The IRB have made available (1 April 2011) an audio of an interview with Paddy O'Brien and a text version accompanying it. The interview itself is obviously very recent as it deals with the recent Wales v Ireland game and the try decision that the officials got wrong. Other matters are also covered in the Q&A.
It does not come across as an apology (as suggested some time ago by the Guardian) but O'Brien does clearly say the officials got it wrong.
It is also interesting in that O'Brien clearly states why TMO decisions can only relate to in-goal which has been the subject of very recent discussion on this MB.
Full text and audio link at:Q: Another popular question, summed up by mclooner on Twitter, what is your opinion on the controversial try in the match between Wales and Ireland at the Millennium Stadium?
A: Easy to give an opinion on that, the match officials got it wrong, simple as that. We have told the Irish coaching staff that and also the referees have told them that. That was a human error by the referee or the assistant referee and the referee himself who at the end of the day must take responsibility. It was an error, we try not to make errors but we are going to, and we have just got to make sure we try and correct it going forward. I think the game has been littered with errors by match officials over the years, like it has been littered with errors by players. A mistake by the match officials, simple as that.
What we do need to explain, which I think has been a myth out there, the match officials are not allowed to use the television match official for that particular area and that is a fact that went before Council a year or so ago and Council said no, that they wanted a TMO kept within an in-goal, so the match officials had their hands tied when it came to using the TMO on that particular area.
http://www.irb.com/totalrugby/newsid=2042269.html
