The dramatic finish to England\u2019s 31-24 Nations Championship victory over Argentina has reignited rugby\u2019s long-running debate over the role of the Television Match Official (TMO), with former referee Nigel Owens\u2019 previous comments on the issue once again proving particularly relevant.<\/p>\n
The closing stages in Santiago del Estero were dominated by another lengthy TMO review after Argentina thought they had scored a late try. Following several minutes of deliberation, the score was ruled out, prompting angry scenes inside the stadium as supporters vented their frustration.<\/p>\n
The extended stoppages also drew criticism from viewers, with many questioning whether the sport\u2019s pursuit of complete accuracy is coming at the expense of the spectacle.<\/p>\n
\u2b50 Save us to your Google Favourites <\/a>for nonstop RUCK content!<\/p>\n Owens\u2019 warning<\/p>\n Although Owens was not commenting specifically on the England-Argentina clash, the former World Rugby referee has previously argued that rugby has become too focused on achieving perfection.<\/p>\n \u201cWe should aim for good performances that facilitate good games. In my opinion, perfect has become the enemy of the good because people are striving for a standard that is unachievable. A frustrating over-reliance on the TMO is one result of this fear of getting things wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n Owens believes referees are under more pressure than ever before, making officials increasingly reluctant to trust their instincts without video intervention.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udea8 \u201cLADR\u00d3N, LADR\u00d3N\u201d<\/p>\n \ud83d\ude21As\u00ed despidieron los hinchas a Angus Gardner, el \u00e1rbitro que le anul\u00f3 un try a Delguy sobre el final del partido entre Los Pumas e Inglaterra.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfc9La jugada ten\u00eda m\u00e1s de 20 fases y terminaba con el argentino apoyando en el in-goal, pero el TMO consider\u00f3 que\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/zUlwEt0HfG<\/a><\/p>\n