Baxter's frustration at TMO calls

 



By Mark Stevens

Exeter Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter has admitted a series of debatable decisions by from TV match officials have left him feeling somewhat "frustrated" by the whole process.

Having experienced issues in previous games against Saracens and RC Toulon, Baxter was again left cursing his side's luck last weekend when TMO Graham Hughes adjudged Henry Slade's second half try had been held up by a last-gasp tackle from Joe Simpson.

In what was always going to be a close encounter at Adams Park, Baxter was adament at the time that fly-half Slade had grounded the ball sufficiently to claim his maiden try in the Aviva Premiership.

With the Chiefs trailing 16-13 at the time, it was pivotal moment in the game and proved ultimately decisive as Wasps eventually went on to triumph 19-16 thanks to a late drop-goal from former England international Andy Goode.

"It's been particularly frustrating," said Baxter. "In the last few weeks, anyone who saw the forward pass for the first try in the Toulon away game won't really understand how a ball which has gone five metres forwards can be a backwards pass. We have had a few moments and at the weekend at Wasps has probably made us a little bit more frustrated."

That incident, coupled with that involving Tom Johnson in the home game against Saracens and also that of last weekend, have understandbly left Baxter frustrated and scratching his head for answers.

"At Wasps it was always going to be an attritional game played in difficult conditions and we scored a perfectly good try and the TMO makes an incorrect call," added Baxter. "I can say it's incorrect because I've been told it was incorrect by the refereeing officials and the TMO himself.

"It's frustrating but, at the same time, you can't feel sorry for yourself based on one call. There were opportunities for us to play better in the game and score and that's what we've talked about as a group, not one TMO call."

There is also a wider debate in the game about the increasing use of TMOs for seemingly obvious decisions, leading to delays and a stop-start feel to many big matches.

"I can understand that way of thinking but the reality is that if they make the right decision then it's a good thing," continued Baxter. "If the TMO just does his job and says 'yep, that's a try, there's nothing wrong with it' in the Henry Slade example, then we'd say he's come to the correct decision.

"The ref did initially think it was a try and the TMO has turned over a correct decision, so it is a strange one. But bigger picture, anything which means more correct decisions get made has got to be good for any sport because that's what we're out there to win games on merit."