basic skills than some nz Super sides, who probably would have botched some of those backline moves. This tournament really is too short though. Needs more teams, or have them play two rounds to properly prepare them for the near full-time NH U20 sides.
4 Go to commentsGood grief it’s only six months. Probably just upset it’s not an established kiwi entering their prime they can “project” into green to join the rest.
3 Go to commentsGood player but far from being best in the world. That's an exaggeration. Perhaps Best in world by Northern Hemisphere standards and biasis but certainly not Southern Hemi standards
3 Go to commentsWell one thing about World Cup knock out rounds and Ireland is very clear: they won’t be getting ahead of themselves in ‘27! Because making it beyond the QF is well and truly ‘IN THEIR HEADS’ now…😉
108 Go to commentsHas this guy been dope tested? Sounds like a case of “roid rage”.
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