Loose Pass

This week we will mostly be concerning ourselves with TMO powers, the ongoing promotion farce and a reader's suggestion.

This week we will mostly be concerning ourselves with TMO powers, international squad talking points, the ongoing Premiership promotion farce and a reader suggestion right out of the box…

Interesting conversations during the Reds-Chiefs match on Sunday raised a number of points: not least the one about Luke Morahan delivering three potentially try-saving tackles on the pitch when he might otherwise have been off it. But the most interesting ones concerned the TMO.

Marius Jonker, who continues to not get quite right a number of big decisions, consulted his assistant after Morahan's – admittedly innocuous – tip-tackle on Sonny Bill Williams during the Reds' win. The conversation ran something like:

“I've seen a tip-tackle and I need to show a card. Did you get a number?”

“Yep, Red tip-tackle here… but sorry, no number.”

(Incredulous Jonker) “No number? Really?”

“No, I couldn't see.”

(Jonker turns to James Horwill, muttering things about assistant referees, eye laser surgery, thicker lenses and auditions for three blind mice) “There's a tip-tackle here. We didn't get a number, so you're very lucky that it's only a penalty…”

But he missed a trick. The tip tackle was – as backed up by the fact Jonker and his assistant both saw it clear as day – hardly a piece of skullduggery at the bottom of a ruck. Despite it going contrary to protocol, surely a recourse to the TMO would have solved the problem?

We use TMOs now for iffy drop goals and penalties, we appear to be on the brink of increasing their powers in reviewing try-scoring moves. Would it not start becoming a little more effective to use the TMO for identifying miscreants the match officials failed to number out? You'd cut out these pointless off-field yellows, probably negate the need for the useless white cards and have a more effective on-the-spot solution.

It's been trialled in France this year and it's worked pretty well – on one occasion when the referee signalled for the TMO, the miscreant in question actually came forward before the TMO had a chance to review!

The June Tests are shaping up nicely, perhaps a little more competitively than we might have given credit for previously too. Here are a few points that have come up in conversations the past week…

South Africa – What a shame Johan Goosen is crocked. We might have had some fresh air from the rainbow nation.
England – Is it just us or does the England squad actually look form-based and exciting? There's a potency around a back-line consisting of Youngs, Flood, Barritt, Tuilagi, Strettle, Wade and Goode that could be fantastic if well-nurtured and given some freedom. Is this June too early?
New Zealand – We're staggered Andre Taylor didn't make the cut, just as much as we are that Piri Weepu did.
Ireland – Not much to report at the moment as all their provinces are in finals! But there's little reason to expect anything else beyond the usual.
Australia – Again, no news on training squads or the like. But Robbie Deans appears to have his work cut out, going on Super Rugby form. Still, the number of young non-internationals to have impressed in this year's Super Rugby gives him good cause for optimism going forward.
Wales – Four Williamses, Four Joneses and a strong-looking squad despite several players missing to injury. Curiosity factor is provided by the absence of Warren Gatland, but we're very excited to see how Rob Howley and co. manage the ship. It's a huge opportunity for them.

Those corridors of power at Kingston Park, Newcastle, must be worn to the barest shred of floorboard at the moment with those waiting to see what league the Falcons will be playing in next year.

With Bristol's hopes now buried in a Cornish pastie, Bedford opting to stay in the Championship and the Pirates having gone the route of building the team before the infrastructure and thus negating their chances of promotion, only London Welsh's desperate attempts to find a rented home stand between Newcastle and reinstatement.

It's getting faintly crazy now. The Exiles are seeking relocation in places as far-flung as Oxford – some 60 miles (100km) from Old Deer Park – so if they do manage a victory over Bedford, Newcastle may have to wait even longer while the red tape around all that is unwrapped, determined though the Exiles are to get this done and dusted ASAP.

In the meantime, the amount of time the Falcons are unable to spend on planning, recruitment and player retention for next season is already hurting them badly. Is it not beyond the wit of the Premiership to insist that any promotion candidates get their house in order by some safe date in April so that when the bell tolls on the final day of the season, that peal is at least resonant? At the moment, it's been a bell struck while wrapped up in a damp cloth – almost an insult to Newcastle's brave attempts to avoid the drop.

This one in from a reader by email this week:

“I have a suggestion which should help the scrum. How about the referee puts the ball into the scrum, just like a 'drop ball' in football, a 'jump ball' in basketball etc. Relying on the scrum-half to be fair and put it in straight is never likely to pay dividends.”

Crazy or genius? Toby Sands, thankyou for your mail and the forum on here is now open…

Loose Pass compiled by Richard Anderson