Newport Gwent Dragons flanker Lewis Evans has criticised the Guinness Pro 12 for not having a television match official (TMO) at all matches.
The Dragons host Glasgow at Rodney Parade on Friday night, a week since suffering their third defeat in their opening four matches – a 27-11 loss at Treviso.
Evans insists the result in Italy was undermined by poor decision-making and in particular the lack of a TMO.
In the English Aviva Premiership, all matches are supervised by a TMO who sits inside the broadcast truck, alongside the TV match director.
But in the Pro12, the broadcasters and the league do not have a common policy to fund a TV truck at all venues – only those that are transmitting a live broadcast.
Evans also claimed Irish referee John Lacey did not communicate effectively with Dragons skipper Hallam Amos.
“I don’t think we got the rub of the green out there in terms of the officiating,” said Evans, writing in a column for the South Wales Argus.
“I don’t think it reflects well on the Pro12 when there are no TMOs at certain games while the referees’ mics broke down at half-time, which didn’t exactly help things.
“It looked to me that Tyler Morgan was first to the ball for their opening try that came from a chip through while I also found some other decisions baffling.
“It would have been a big learning experience for Hallam Amos in his first game as captain having to endure the frustration of coming in from the wing only to be denied the chance to talk to the referee, who was Irishman John Lacey out there.
“From personal experience I know how good it is to be refereed by Nigel Owens because he not only uses his common sense but he talks to the players, communicating all the time about how he is seeing things and what standards he expects of them.”
Evans returns to the team as skipper against Glasgow as one of 10 changes to the Dragons line-up.
Wing Pat Howard returns to the back three alongside fellow wing Hallam Amos and fullback Carl Meyer. The centre partnership is all change too with Sam Beard and Jack Dixon getting the nod. Fly-half Nick Macleod is back in the mix too, after sitting last week’s game out due to a lower leg injury. Macleod is joined in the half-backs with scrum-half Sarel Pretorius.
The front row sees two changes made to it as hooker Thomas Rhys Thomas returns to join prop Sam Hobbs, with Brok Harris also starting. The second row has one change made it is with Matthew Screech joining Rynard Landman. The back row sees the inclusion of skipper Lewis Evans at number 8 who joins flankers Nick Crosswell and Nic Cudd.
The replacements bench has five changes made to it as Rhys Buckley, Cory Hill, Charlie Davies, Angus O’Brien and Tom Prydie join Thomas Davies, Craig Mitchell and Harrison Keddie.
Newport Gwent Dragons:
15 Carl Meyer, 14 Pat Howard, 13 Sam Beard, 12 Jack Dixon, 11 Hallam Amos, 10 Nick Macleod, 9 Sarel Pretorius; 1 Sam Hobbs, 2 Thomas Rhys Thomas, 3 Brok Harris, 4 Matthew Screech, 5 Rynard Landman, 6 Nick Crosswell 7 Nic Cudd, 8 Lewis Evans ©.
Replacements; Rhys Buckley, Thomas Davies, Craig Mitchell, Cory Hill, Harrison Keddie, Charlie Davies, Angus O’Brien, Tom Prydie.
