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Super Rugby Pacific

Rugby Pass Podcast: Should the TMO be Kicked Into Touch?

THOUGHTFULKISSER

Things are hotting up in week 3 of Super Rugby as Scotty welcomes Mark Stafford, radio host and sports commentator, to the Rugby Pass Podcast bunker. This week Scotty gets heated up about the place of the TMO in refereeing decisions; Nehe Milner-Skudder’s exit from the competition; the Chief’s “killer” schedule and the continually woeful story of the Reds.

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Comments on RugbyPass

P
Pom52 13 minutes ago
Shaun Edwards calls France's dominance over Ireland 'very, very unusual'

Amazing how two coaches in 6 Nations are ex Wigan Rugby LEAGUE players. Mmmmmm

9 Go to comments
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VM 17 minutes ago
France vs Ireland | Ireland vs France | Match Stats | Six Nations Live

Don't take anything away from France, they were brilliant! Ireland very disappointing. The back 3 were poor, Ringrose, Van Der Flier and Jamieson Park didn't deliver as the usually do. Sam Prendergast was embarrassing. His body language at times when he had the ball, it was as if he didn't know how or where to play the ball and as for the missed tackles. Stewart McCloskey should, however, hold his head high.

8 Go to comments
P
PMcD 20 minutes ago
How new-look France trumped same old Ireland in Six Nations opener

Interesting thought NB - was Mike Catt a bigger loss than Jonny Sexton for IRE?

It does feel like they lost something once he left that coaching team.



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c
cw 22 minutes ago
How new-look France trumped same old Ireland in Six Nations opener

Yep - why burn all the energy with multiple rucks, pick and goes, passing and running! Imagine the Ireland v ABs WC quarter final replayed with 78 kicks 😳. But as you point out Ireland improved greatly when they held onto the ball. That formula can still work. Indeed France seemed flummoxed defensively by it. But I nearly cried when Ireland having scored two good tries with ball in hand, Prendergast kicked three bombs in a row into the 22!!

19 Go to comments
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PMcD 22 minutes ago
How new-look France trumped same old Ireland in Six Nations opener

https://www.sixnationsrugby.com/en/m6n/fixtures/202600/france-v-ireland-05022026-2110/stats

NB - I think this should take you straight to the 6N’s game stats.



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19 Go to comments
P
PMcD 35 minutes ago
How new-look France trumped same old Ireland in Six Nations opener

You never know if your defence is set or not, so whilst it feels crazy, a good defensive team will trust their fully set defence, even conceding the metres, that the possibility of a quick defence against an unstructured defence.

One thing is for certain, that instruction will come from the coaches rather than the players about how they want them to play. 👍



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Hammer Head 36 minutes ago
How Ireland can upset the odds in Paris: Big match preview part two

There was a knock on by Dupont at the base of the scrum for one of their tries too. 22nd minute.

I was very surprised it wasn’t picked up or reviewed. I thought it was pretty obvious.



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248 Go to comments
P
PMcD 38 minutes ago
How new-look France trumped same old Ireland in Six Nations opener

I think starting FRA side was very good, lots to like about the first 40 mins.

It’s the last 30 that he will not be happy with. I think the same replacement front row, Flament, Woki & Aldritt could make for a formidable forward bench and maintain that style and tempo for the final 30 mins.



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H
Hammer Head 41 minutes ago
How Ireland can upset the odds in Paris: Big match preview part two

Agreed

248 Go to comments
E
Eric Elwood 46 minutes ago
How new-look France trumped same old Ireland in Six Nations opener

Yep fair enough. I agree re Faz being conservative. Its not a good situation as Ireland need radical change. Agree re Crowley.

I noted Ireland were also a little better with two playmakers. Perhaps a Charlie Tector or similar might make a difference in the future.



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19 Go to comments
P
PMcD 46 minutes ago
France blow Ireland away to start Six Nations title defence in style

It’s interesting with the large benches and bringing them on at once. Bath play 6|2 a lot but what you notice is it works best when you have the same combinations playing together.

Bath usually have the same front rows and just rotate starting or bench. Same with the back row, it’s players that know each other.



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87 Go to comments
A
AA 47 minutes ago
France player ratings vs Ireland | 2026 Guinness Men’s Six Nations

Rugby , especially England have to wake up and put star players in the side if they want to move forward and make the sport attractive.

Complaining a player is a Maverick is a bloody plus not a fault if played correctly.



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14 Go to comments
E
Eric Elwood 51 minutes ago
Andy Farrell: The 'absolute must' for Ireland after sobering Paris defeat

It’s not just aerial ability for contestables but you also need runners to surround the zone where the ball will break. France, England and SA are doing this. Ireland who have a century of IQ on it from Gaelic football are not.

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S
Soliloquin 56 minutes ago
How new-look France trumped same old Ireland in Six Nations opener

I guess it could seen as “defending another turnover scenario”, but it could also just become a scenario that you recreate in training, where you acknowledge the knock-on you did, just try to let the team advance enough for it to become advantage over, or apply for the team to kick the ball.

As for the Beirne jackals, it seemed like the French retrieved from the ball for the turnover to become effective, hence nullifying the potential whistle of the referee. Never seen that before, yet I often wondered why any team doesn’t try to put it up.



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N
Nickers 1 hour ago
Former All Black on why Jamie Joseph should be Razor's successor

Every team in the 6N apart from Scotland are using a 6/2 this weekend. If we do not at least try it it will be damning. I feel like an extra lock or loosie would be more useful in the dying stages than a specialist left wing.

I’m not sure about Lakai operating closer in. Sititi is the most physical and has great footwork so seems better suited. But they are all quite versatile, they could switch around. I don’t think Barrett at 6 is the answer. He is not fast enough and any size advantage he has will disappear immediately by arriving at a ruck half a second too late. Good teams will run at the turnover threats like Ardie and make him do a lot of tackling meaning we can’t give anything away mobility wise in the rest of the loosies. That’s where Vaai struggled too.



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38 Go to comments
P
PB 1 hour ago
Blues outclass Crusaders in high-scoring Onewa Domain pre-season clash

Injuries are always a possibility. Pity about Fabian Hollands injury. Hope he is back to his best soon.

8 Go to comments
N
NB 1 hour ago
How new-look France trumped same old Ireland in Six Nations opener

I don’t see nayone in the Irish coaching booth who is going to change the plan radically EE. And Faz is by nature conservative so not sure he’d support it anyway. There is no Rassie or Tony Brown in that group.

That try was beautifully executed but it also showed how quickly tries can now be scored from these turnover situations, if you’re triggered into action by them.



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NB 1 hour ago
How new-look France trumped same old Ireland in Six Nations opener

Yep 78 kicks, one per minute.😲

I don’t think the lawmakers had this in mind when they changed the kick-chase guidelines to stop ‘the pocket’ around the receiver…



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19 Go to comments
N
NB 1 hour ago
How new-look France trumped same old Ireland in Six Nations opener



I’ve always found it strange that teams who do knock-ons carry on fighting for the ball, even though the referee has shouted “advantage knock-on”

The reason is prob related to the article Soli… If a team knocks the ball on, there is a moment of unconscious relaxation [expecting the ref’s whistle to blow] so in effect, it becomes like defending another turnover scenario. Better to force the ref to blow up and set a scrum then.



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19 Go to comments
N
Nickers 1 hour ago
Ireland player ratings vs France | 2026 Guinness Men's Six Nations

France got the rub of the green with ref’s calls all night. The first try looked the result of a forward pass. Not even reviewed. France were clearly much much better, but getting a piggy back on every 50/50 call definitely does not help. It seems the plan for speeding the TMO involvement is to just not do a very good analysis.

31 Go to comments
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