Wrong call.

Former referee Nigel Owens has had his say on the controversial decision to disallow James Lowe’s try against South Africa in last weekend’s series opener.

Lowe scored a stunning solo effort just before the hour mark to level the game before Jack Crowley was called back as he was about to take the conversion after a word from TMO Ben Whitehouse to referee Luke Pearce.

Whitehouse claimed there was an infringement in the ruck, despite Pearce having a clear view of it and seeing no infringement live.

Speaking on World Rugby’s Whistle Watch show, Owens says Whitehouse should not have intervened.

“This is not what we want the TMO coming in for,” Owens said.

“Ben White, the TMO, should not be coming in here, because it’s what we call a very grey area, very technical. It’s not a clear and obvious offence.

“What we want the TMOs to do is come in when it’s clear and obvious, when it’s 100 per cent beyond any debate whether an offence has taken place.

“In this instance, it isn’t. It’s very technical and an offence that we would be playing on for anyway.

“In this instance, the try should have been allowed to stand because the TMO should not have come in for something that is very, very, very technical like this.”