Top 14 talking point: Video glitch try leaves Toulon fuming

Toulon’s 29-27 defeat at Castres on Saturday was their third in as many Top 14 matches this season – and their widest losing margin to date. But the result could have been very different but for a technical problem at a crucial moment.

Top 14 polemic of the week, if not its big talking point after Matthieu Jalibert’s Sunday-night injury, has to be Castres’ stroke-of-halftime try that shouldn’t have been.

TV replays at the time showed winger Adam Vargas’ foot was clearly in touch when he grounded the ball in the corner under pressure from Esteban Abadie. 

But referee Tual Trainini awarded the try and, having had no alert from the game’s video referee, signalled halftime after fly-half Theo Vidal had missed his conversion attempt. 

“We had a clear image that the ball was grounded in the in-goal area – and in that case, our process is simple. We award the try,” Trainini later told French broadcaster Canal Plus. “If no one on the field is in any doubt we let the video referee do his job ... 

“Just as the first replay was starting to play, the system malfunctioned. For my video referee, it was the first time this had happened; he was faced with a frozen screen, unable to verify whether the ball had been grounded, [or] whether the player was in touch. I waited. I didn’t get the information, the player converted, and I blew for halftime. 

“I followed the protocol we were given.”

Video referees in the Top 14 and ProD2 no longer rely on French pay-TV broadcaster Canal Plus for replays. 

Since the start of the season, they have used an independent system, known as Vogo, that gives them total control over angles and replays via multiple feeds that allows them to choose which footage to review and what to show to the referee on in-stadium giant screens.

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It is intended to cut the time taken up by video referee referrals, and reduce errors by ensuring officials have immediate access to the most pertinent footage.

That’s the system glitched at that key moment. Trainini added: “It was only when we got into the changing rooms [at halftime] that we found out [it] had gone haywire.”

According to Canal Plus journalist Guilhem Garrigues, however, video officials also still have direct contact with the broadcaster, and can request additional replays be made available to the match officials via the giant screens – Castres’ Stade Pierre Fabre has two of them. 

Whether Trainini or the TMO realised they were able to contact the match’s TV director directly, remains unclear. But replays of the moment were replayed immediately afterwards on TV if not on screens at the ground, where the feed is routinely temporarily cut following a score.

And, on Canal Plus’ Rugby Club programme, pundit Juan Imhoff also pointed to the fact the assistant referee on that side of the pitch was close to the action.

The Vogo system was working again in the second half, otherwise the referees-assemble protocol, in which the fourth and fifth officials are stationed in the in-goal areas, would have been activated.

Contacted shortly after the game by Rugbyrama, club president Bernard Lemaitre fumed: “When the central referee never hesitates, when he doesn’t consult his touch judges, and when the video replay doesn’t work ... we’re leaving professionalism behind and returning to the amateurism of the 70s and 80s.”

Manager Pierre Mignoni was more circumspect during the post-match press conference, insisting the issue is one for the LNR’s refereeing body. He said: “The footage is there and should be there, as promised, in all matches. If the footage isn’t there, there’s a problem.”

And Baptiste Serin followed his manager’s line. “There will surely be people more qualified than me to talk about it,” he brickbatted to journalists. “I know what I saw. In my view, there were three incidents in the match that are open to discussion. 

“That’s just how it is. Everyone has seen the footage.”

Vargas’ try that shouldn’t have been levelled the scores at 15-15 – after they had been 12-0 down inside the opening 15 minutes. They fell behind again 15-22 and 22-27 in the second period before Remy Baget scored in the corner in the 71st minute. 

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Vidal, 26, starting his first-ever Top 14 match at Castres after signing from third-tier Nationale outfit Albi in the summer, skirted with the upright but successfully converted from out wide to give the home side the lead for the first time.

In the final minute, Baget – who, perhaps, should have been sin-binned for an off-the-ball incident a couple of minutes after his crucial score – then saved his side’s skin by preventing Ignacio Brex grounding the ball in the in-goal area.

And there was still time left following the resulting goal-line dropout for Toulon to work their way in front of the posts to set up a drop goal attempt for Tomas Albornoz. It sailed just wide.

“The coin didn’t land on the right side, again,” Mignoni said. “The drop goal was very well executed. The forwards worked extremely well to put Tommy in a good position. I congratulate them for building the play and attempting that drop goal. 

“Only those who do nothing never miss. He tried. It didn’t work today – that’s life. He has to bounce back from this. It’s not the end of the world. We could have had the match won earlier.”

Sport is like this. Full of injustice and outrage. It will be of zero consolation to Toulon and their fans that – from now on – referees will be very aware they can ask the TV director for replays if they Vogo system fails again. Or that Vogo will be working to understand what happened in Castres on Saturday and make sure it doesn’t happen again.