Leave the referee to do his job

Before the biggest rugby spectacle is played out in the United Kingdom next year, the International Rugby Board needs to get its house in order.

One of the pressing issues is arresting the growing tendency for TV replays of on-field events that, as witnessed in the All Blacks-England test at Twickenham last weekend, can unduly influence those controlling the game on the field.

While regular rugby watchers will attest to the abilities of referee Nigel Owens, a man who has shown excellent understanding of the rules and proven to be among the best in the game, he did not have a "blinder" in this match.

It wasn't just that some of his decisions were inexplicable. All Blacks hooker Dane Coles got his just desserts for retaliating against jersey pulling; retaliation always draws a penalty.

But a little later Owens gave the ABs a penalty when an England player committed a cynical foul to stop the All Blacks stone dead and with the tryline beckoning.

Even more bewildering - and certainly more worrying - was the constant replaying of Charlie Faumuina's try after Owens had confirmed he had scored.

In the laws of the game, that decision is final. Yet despite that, someone in the TV production booth persisted in replaying that try, confused by the try line and another white line which was part of a slogan painted (or digitally imaged) on the in goal area about 30cm beyond the tryline. It was that persistence which then had Owens signalling a replay, after he had awarded the try and Beauden Barrett was getting ready to attempt to convert it.

Owens got it horribly wrong, persuaded by those relentless replays which were beyond the brief of the assistance expected to be provided by the television match officials.

The task of the referee at this level of rugby is difficult enough without distractions like big screen replays casting doubt.

The replays are a useful tool, but the IRB needs to set in stone rules about third party influence because what happened at Twickenham is an example of how critical it can be.

And the shame is that without stricter control it could mar next year's World Cup tournament.