'Must have been getting a coffee' - officials off to wobbly start in Rome
The standard of the officiating in the opening minutes of Italy and Ireland’s Guinness Six Nations game in Rome has been ridiculed on social media.
An apparent try by Ireland second row Iain Henderson wasn’t awarded by referee Mathieu Raynard even when referred to Television Match Official (TMO) Romain Poite. Henderson was clearly not pleased having asked Raynard to review the call.
The ball bounced out of his hand after he appeared to touch it down over the line, which was spotted by just about the entire internet, but not the officials in Rome.
Could someone check in the box to see if Romain Poite is awake @BrianODriscoll ? #ITAvIRE pic.twitter.com/Y1H8J7OnMv
— paul mcmenemy (@paulmoneymore) February 27, 2021
Confusion…
TMO have checked and it is still NO TRY
Watch LIVE
? @ITV
? https://t.co/JZGrxmYzw4#ITAvIRE #GuinnessSixNations #ITVRugby pic.twitter.com/pDz9gqZZUS— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) February 27, 2021
Former Ireland number 8 Jamie Heaslip tweeted: “I’m still confused how they missed Henderson try!?! Direct and quick play from Ireland in the opening exchanges.”
I’m still confused how they missed Henderson try!?!
Direct and quick play from ireland in the opening exchanges #ITAvIRE
— jamie heaslip (@jamieheaslip) February 27, 2021
Former England flyhalf Andy Goode wrote on Twitter: “Romain Poite being Romain Poite on TMO duty and missing a clear try for Henderson!! Must have been getting a coffee.”
Romain Poite being Romain Poite on TMO duty and missing a clear try for Henderson!! Must have been getting a coffee…… #ITAvIRE pic.twitter.com/hIUmKHkF24
— Andy Goode (@AndyGoode10) February 27, 2021
*Checks who TMO is* …ah. #ITAvIRE pic.twitter.com/IbXZJ5hBhR
— Ben Coles (@bencoles_) February 27, 2021
That was clearly a TRY for Henderson. What game is the TMO watching?#ITAvIRE
— Guy Arnel (@GuylArnel) February 27, 2021
Looks like they're using the 3rd umpire from the India-England test as TMO in the #ITAvIRE match!
— Gareth Williams ??????? ?? (@garrob66) February 27, 2021
Looking at a replay of disallowed try from @IrishRugby by TMO is shocking. Even I could've given that try with the technology they are given. #ITAvIRE #shocking
— petrus (@sport2222) February 27, 2021
Is Stevie Wonder doing the TMO today? #ITAvIRE pic.twitter.com/Fy86u3BLRt
— BenchWarmers (@BeWarmers) February 27, 2021
I whip this out every match. But here we go again. Ref and TMO looking at Henderson’s try #ITAvIRE pic.twitter.com/ZdasAucPIL
— Clare Molloy (@ClareeMolloy) February 27, 2021
It didn’t stop Ireland scoring a few minutes later through centre Garry Ringrose.
Italy, who made a late change to their team with Callum Braley replacing Stephen Varney at scrum-half, started brightly and went 3-0 ahead in the fourth minute thanks to a Paolo Garbisi penalty.
The lead lasted just two minutes as returning Ireland captain Sexton converted a penalty at the other end.
Ireland arrived in Rome to take on Italy on the back of their worst start to a Guinness Six Nations campaign.
Andy Farrell’s side have scored a tournament-low two tries in defeats by Wales and France.
Head coach Farrell made seven changes to the team beaten by Les Bleus on February 14, including recalling skipper Johnny Sexton and vice-captain James Ryan following head injuries.
Hosts Italy, who have named an unchanged starting XV following the 41-18 loss to England, have not won a championship game for six years and will be hoping to avoid a 30th successive defeat in the competition.
– additional reporting PA
Comments on RugbyPass
anybody who bends at the waist when they tackle
3 Go to commentsThe evidence is not strong that this is necessary. Mounga choked on clutch kicks in the WRC final and lost the match by not performing his core goal kicking role to the level required. He also choked in the Semi final against England and was targeted as the weak point in the defence allowing them to score. Not a test great frankly. Why bend the rules for a player that is competent but not brilliant at test level?
11 Go to commentsDear Robbie, Please return to the Crusaders next season. Sincerely, Scott
1 Go to commentsDid the big E call the Irish the ‘White Can’ts’? That would’ve been good
30 Go to commentsDalton Papalii will be lucky to be selected on the Matchday 23. Ardie Savea, Ethan Blackadder, Luke Jacobson, and Peter Lauki are all as good or better openside flankers
9 Go to commentsScott Barrett is a lock and they have a much longer shelf life than a loose forward. Far more likely that Barrett will still demand a starting position based on performance at age 33 at RWC 2027 than Savea, whose explosive athleticism will have declined and he will in all likelihood have been surpassed by Hoskins Sotutu, Wallace Siti, Peter Lauki and Brayden Iose.
9 Go to commentsExtremely frustrating to get yet more speculation over whether or not Eben actually counted 12 players or not, but honestly big respect to McCloskey for keeping it classy and not pointing out Etzebeth’s hypocrisy. The Irish are a popular team outside of Ireland because they do their talking on the pitch, and its honestly a PR masterclass that they’re keeping it that way following Etzebeth’s provocation.
30 Go to commentsGood option for the lineout lost there.
1 Go to commentsIt’s not like Saffas have a long history of spouting absolute shite at any & every occasion. Oh wait… The dangers of an inferior third world education strike again.
30 Go to commentsI’m so glad we’re revisiting this. Really needs to be dissected further. I’m also so glad that a guy in the stands who wasn’t anywhere near the field when any of it would have been said (and even confirms this) has taken the lead and commented as Ireland. Definitely cleared it all up. This article would be hilarious if it wasn’t so misleading.
30 Go to commentsits such a shame he hasn’t achieved more success at club level. He’s really not been a potent finisher for a while now, but he’s still excellent in the kick chase. That’s the kind of skillset that generally only gets appreciated when you’re playing in premiership and european finals. I’m not sure whether the challenge cup counts given the quality of the competition seems lower than in previous years, but his duel with Mapimpi should be enthralling.
1 Go to commentsThe point is the irish players were arrogant,call it like you want sugar coat it aswell but they were you could see it in their way they handeled themselfs on the field when they got something right so dont tell me it was not arrogance it was,you can fool other people but not me,and to say to one of our players see you in the final put a nail in the coffin for this bullsh@t,just be grown men and accept it that you were arrogant,you could if seen it from a mile away, and then you lost to the allblacks what a cocky move that didnt work out for you ,Eben was right when he said u were arrogant,the point is you will deny it because you lost it all just grow some balls and move on we had won you lost accept it.
30 Go to comments“summer tour of North and South America” so its a summer tour of america?
1 Go to commentsEverybody is giving the Irish players the benefit of the doubt in ‘what they meant’, but none of these pundits or commentators offer the same courtesy to Eben. I don’t think Eben went, 1, 2, 3… etc. What might have happened is he didn’t count and when the 3rd or 5th guy said he went, hang on why are so many of them saying this… and then started to concentrate on it more and more as players continue to say it. So no, he didn’t count it, he realised many Irish players said it and made an assumption based on that… The Irish team was VERY confident at the time and I do believe they believed they were going to win the World Cup, which borders a bit on the arrogant side…
30 Go to commentsI can see how some of the Irish players would have said”see you in the final” as a gentle comment after a victory. It’s open to interpretation but it’s clumsy language. I don’t know the fella but I assure you Eben doesn’t have an axe to grind with Ireland. He has never been the media seeking pro. Oh and BTW it is I’ll be our winter in July so won’t be wet.
30 Go to comments*McCloskey*: _I saw this clip. Like, I wasn’t playing that game; I was in the stands…so you don't know sh!t in other words, infact you know just as much as Goode on this matter. I will believe the guy who was on the pitch when things were said as appose to two people speculating over what was said._
30 Go to comments@ turlough dream on buddy. Your boys are in for one tough time down in sa this summer…
30 Go to commentsI think Goode is looking to establish a platform for himself. Eben said “Probably” so that suggests he wasn’t counting. It’s an estimate Goode. I think even with your short and uneventful experience with the Sharks you probably realise winding up Saffas will get you some airtime. It’s a none event. Move on
30 Go to commentsRugby has never been as structured and synthetically pleasing as it is at this moment. The game is simply beautiful and messing with it too much will ruin it for everyone. I can't help but feel that over the past decade or so many rules have been changed to accommodate a certain hemisphere and counter another. Perhaps I am wrong but I somehow don’t think so.
2 Go to commentsNoted some excellent defensive steals from the Rebs last week against the Reds, largely J Canham, I think. It’s not a Rolls Royce but they are a real threat with their defensive line out at the beginning matches. What do you make of Canham Nick, WBs squad material?
86 Go to comments