"The referees were not helped." Lyon president Yann Roubert lamented the lack of video refereeing on Sunday, after the defeat of LOU in front of Bordeaux-Bègles (32-25) in the play-offs of the Top 14.
"There's a lot of disappointment, sadness, frustration... even resentment, to be honest. We have the best championship in the world, the best equipped, the one that attracts people in front of the TV. Obviously, many saw that some trials deserved to be reviewed. The only one who did not have access to it was the referee and it's a shame, "said Roubert at a press conference.
"The referees are not helped by the lack of video. Neither do we. All the boys, players and staff, deserved better. It is the work of a year that stops in a cruel way. It hurts and it's going to be hard to digest," the leader continued.
Due to technical problems, there was no video refereeing during the play-off between LOU and UBB. To remedy this, a referee was placed in each goal to judge contentious situations. According to L'Equipe, thunderstorms in the Rhône have led to computer problems, preventing images from accessing the video referee's booth. If everything was fixed in the second half, the League decided not to use it for the sake of fairness.
Two Gironde tries were particularly discussed by Lyon: that of international opener Matthieu Jalibert (6th), as well as that of third line Mahamadou Diaby (46th). "There are a lot of regrets tonight. Viewers understand our frustration, "said Lyon scrum-half Baptiste Couilloud at the microphone of Canal +.
Bordeaux are back in the game! 🔥
The corner try of Diaby and this dam is completely relaunched!
🔥 @UBBrugby #LOUUBB pic.twitter.com/KEdrPHXLAB
— CANAL+ Rugby (@CanalplusRugby) June 4, 2023
"It doesn't exonerate us from our own mistakes. We could have done better, we can be improved. If Bordeaux's first try is not there, everyone knows it, it's not the same game. There are one or two trials that could have been verified on video. It's hard to digest," Roubert said.
Bordeaux-Bègles beat Lyon (32-25) and qualified for the semi-finals of the Top 14, in a week in San Sebastian, Spain, against La Rochelle. The other semi-final, scheduled for Friday, will oppose Racing 92 to Stade Toulousain.