Lawrence Dallaglio: TMOs and 'paralysis by analysis' is killing rugby
Rugby World Cup winner believes the game's powerbrokers must cash in on the afterglow of a superb World Cup
By Jeremy Wilson, Chief Sports Reporter 9 November 2023 ? 5:03pm
Assistant Referee Nic Berry and Referee Mathieu Raynal watch the big screen as the TMO reviews the play during the Rugby World Cup France 2023 Quarter Final match between England and
Lawrence Dallaglio has issued a call for rugby to use the World Cup as a modernising springboard and has warned against ?paralysis by analysis? with video reviews.
The 2003 World Cup winner has seen how other sports have connected with new audiences and wants rugby to open up its stars to the wider public, including in-game interviews with head coaches and mandatory media appearances from captains and directors of rugby.
Dallaglio also suggested consulting World Cup final referee Wayne Barnes to help balance video replays with speeding up the game, and for the Government to consider an independent financial regulator following the suspensions of London Irish, Worcester and Wasps.
?We need to stop analysing ourselves by action replay in every single situation ? it?s paralysis by analysis,? said the former England captain, warning that it risked ?killing? the game.
?We want to get the right decisions but we also want a game that flows. That I understand is a difficult balance. You?ve got a DOR [director of rugby] on the one hand sending you 15 video replays of the game where decisions should have been made in a different direction. But on the other side, they sit down and say, ?speed the game up?.
?Where does the referee?s role start and finish? Wayne Barnes refereed the World Cup final brilliantly but seemed to get criticised very unfairly, grotesquely and wrongly, because of the decisions made outside of his remit with the TMO [television match official].
?As far as I can remember the referee used to be the guy who made the decisions. That?s rugby?s challenge - being able to make the product really interesting, fun and digestible, not just on the pitch but off it as well, and grow the audience but equally using technology in the right way.
?A lot of people, who have got a lot of respect in the game - coaches and players - are saying, ?maybe we are going just a little bit too far?. Maybe we should get people like Wayne Barnes much more involved, and find the right answers to making the game well refereed but also fluid.?
Dallaglio is also urging rugby?s players, coaches and governing bodies to think about how they can ?piggy back off a wonderful World Cup? and attract supporters beyond the core fanbase.
?The game needs to help itself by giving us the personalities,? said Dallaglio, a pundit for TNT Sports. ?By the end of a World Cup, people know who are playing for England again - I?m talking about if you?re not a rugby fan. We need buy in. I think players and clubs can be a lot more part of the solutions.
?We need the captain after the game to talk about his team?s performance. We need the DOR [director of rugby] after the game and before the game. During the game, why can?t we have the lead coach? He could chat. The only way we are going to grow our game is if people can identify with the personalities and the characters. You watch F1 - you get the head of McLaren, the head of Mercedes [talking] ? you don?t get the third coach.
?People want to understand the personalities. They want to hear from the best players, they want to hear from the best coaches. They shouldn?t be allowed to hide away. I think that they should be non-negotiable if you want the cheque at the end of the season.
?Continually showing head contact collisions is not going to help the game. If you continually show cars smash into each other, you tend not to be too excited about driving. We need to market, and grow the game in the right way, showing the right things, while recognising that concussion and player welfare are very, very important.?
Dallaglio also believes the way the start of the Premiership season has merged into the World Cup must now be capitalised on.
?You?ve got this incredible interest in what was a magnificent international tournament and then some of the best players in the world are coming back to the English league and playing there,? he said.
?We?re 80 days away from the Six Nations. Steve Borthwick will be looking for players he feels are the right players to take England forward - many of which he has in his squad now - but there?s got to be some additions. You?ve got an opportunity to sprint out of the blocks between now and Christmas.
?I always liked the old school competition for places. I don?t like international squads being named early. I think it gives people a comfort they don?t deserve. International squads should be announced a week before you get together. There should be a bit of jeopardy and excitement around them.?
Dallaglio remains a director at Wasps, who have just announced plans to potentially relocate to Kent, where talks are ongoing with Sevenoaks District Council over a new multi-use stadium for elite sport.
?There is a real appetite within Wasps to get Wasps to return to the highest league possible,? he said. ?Obviously there needs to be a bit of clarity from the RFU and Premiership Rugby. Is there any funding?
?There are lots of lessons to be learnt on how to finance rugby going forward. I think Wasps are looking for a mix of institutional and private investment so there isn?t a single point of failure.
?The King [in the King?s speech] has announced that the Premier League [in football] will have an independent financial audit. Maybe the King should announce that rugby should have that same level of independent financial governance.?
Always a Wasp
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