Duncan Casey: If the TMO must intervene, Champions Cup final was a model of efficiency
Every call which TMO Marius Jonker made to referee Nika Amashukeli during the Champions Cup final was on the money. Pic: Adam Davy/PA Wire.
As finals go, that was pretty damn good. Deciding matches of major rugby tournaments often leave a lot to be desired, a combination of nerves and percentage based, cup final strategies resulting in duller affairs than we would like. While a tight result indicates a good battle one way or another, we are rarely treated to the spectacle of free-flowing attacking rugby we would all love to see.
It's fair to say that neither Northampton nor Bordeaux played quite to the level they are capable of on Saturday, both sides guilty of a sloppiness and proneness to error we did not see from them in the semi-finals. Despite this, they still treated us to a gripping display featuring plenty of excellent rugby, quality scores and no shortage of drama. There were numerous standout individuals over the 80 minutes, none more so than the TMO, Marius Jonker.
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