Ex-Irish ref boss blasts Champions Cup ‘disgrace’ as French TV ‘unfairly skewed’ semi-final and Bath can feel ‘seriously aggrieved’
Maxime Lucu's tackle on Alfie Barbeary and an inset of Ben Whitehouse.
Former IRFU referees boss Owen Doyle has added his voice to those blasting the French TV director who oversaw Union Bordeaux Begles’ Investec Champions Cup semi-final victory over Bath.
While Bordeaux were the better team in the 38-26 win, Doyle believes that Bath can feel hard done by after the director failed to provide TMO Ben Whitehouse with the necessary angles and replays of dangerous tackles.
Johann van Graan expressed his disappointment in this regard during his post-match press conference, where he highlighted three possible head shots on number eight Alfie Barbeary, none of which were punished or officially reviewed.
During the game, Premier Sports commentators Lawrence Dallaglio and Andy Goode also blasted the lack of additional angles and replays, with the latter later claiming that he could hear the comms between Whitehouse and the director, with the official pleading for more replays and being rebuffed.
Owen Doyle on Champions Cup broadcasting controversy
Writing in the Irish Times, Doyle took aim at Dallaglio, stating that the former England captain spent too much of his time on the commentary, marking referee Nika Amashukeli’s performance, before turning his attention to the director.
“While it’s important for commentators to be balanced, Lawrence Dallaglio spent too much time nit-picking referee Nika Amashukeli’s decisions,” he wrote.
“However, the real controversy came with the failure of the television director to show dangerous head contact on Bath’s Alfie Barbeary. The TMO was Welshman Ben Whitehouse, and performing the role in France often takes on an extra degree of difficulty. It’s been going on for donkeys years now and remains an unacceptable disgrace that the TV director controls what is shown on replay and what is not.”
As mentioned above, Van Graan highlighted three incidents that he felt needed more attention, including Adam Coleman making an upright tackle on Barbeary and, later, Maxime Lucu making head-to-head contact. While not clarifying which he believed to be the worst, it’s likely the latter, Doyle suggests that it bordered on a red card.
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The former international referee says that one can accept a team of officials making an error, but when a TV director has so much power over what is shown to the TMO and what is not, it gives the home side an unfair advantage.
He says that the ECPR has to ensure that this does not happen again with reports suggesting that an independent director will be appointed for the final between Bordeaux and Leinster in Bilbao later this month.
“The worst foul on Barbeary therefore was not shown – and the home team escaped a definite yellow card, bordering on a red. Bath can be seriously aggrieved, and, while it’s unlikely to have cost them the match, the point is we’ll never know. But this is a matter of the highest import, so the competition organisers must sort it out,” he wrote.
“If the team of match officials makes an error, then that’s one thing, but when the broadcaster gets involved then the process inevitably becomes unfairly skewed in favour of the home team.
“However, it now seems that the EPCR, the governing body of the European competitions, has had enough and the appointment of an independent TV director is on the cards. And that is definitely the way to go for the future.”
