Nigel Owens says that the protocol’s around the clock management needs to be looked at by World Rugby.
As it stands, almost a minute of action can be lost because of a TMO review that takes place after a try is scored and while the conversion attempt is being taken.
If a TMO and referee rule out a try, the clock is not wound back to exclude the conversion. This flaw in the protocol was exposed in the latter stages of the clash between England and Argentina at the Allianz Stadium during the final full weekend of the Quilter Nations Series.
Los Pumas loose forward Joaquin Oviedo was awarded a try in the dying embers of the game, and Santiago Carreras lined up and converted the score some 55 seconds later. However, upon review, referee Pierre Brousset and TMO Eric Gauzins spotted the knock-on by the Argentine forward before the subsequent restart by England was taken.
Wind back the clock
The timing of the events emphasised the need for the clock to wind back, with commentator and former England star Austin Healey pleading with the officials to give Argentina the lost minute back, with Los Pumas needing another score to clinch a come-from-behind victory.
Owens agreed with Healey’s comments when he discussed the prospect of including a protocol to wind back the clock in such instances when he appeared on World Rugby’s Whistle Watch with legendary Wales and Lions centre Jamie Roberts.
“Now Argentina get a disallowed try on minute 78. Okay, so the try is scored on 78.21, Carreras kicks the conversion, and as they’re coming back to the halfway line, TMO review starts on 79.09. So essentially, 50 seconds have happened, right?” Roberts said, reviewing the events.
“So some fans are watching that game and wondering whether rugby should start rolling back the clock because a minute is a long time come the end of the game, isn’t it?”
Owens replied: “At the moment, that is not the protocol; that is not what’s in place, but I think it’s certainly something that World Rugby needs to look at because you’re basically wasting that minute and then chalk that try off, that clock needs to go back.
“So that’s not what the process of the protocol is at the moment, but I certainly would like to see that changed in rolling the clock if that’s the case.”
It makes a huge difference
Roberts says that sometimes situations like this highlight the need for a new protocol that may not have been thought of before, and hopes that a change can be made.
“Often in the game of rugby, it takes an instance like this for it to be brought up at whatever board level it is, get those experienced heads around the table and go, actually, this would be quite a good idea,” he said.
“I 100% agree with you. I think that is a minute wasted, isn’t it? Regardless of when it is in the game, the consequences are significant.”
Owens added: “It’s not just that there’s a minute left or 40 seconds left. I remember doing France-Ireland in 2018 in Paris. There were about six minutes, the clock was in the red, Ireland kept the ball for a record 47 phases, and Johnny Sexton drops the goal over.
“So it’s not just that there are 50 seconds left. What you tend to find is that in the dying moments of the game, one team will hold the ball, and the opposition now gets super disciplined because they can’t give a penalty away.
“So all of a sudden, then you tend to land up having three, four, five, six minutes then of the clock being played in the red. So it’s more than just 50 seconds; it usually ends up being three or four minutes, and those three or four minutes can have a huge difference on the outcome of the game.”