Can't blame rugby referees for leaving calls to bunker - Jamie Heaslip

The new bunker review system is a good idea, says Jamie Heaslip, despite some criticism that it encourages on-field referees to leave big decisions to television match officials.

After initial trials in Super Rugby Pacific, World Rugby added the bunker system- where a yellow card is issued when that threshold has been met and then allowing eight minutes for TMO to decide if the foul play warranted a red card - in the U20 World Championship and in this international window in an effort to speed up the game.

One of the most high-profile incidents came in the England-Wales game the weekend before last when Owen Farrell was sin-binned for a high tackle on Taine Basham before having the card upgraded by the bunker official.

The England captain had that decision overturned at the hearing but World Rugby are to appeal that call early last week.

On Sunday, a similar incident occurred when Farrell's Saracens team-mate Billy Vunipola made shoulder-to-head contact with prop Andrew Porter, who was able to continue, during Ireland's 29-10 win over England in the final home Bank of Ireland Summer Nations Series game.

The 30-year-old was initially yellow-carded before having the colour changed to red three minutes later.

Former Ireland number 8 Heaslip was asked if a more clear-cut incident like Vunipola's should just be dealt with by the match referee.

"You don't blame them because the scrutiny and the pressure that their decisions are coming under, for them to involve the bunker, you sit in their shoes, you don't blame them for it," he told RTÉ Sport.

"I think it will take a very confident ref, confident in the way they assess and approach the game and their own skill-set to quickly rattle through the four questions in the framework and do