Ex-test referee Jonathan Kaplan believes that a 'captain's challenge' - similar to what a head coach is given the option to do in the NFL - would have negated any controversy in the final moments of Australia's late win against Scotland on Sunday.
Referee Craig Joubert awarded a penalty to Australia with just two minutes remaining on the clock. Bernard Foley kicked the points which put the Wallabies through to a semi-final against Argentina.
Since then, World Rugby clarified that Joubert's decision was incorrect.
Joubert did not have the option to go to the TMO regarding the decision, but if Kaplan's idea was in place, Greig Laidlaw could have asked for the penalty to be reviewed.
Writing for RateTheRef.co.za, Kaplan stated that rugby requires a 'revolutionary change in thinking'.
I have long said that technology is here to stay. But for all the interventions by the TMOs, particularly in respect of foul play, they were hamstrung and could not contribute to one of the defining moments of the tournament. This was not a try-scoring situation and it was not foul play. A captain’s challenge may have solved the problem. We have to give more power to the players and coaches (and allow them to challenge questionable calls) and less to the men in the middle (the best of whom are making errors quite regularly. The game has become too quick and too complex for even the best to get it right, and perhaps we need a revolutionary change in thinking when it comes to game administration. Actually, not perhaps, but definitely!
