Saints boss Mallinder brands communication breakdown ‘rubbish’

The Top 14 team ran in five tries, with Brice Dulin grabbing a double and Henry Chavancy, Eddy Ben Arous and Juan Imhoff also registering.

Saints could only claim a single JJ Hanrahan penalty at the end of a sobering night, but Mallinder felt his men should have had a try.

Luther Burrell went over just before the break, but the score was disallowed after referee George Clancy was forced to make the decision without the use of the TMO.

The line between Clancy and the television match official had broken down, robbing the man in the middle of the advice needed to make the correct decision.

And Mallinder said: “TMO not working - it’s rubbish!

“We came here last year and it didn’t work - no camera angles - and it happened again today.

“In a game like this there are crucial 50/50 calls, other calls that would have gone to the TMO, and it didn’t happen.

“It’s frustrating. We came up against a very good side and when you’re away from home you need every help you can get. We didn’t get it today.”

And he added: “It was looked at, but he (Clancy) couldn’t get the right angles.

“It’s French broadcasters who couldn’t get the right angles and there’s no contact with the TMO so the referee had to make his own decision, but that’s not right.

“Luther Burrell said he put the ball down, so let’s get the angles, you’ve got to have that.

“I’m not blaming the referee - he had to make a decision and he went for it himself. He should have had help from the TMO.”

But Mallinder did acknowledge that his side had a task on their hands, with or without the TMO.

He said: “We came up against a Racing team who played really well.

“They’ve got some big men up front and when they get on the front foot, they’re very difficult to stop.”