Champions Cup final's bizarre end: Referee Owens has feisty exchange with his TMO
The 2020 Champions Cup final will go down in history as one of the best spectacles ever in the 25-year history of the sparkling European tournament, but it also had a bizarre American football-style review of the clock right at the finish involving Nigel Owens before Exeter were confirmed as 31-27 winners over Racing.
Veteran Welsh official Owens, taking charge of his seventh European final, initially called time out after he had awarded a last-minute penalty to Exeter with the Chiefs ahead 28-27 in the eight-try thriller.
Before Exeter had made their decision to kick for the posts, Owens was heard on his referee mic saying to his timekeeper in the stands, “Time out. Stop the clock. Take the clock back six seconds, take the clock back five seconds, please.
“There is too many people talking here. Take the clock back five seconds. I have taken the clock back five seconds. The time is 79:32.”
This was followed by a short delay for the kicking tee to arrive for Joe Simmonds. “Give them five seconds from now. It won’t make much difference now. Time is on,” said Owens. TMO Ian Davies was heard replying, “We’re trying to sort that out Nige, don’t worry.”
The drama! ?
Slight error in the match clock delayed the full-time whistle but @ExeterChiefs are the Champions of Europe! ?#EXEvR92 | #HeinekenChampionsCup | #VMTVRugby pic.twitter.com/X7bjkFHlFW
— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) October 17, 2020
Simmonds, the 23-year-old Exeter skipper, stepped forward to score the kick but the match then descended into further confusion on the halfway line with Racing lined up for a quick kick-off in the belief there was still time remaining.
That led to Owens intervening once more. “Hang on, hang on. Time out. We need to be clear what has happened. Hang on. I’m going checking here now. The time keeper didn’t put it on for some reasons. Wait a minute. Captain please come here,” he said, calling over Racing’s Henry Chavancy.
“I’m going to check with TMO if the clock had gone 80 before the kick is over. If it was it is the end of the game. If it’s not we will be kicking off. Okay? Apologies for this. Right, TM, please confirm for me if time was up before the kick was over?
ID: “Okay Nigel, I will explain what happened. You asked for time to go on. We were working with the producers to get that clock turned on. They were unable to do so when you asked. Okay? However, when the ball crossed the posts it was around 79:57. Okay? The clock should have been in excess of 80 because the clock was not put on.
NO: “Okay, so you’re telling me… all I want to know is when the ball went over the posts was the time up, yes or no?
ID: “Technically, yes the time was up.”
NO: “I don’t want your technically. I need to now is the time up yes or no please when the ball went over the post.
ID: “The clock was on 79:57 when it went over.”
NO: “So, it’s not over then?”
ID: “I will repeat, when you asked for the clock to be put on we were unable to do so on the TV.”
NO: “Right, so the time is over, you’re telling me?”
ID: “Yes, the time is over.”
Owens then turned to Racing to say he had just had “confirmation the time is over before the ball was over” the posts from Simmonds kick. He then blew his whistle to signal full-time, confirming Exeter were European champions and leaving Racing to lick the wound of a third Champions Cup final defeat in five seasons.
Will @ExeterChiefs be the new driving force in European rugby?
Exeter were in the fourth tier of English rugby when @StadeToulousain won the first ever @ChampionsCup in 1996 ?#C4Rugby #HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/WNmTPMYjZn
— Channel 4 Sport (@C4Sport) October 17, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
Hey Finn, Well done to the Junior Wallabies…a win is a win but it was a wet and scrappy game. Would be interesting to hear your opinion on two things from watching the game at the Not So Sunny Coast Stadium. Firstly, what is your opinion on the rule change of being able to call The Mark from a kick off and what is the reason for the change? Secondly, your thoughts on the lack of action for the high tackle on the SA fullback. I understand the TMO ruled that he had fallen into the tackle and the tackler didn’t have time to adjust but it was clearly shoulder on head and the Aussie 11 had not made any attempt to adjust his tackle height leading into the tackle. In my opinion he was never going to get his tackle technique correct to complete a safe tackle. If that tackle was made at a more senior and more scrutinised level would we have seen the same result?
2 Go to commentsI don’t think this has been ventilated enough. Discuss. Perhaps the lesson in all of this is that, in the game of life, one should do all the talking on the field of play. And in the game of rugby, what’s said on the field - stays on the field. Take care of yourselves. And each other.
28 Go to commentsLow skills compared to the Junior ABs. The ball handling and ball retention of the SAns in particular was utterly woeful. The latter will be better on home turf.
2 Go to comments1. Heard this so often over the yrs. One Warriors CEO even claimed future kids wouldnt know which came first, the ABs or the Warriors. Always keen to talk themselves up. 2. That fella Barakat who says he will drop HBHS sponsorship because HBHS quite rightly wants its players to focus on rugby is an odd fit as a sponsor in the first place. As a recruitment official for the Warriors he seems to regard his sponsorship as a paid licence to help to select players from HBHS for the league side. Maybe he should find a league school to fund.
1 Go to commentsNZ U20s are the team to beat this year for sure. And how nice after so long that NZRFU is actually taking this seriously. For far too long they have been sending woefully coached and woefully underprepared teams to the U20 WCs. That Wrampling boy is a star in the making.
2 Go to commentsI agree ..come on keyboard warriors and journalists looking for a cheap win ….. only 2 mins to go 12 points down …this DID NOT decide the game and beside JM was hit after the whistle and in response it was a pat on the back of the head …harmless ….watch soccer if this is your issue
4 Go to commentsRest is for namby pamby sissies, I see. True men should overcome their trifling injuries by playing week in, week out. Bidwell’s stance reminds me of a Jon Gadsby character from the 70s, a rugby captain giving an after-match speech: “It was a very physical contest. One of our players caught a boot on the back of his head in a ruck, and he died, actually. But to his credit, he played on.”
1 Go to commentsI still see nothing in Sotutus play that hes changed his upright running style that failed so many times against decent international defences like the french. Other than that… Iose? Well you have covered his limitations well. If Sititi had been playing the the season… Jacobson? Grace?…Neither shout pick me. So Ardie it is.
1 Go to commentsThere isn’t one element you mentioned there that every top class or successful team gets up to. The great All blacks sides used to play on the ‘fringes or edge’ but it was essentially saying they were doing something illegal or borderline to gain dominance. The fine margins at the top are minute between the top sides. La Rochelle, the crusaders, Saracens, Toulon etc etc…..have all been accused. Get over it, the comment comes across as salty and naive. Northampton as well as they played to get back into the match were thoroughly beaten and controlled for 60 minutes and Leinster have only themselves to blame for kicking it away and hence losing control of the match and being nearly the architects of their own downfall.
2 Go to commentsThere is some talent coming thru thats for sure. The 10 looks special to me. Rico Simpson is a name to look for in the future.
2 Go to commentsI think this quiet honestly is just an innocent misunderstanding by someone who is pig sh*t stupid. Eben is a fine player but by christ, if he can’t understand or get what the Irish players were trying to say to him after the match…..well i hope he has someone looking after his finances, career and is reading the fine print for him, cause life after rugby may be quite difficult for the vacuous echo chamber.
28 Go to commentsIt could be Doris' day!
3 Go to commentsThe whole thing has blown up because Eben’s words have clearly struck a nerve in Ireland. Otherwise they would just laugh it off. I think some former Irish players, commentators and some Irish fans know deep down this Ireland team started to believe its own press and that a certain amount of arrogance had started to creep in during the World Cup. The topic was actually brought up by Irish pundits on Off the Ball recently. It’s fine to be arrogant if you can back it up. Ireland didn’t.
28 Go to comments‘The Irish are good people'. Why is Goode praising a people who hate his own? Wet wipe.
28 Go to commentsLa mejor final que se puede ver en el emisferio norte.
1 Go to commentsA lot of cope from south africans in the comments. Etzebeth is a liar and a hypocrite; you don’t have to defend him!
28 Go to commentsHe got big and really slow for a flyhalf…not sure he’s relevant in a bok conversation anymore
4 Go to commentsBest tourney team vs best team in the regular season for 3 games in RSA - talk is cheap, let’s see what’s what on the tour
28 Go to commentsOne overlooked statistic from their 2016 winning season is the Huricanes are still the only team in Super rugby history not to concede a try during the playoff rounds.
4 Go to commentsThanks for the article, Nick. The Nienaber blitz D does ask a lot of its scrumhalf. I have been watching JGP on D and he often looks like he has mastered what Nienaber asks for better than Faf de Klerk and Cobus Reinach! 🤣 Impressive season by JGP if I must make an understatement.
22 Go to comments