Nigel Owens calls for World Rugby to backtrack on decade-old law tweaks that ‘worked perfectly’
Nigel Owens has urged World Rugby to change the remit of the TMOs.
Former international referee Nigel Owens has called for World Rugby to sort the “problem” around the TMO.
Owens is of the opinion that the fourth official is called upon too often in matches and has urged the game’s governing body to limit the TMO’s remit.
Limiting the TMO’s influence
The Welshman expressed his view on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, as he replied to a post by former England fly-half Stuart Barnes who bemoaned the excessive use of the TMO during the Investec Champions Cup clash between Leinster and Northampton Saints.
“If we stop and double check every possible infringement/knock on etc. we have a three hour event but we don’t have rugby,” Barnes‘ post read.
“Tiny errors missed are part of the game. The search for perfection kills rugby. Was there really any moment of officiating ineptitude which takes from Saints.”
Owens agreed with Barnes’ sentiments, saying that World Rugby should limit the TMO’s involvement to goal-line decisions only.
Back in 2012 World Rugby, then the IRB, sanctioned further trials of the extension of the jurisdiction of the TMO to incidents within the field of play that have led to the scoring of a try and foul play.
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Owens’ response
Since then, the scope for TMOs has steadily increased as the fourth official is now able to interject and notify the referee of an incident they may have missed, having previously needed to be called upon.
In Owens’ opinion, the TMO’s remit was fine the way it was when it was first introduced.
“This is the problem that the TMO has bought,” he wrote in reply to Barnes’ post.
“They need to take it back to goal line only as it was at the beginning. It worked perfectly fine then.”
The semi-final between Leinster and Northampton featured several referrals, including one for foul play, which resulted in a yellow card for flanker Josh Kemeny for his high tackle on prop Rabah Slimani.
There was also a lengthy review of Ross Byrne’s potential try, which remained with the on-field decision of no try but did lead to another sin-binning for the Saints, this time for lock Alex Coles.
READ MORE: Law discussion: Leinster’s controversial non-try v Northampton was the correct decision, here’s why
