The UAFC

I would venture that there must be a fair bit of embarrassment among SA officials. Very unusual to have a public out-down of a TMO & ref.

The result on saturday is unique seldom does a TMOs interference affect a decision which could have the potential financial impact similar to that which occur on saturday,

The fact is the referee had awarded the try and the decision was reversed by the interference and misdirection of the TMO

flatpass wrote: ↑Mon Mar 28, 2022 5:37 pm I would venture that there must be a fair bit of embarrassment among SA officials. Very unusual to have a public out-down of a TMO & ref.

I’m very glad to see there may be remedial action taken, and this possibility has been communicated to the fans, instead of brushing it under the carpet.
Little comfort to UR though, who were robbed of 4 vital points.
I hope this lights a fire for this week and we don’t concede two early tries.

Quinton Immelmann’s testicles should be hung on the front gate of Loftus Versfeld as a warning to this weeks officials.

My take. Reid lost the ball before he was able to ground it, because a Stormers defender knocked it out of his hands. It didn't go forward from Reid's hands, it did go forward off the Stormers defender's hand, but I don't think you can call a knock-on from a rip, so no infringment, the ball's still live. If Reid was able to regather and ground the ball, it's a try. The TMO didn't check for that. The only possible infringement is if the Stormers defender played the ball when off his feet, in which case, penalty try, but the TMO didn't check for that either. If Reid failed to ground it on the second attempt, it's probably a goal line drop out - another thing they didn't check for. The TMO claimed the Stormers defender didn't touch the ball, only Reid's hand, which from the footage shown was clearly not the case, and the ball went forward off Reid, which was also clearly not the case.

So yes. We wuz robbed.

flatpass wrote: ↑Mon Mar 28, 2022 5:37 pm I would venture that there must be a fair bit of embarrassment among SA officials. Very unusual to have a public out-down of a TMO & ref.

It’s possible that the fact that the ref was Italian played something of a role in the debacle. His English was pretty good but he didn’t seem to be quite able to get across what he wanted to say, not helped of course, by the Brennan of a TMO.

An Italian TMO would have helped.

(As would anyone with knowledge of the laws, combined with a willingness to apply them).

Note I describe the TMO interference as misdirection because at best his narrative is based and evidence of incompetence .

Is there any reason why the TMO needs to be on site? Surely if this isn't necessary it helps to have TMOs that aren't based in the country they are officiating on.

rumncoke wrote: ↑Mon Mar 28, 2022 5:38 pm The result on saturday is unique seldom does a TMOs interference affect a decision which could have the potential financial impact similar to that which occur on saturday,

The fact is the referee had awarded the try and the decision was reversed by the interference and misdirection of the TMO

Refs (TMOs/TJs) get things wrong every week. Not always in the last few minutes of a match, but a mistake in the 1st 5' could be just as costly.

Cape Town - South African referees boss André Watson says Lions coach John Mitchell was wrong to criticise the assistant referees after his side lost to the Sharks in Durban over the weekend.

Mitchell was unhappy over two decisions in the build-up to Sharks tries and also about the general efforts from the inexperienced duo of Quinton Immelman and Marc van Zyl, who were referee Mark Lawrence's assistants.

Mitchell also criticised the Television Match Official (TMO), Johan Meuwesen.

“There were some dubious officials tonight, so we’re going to have to report the TMO on the evidence that we have.

“That’s something we’ll have to deal with upstairs.

"They won’t change the result, but clearly [the officials] need to be accountable at this level,” Mitchell told SAPA after his side's 32-20 loss.


Even as far back as 2012 Immelman was getting criticised for incompetence.

paddybrown wrote: ↑Mon Mar 28, 2022 6:32 pm ...If Reid was able to regather and ground the ball, it's a try. The TMO didn't check for that.

He did - a number of times the TMO said that Reid had not subsequently grounded the ball. Clearly Reid did (downward pressure, front upper body, on the goal line).
It was almost as if the TMO was just ignoring the facts in front of him and devising as many narratives as possible that would deny the visitors the points.

Lurgan Lad wrote: ↑Mon Mar 28, 2022 8:10 pm Is there any reason why the TMO needs to be on site? Surely if this isn't necessary it helps to have TMOs that aren't based in the country they are officiating on.

The availability of high quality footage from multiple angles is best served at the location.

StandUp wrote: ↑Mon Mar 28, 2022 5:49 pm Quinton Immelmann’s testicles should be hung on the front gate of Loftus Versfeld as a warning to this weeks officials.

I suggest that bilateral orchiectomy is a tad extreme even for thon gross incompetence/misconduct.

I suggest that he be permitted to keep both testicles, but just be strung up by them at the afore mentioned site.

I'm a reasonable and forgiving sort, me.

BR wrote: ↑Mon Mar 28, 2022 9:05 pm

Lurgan Lad wrote: ↑Mon Mar 28, 2022 8:10 pm Is there any reason why the TMO needs to be on site? Surely if this isn't necessary it helps to have TMOs that aren't based in the country they are officiating on.

The availability of high quality footage from multiple angles is best served at the location.

Is it?

From personal experience I would suggest that high resolution imagery used in medicine for diagnosis etc, and which can be available to medical professionals in multiple countries, for discussion and examination simultaneously in real time would suggest that might not necessarily be the case.

Hi resolution teleconferencing should not be that difficult.

Cap'n Grumpy wrote: ↑Mon Mar 28, 2022 9:08 pm

StandUp wrote: ↑Mon Mar 28, 2022 5:49 pm Quinton Immelmann’s testicles should be hung on the front gate of Loftus Versfeld as a warning to this weeks officials.

I suggest that bilateral orchiectomy is a tad extreme even for thon gross incompetence/misconduct.

I suggest that he be permitted to keep both testicles, but just be strung up by them at the afore mentioned site.

I'm a reasonable and forgiving sort, me.

With the lack of mitigation and previous poor record, is there a case to go more severe than medium.level baler twine?