Former England star Andy Goode has become the latest person to take aim at the officiating at this year’s World Cup following Vincent Pinto’s red card for Portugal against Wales on Saturday. The bunker reviews, which are different to the Television Match Official as the spectators inside the stadium don’t hear explanations from officials, have already caused a stir at the tournament.
England’s opening game saw Tom Curry shown the first red card of the 2023 World Cup after being adjudged to have caused a head-on-head collision with Juan Cruz Mallia. But other similar incidents involving head contact have gone unpunished, leading to widespread confusion from fans and former players watching.
New Zealand star Ethan de Groot was the second player to have his yellow card upgraded to a red following a bunker review. However, it was Pinto’s red card for Portugal in their defeat to Wales on Saturday that caused a stir on social media.
The winger was shown a late yellow card after a high foot caught Josh Adams directly in the face before the bunker review decided to upgrade it to a red. Goode led an online backlash on the decision, defending Pinto for not purposefully trying to kick his opponent in the face.
The former England fly-half wrote: “Worst decision I’ve ever seen to give a red card to Pinto after the bunker review. He’s falling backwards and lost balance whilst looking the other way! What the actual f**k?!” James Hook agreed with Goode’s assessment on the harsh red card, insisting Pinto had nowhere to go.
He added: “Never easy in games you’re expected to win but with the players we’ve got we need to be better in attack. Hats off to Portugal, they came to play. Disagree with Pinto red card, what’s he supposed to do?”
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Former England No 8 Nick Easter took it one step further on social media, calling on the Rugby World Cup to scrap the review system altogether. “Sack the bunker review off. They can’t get it right, complete incompetence and lack of understanding for the game.
“2 pre requisites for being in the job I would have thought.” Australia head coach Eddie Jones took umbrage with the use of the bunker review earlier this week, calling on huge changes to be made.
He said: “I think our use of the TMO in rugby is fraught with danger; that we’re asking a referee in the grandstand to make decisions on a different angle on the game, through video. And it’s not making the game a better spectacle, it’s not making it a better game for the players, and I think we’re just lucky because international rugby is so popular.
“But I think we really need to improve the game and at the end of this World Cup there’ll be an opportunity to do that.”
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