The late controversy that denied the Ospreys a famous European Challenge Cup win over Ulster has led to calls for World Rugby to make changes
Officials in charge of the Ospreys’ heartbreaking European Challenge Cup defeat in Ulster have been accused of not following protocol after controversially denying the Welsh side a late match-winning try.
Wales international Kieran Hardy looked to have snatched a last-ditch try to take the Ospreys through to the quarter-finals, only for TMO David Rose to get involved and ask referee Anthony Woodthorpe to look at a potential forward pass from Owen Watkin in the build-up.
Woodthorpe would eventually agree with Rose’s view the pass was forward, but the video evidence suggested it was very much a marginal call.
According to World Rugby protocol, such TMO interventions are supposed to be for clear and obvious incidents.
Now, former referees boss Owen Doyle has slammed the decision, saying a World Rugby review of the TMO’s role is needed as soon as possible.
Writing in his Irish Times column, he said the Ospreys’ had wrongly been denied a famous victory at a time when the region need it more than most, with their very future in doubt. The matched ended 28-24 to the home side.
“It is essential that TMOs stick to the protocols which state very clearly that they should only advise the referee on issues which are clear and obvious. This certainly did not meet that requirement. Rose had no rhyme nor reason to get involved,” he said.
“I was not alone in being flummoxed when the referee agreed with his off-pitch official, and that was that. A complete misread of the situation and a blot on the competition. If this decision was ever to become the yardstick to measure forward passes, we’re going to see an awful lot of tries ruled out.
“The reality is that there was no conclusive, clear and obvious evidence that the ball was passed forward.
“The TMO issue raised its head in other matches too – they are becoming more and more intrusive.
“There is also a significant danger of referees becoming dependent on the input from the TMO. I’d suggest some have done so already. World Rugby’s review of the TMO protocols cannot come soon enough.”
He added: “What we are seeing, on an all too frequent basis, is far too much TMO involvement. If referees are afraid to make mistakes, then they should not be there. And the officials certainly should not be allowed to stretch the protocols beyond recognition, to a point where the TMO becomes the near-equivalent of a second referee.”
TV pundits were also quick to question the decision. Premier Sports’ Tom Shanklin said: “For me, it looks like it comes out flat. It doesn’t look like it’s forward. You’ve got to look at the hands. The Ospreys are really hard done by.
“I think that’s fine. I would say play on. The Ulster players say they felt they were lucky, which suggests they got away with one.”
Former Ireland international Steven Ferris added: “I thought Anthony Woodthorpe was brilliant all night until that decision. It was the TMO who came in and said to have a look.
“I thought it was very harsh on the Ospreys. These guys are running at nearly 10 metres per second.
“The physics of it can look like it’s going forward but it’s not actually a forward pass. It didn’t look like it came out of the hands forward.”