‘Where’s the TMO gone?’ Leinster benefitted from a couple of yellow card calls that went against Toulouse, in their Champions Cup semi-final victory at Aviva Stadium. One former England international felt Andrew Porter could have joined then in the sin-bin. Leinster scored 28 points during the two 10-minute windows when Toulouse had yellow-carded players on […]
2 years ago
The Toulouse captain was frustrated with a couple of the referee and TMO calls during the match, but was reflective after the game. For the second season running, Antoine Dupont and Toulouse came to Dublin with high hopes of toppling Leinster. For the second season running, the five-time champions got spanked and sent on their […]
2 years ago
We hope there was a happy ending to the ‘Lucy’s chicken’ saga, too! Bundee Aki may have only started one Test for Ireland on this end-of-season tour to New Zealand, but his reputation as one of the best centres in world rugby has only grown. Aki had the honour of captaining Ireland’s midweek team in […]
3 years ago
“You can disagree with me, but you can’t speak like that.” After a pretty average opening 20 minutes of the 2022 Gallagher Premiership Final, at Twickenham, it all suddenly came to life. Wayne Barnes and his Television Match Official also had a big call to make. Saracens were leading Leicester Tigers 3-0, after an early […]
3 years ago
“He’s human, but that’s what happens.” In the aftermath of Leinster’s 24-21 Champions Cup final defeat, an Irish rugby supporter spotted Wayne Barnes in a hotel, not far from the Stade Velodrome, in Marseille. Not seeking to ruffle any feathers, we were later assured, the supporter approached the Englishman, who had refereed the game, and […]
3 years ago
“I’m not so sure Wayne Barnes had a great game.” When Wayne Barnes has refereed Ireland, over the past decade, the men in green get penalised, on average, an extra two times. Whatever Barnes sees Ireland up to, he does not tolerate (or allow) it as much as other officials. “Every time I watch him […]
5 years ago