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IRB looks to give TMO a greater say
By GREG FORD - Sunday Star Times | Sunday, 17 February 2008
IRB looks to give TMO a greater say - Rugby news & coverage - Stuff.co.nz
Bad rugby refereeing decisions could soon be a thing of the past. The game's governing body, the International Rugby Board, is poised to overhaul the powers of the TV match official.
Before you smell a rat, Wayne Barnes' clanger during the Rugby World Cup in Cardiff, when he missed a vital forward pass, is not behind the review.
IRB chief executive Mike Miller said it was an attempt to keep pace with technology and other sports which are utilising it to assist match controllers.
"No, Barnes' call has nothing to do with it," he told the Sunday Star-Times.
"This has actually been on our radar for some time and we started talking about what needs to be done at the beginning of last year. Things have moved on a little since then."
The IRB's powerful rugby committee has been asked to lead the process, which will no doubt be contentious. Technology and sport have been uncomfortable bed fellows in several other codes.
Miller confirmed the IRB would review what other sports do to see if their approach could be adapted to rugby, taking a special interest in American football's NFL.
The NFL has flirted with technology in several guises over the past decade, at one stage adopting a cart blanche approach where replays were used in just about every facet of the play. Fans, coaches and players hated it. It slowed down an already slow game too much. The NFL eventually overturned the move, offering coaches the opportunity to challenge contentious calls, much the same way as in tennis.
Miller said this approach may be the best in rugby.
"We don't want to slow the game down so we need to strike a balance," he said.
"There's also the question of how far back we go. Do we disallow a try if there has been an infringement 10 phases before it's scored?
"At the moment the touch judge can step in but the video referee can't. So do we allow the video ref to be more proactive and allow that person to contact the on-field referee while the action is unfolding if he has missed something?"
Rugby's key power brokers gather in Dublin in May for an IRB council meeting and will decide then whether the video ref's powers should be beefed up.
Miller and newly-elected IRB chairman Bernard Lapasset touched down in New Zealand on Friday. This week they will check on New Zealand's progress towards hosting the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
They will also hold an IRB executive board meeting on our shores. Miller said he did not share the sense of general anxiety felt in New Zealand in relation to Eden Park, which is due to host the final in four years.
Many people think the ground, even when revamped, won't be up to scratch because of its location. Miller said New Zealand was making good progress towards hosting the cup.