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In a Rugby World Cup year, no one wants the title to be decided by a controversial decision. Unless, of course, your team is the one receiving the call.
A lot of the talk about the Reds vs Crusaders justifiably was about how good the match was. We had the skills, the drama and then the penalty.
Was it a ruck? Was it cleared? Why didn’t McCaw listen to Dickerson? And so on.
A few people have even raised the idea of there being a television match offical (TMO) review for crucial calls so that we get the correct call on the day.
The TMO penalty review option sounds good but before it’s even considered the IRB must decide how far rugby should allow technology into the officiating of the game. I don’t think fans necessarily want a perfectly officiated game. They just want to get rid of the howlers that can cost a team a game, or worse, the final.
I’m not convinced that using a TMO for penalties is the perfect answer. Having a penalty TMO may raise more questions than answers.
One thing we should keep in mind is that no amount of technology will give us a perfectly cut-and-dried answer for the really contentious calls. Rugby is a complicated game played and officiated by humans, not programmed robots.
Also every ref has unconscious biases that affect the game. I don’t necessarily believe that it has anything to do with where they’re from but in rather in how they think the game should be played.
For instance lets take the Reds v Crusaders. The breakdown and scrum penalties during the game set the tone for what players could get away with. I know that rules are rules but the crucial point is how the ref interprets the rules.
So when we get to the final moments of the game McCaw has a feel for how the ref is interpreting the breakdown. He assesses that the ball is clear knowing that Dickerson has been on to him all day and makes a play for it. Dickerson blows a penalty.
Now if we had a TMO for the penalty, we bring the TMO’s biases into play, and we have an official who the players haven’t had time to suss out.
Also the TMO may have thought that Franks didn’t counter-ruck far enough so it could be a case of not staying on your feet. Dickerson says it was still a ruck. In the replay we see that Digby Ioane has a hand on McCaw. Ioane is not doing anything. He is just staring at McCaw with his hand on McCaw’s shoulder.
Technically this may be a ruck but you can’t say that this is a ruck in the spirit of the game.
Whichever way the TMO goes, there would still be controversy over it because we all interpret the laws differently.
Unfortunately for McCaw, the Crusaders, and the game, as heartbreaking as it is, they have to put that call on par with a cruel bounce of the ball or a player slipping over.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.