All Blacks legend: There is an ‘issue’ if World Rugby continues down TMO path as officials ‘just not good enough’
All Blacks v Italy officials and former New Zealand star Jeff Wilson.
Jeff Wilson wants World Rugby to change their TMO protocol after the Nations Championship games were riddled with interruptions.
The former All Blacks star was left “frustrated” by the interference from the video officials during the home games involving the trans-Tasman rivals.
New Zealand overcame Italy 47-17 while Australia went down to France 42-26, but both matches had a fair few stoppages.
‘Looking at reasons not to give tries’
“I was frustrated, both with that game in Wellington and the game in Australia. The TMOs are now looking at reasons not to give tries, finding all of the little things which I think not just frustrate the players, the coaches but the fans,” Wilson said on The Breakdown.
“You cannot be inside a stadium and not know what is going on, the fans have to know.
“We went a long way in Super Rugby, we almost went to the extreme, but for me I found it frustrating that those two games in particular really lacked any flow.”
Those were not the only games to be impacted with Fiji v England having a lengthy delay as officials checked whether Simione Kuruvoli kicked out at Ellis Genge.
“If this is what World Rugby wants, we’ve got an issue. When you start having these sort of stoppages, a delay for this and a look at this, and you go, ‘was that a neck roll?’ For me I find it difficult for any game to be entertaining and flow,” Wilson added.
“You think about how we were talking about the game out of Christchurch and how long this game went in Wellington.
“They’ve got to do a better job of understanding and connecting, and actually get some of the basic laws right.
“The TMO was having to remind the on-field officials [during All Blacks v Italy] of some of the basics of the game, that’s just not good enough.”
Fellow ex-All Black Angus Ta’avao also took issue with the current use of the TMO in the game, stating that it is confusing the fans.
“You talk about not knowing what’s going on at the stadium, I felt like I didn’t know what was going on at home,” Ta’avao said.
“We’re trying to bring in new viewers and promote our game, I imagine watching that game and thinking, ‘it’s a yellow card’, and then 40 seconds later Ruben Love’s back on.
“There was another instance where there was a try, conversion and then, ‘sweet, we’re in the flow’, the whistle blows and you’re thinking, ‘hold on there, you’re checking this again’.
“Check, check is the worst thing you can hear in a Test match these days.”
How Super Rugby differs
Justin Marshall agreed with his fellow panellists and wants World Rugby to look towards Super Rugby as to how it should be implemented.
The southern hemisphere competition limits what the video official can come in for and it resulted in a much faster game during the 2026 season.
“I understand the frustration and what we’re used to in Super Rugby we’re getting something different now,” Marshall said.
“That’s the interference that is allowed under the international governing body’s law at the moment – the TMO can come in for basically everything and dictate the flow of the game.
“The best thing we can do about it is take the base of what we’re doing in Super Rugby; unless it’s an act of foul play or in a try-scoring movement, you don’t hear from the TMO. That’s the best answer if you ask me.”
