Huge decision in Ireland vs Italy game was wrong says Nigel Owens
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Incorrect.
Former referee Nigel Owens says the match officials incorrectly ruled out a try for Italy in their defeat to Ireland last weekend.
Louis Lynagh was denied a crucial try in the second half after the TMO ruled that the pass from Tommaso Menoncello in the build-up was forward.
Speaking on World Rugby’s Whistle Watch, Owens said Davidson got it right initially and should have overturned the TMO’s decision.
“I would have liked Hollie to stick with that decision to say ‘No, this is not clear and obvious for me from what I’m seeing on the screen. We’re sticking with the on-field decision,’” he said.
“So when you’re running at 25kp/h and throwing a pass out to a guy who is maybe 10, 15, 20m away, that ball is travelling the same speed as you. So, as long as that ball leaves your hands flat or backwards – it’s not passed forward – whatever happens, that ball is going to land further forward than where you passed it,” he explained.
“So in this instance, when Menoncello is running with the ball, it does not leave his hands forward – that’s the key. It leaves his hands fine, but obviously, it’s travelling the same speed as him. So when it goes to the other side, it is then a bit more forward than where it was when it left his hands.
ITALY COMPLETELY ROBBED!
There’s no way this is not a try. Hollie Davidson should overrule the TMO here based on the evidence of physics. The assistant referee is also in a good position to make the call. pic.twitter.com/Jx8Y7UERj1
— Scoop 🐻 ☕️ (@Rugby_Scoop) February 15, 2026
“What you’ve got to be careful of is that you don’t judge forward passes on the lines on the field because they can really give you an incorrect outcome to the decision-making process.”
“So in this instance here, the ball leaves his hands fine.”
“Even if you’re going to say it’s marginal, it certainly was not clear and obvious enough for the referee to overrule the on-field decision, but they went with the TMO because obviously, he has better views of things. But the try should have stood.”
