SCOTLAND head coach Gregor Townsend vented his frustration after his side were denied what he felt should have been a match-winning try in a dramatic finale to their Six Nations match against France at Murrayfield.
Townsend believed television replays showed Sam Skinner had grounded the ball but after lengthy deliberation with TMO Brian MacNeice, referee Nic Berry opted not to overturn his original decision that the ball had been held up by the boot of French replacement Yoram Moefana.
“We were celebrating in the coaches’ box having seen the pictures of the ball being placed down on the tryline after having been on the player’s boot,” Townsend said. “That was also after hearing the communication to the referee from the TMO to say that the ball started on the foot and then went on the ground.
“The ref then says, ‘I can also see that on the ground’ then their last interaction was ‘hang on, let’s look at that other angle…yeah it’s inconclusive now, stick with your on-field decision’.
“It was TMO-driven. If the referee is seeing the pictures we were all seeing in the stadium, maybe it’s on his shoulder as well to say, ‘that’s the ball down, that’s a try’. But the TMO was the one who changed his mind and said, ‘stick with your onfield decision’.
I’m absolutely
