NEW REGULATIONS extending the powers of television match officials received a mixed reaction yesterday after they were debuted in the Aviva Premiership on Saturday.

Clive Woodward blasted one trial, which increases the use of video technology in the awarding of a try, as “a shocking new rule”.

In matches broadcast live on television this season, the referee can now ask the TMO to rule on any incident between the last stoppage in play and the ball being touched down.

Woodward was reacting to Wasps wing Tom Varndell having a potential try chalked off in his side’s 42-40 defeat to Harlequins because of a forward pass early in the move, near the halfway line.

The former England coach tweeted: “Shocking new rule — TJ [touch judge] will follow the ball, very dangerous re foul play + totally changes the game, awful.”

The directors of rugby from both Harlequins and Wasps both suggested the regulation could be restricted to just the last few phases of play, as is currently being trialled in South Africa’s Currie Cup.

“I won’t argue. It was a forward pass,” said Wasps boss Dai Young said. “There are more tight games in the Premiership than any other league and everybody wants to get the right result so I would be a supporter of it.

“In South Africa you can only go back two phases and that is maybe the way forward, but I think it is important that we get these results right.”

Harlequins boss Conor O’Shea said: “We don’t want to be going back 559 phases and seeing what is going on. If you look at every driven maul, every scrum there will be [penalties].

“It is not that people go in illegally at the time, it just happens. It is a dynamic game. We will have to let it settle a little bit.”

O’Shea raised the point that the system is still open to human error, arguing that Wasps flanker Jonathan Poff was off his feet to win a turnover which led to one try. But that was not referred to the TMO by the referee and therefore was not reviewed.

At times it took TMO Graham Hughes too long to make a decision, which led to prolonged stoppages in play and slow hand-clapping from some sections of the Twickenham crowd.

O’Shea admitted Harlequins got out of jail after they staged a remarkable comeback to open the defence of their title with a victory over Wasps.

Harlequins seemed dead and buried as the rejuvenated Wasps, who had only avoided relegation on the final day of last season, stormed into a 40-13 lead after 56 minutes.

Christian Wade did the early damage, scoring two blistering tries and providing another for Tom Varndell before forwards Marco Wentzel and Tim Payne touched down.

But man of the match Nick Evans, in his 100th Premiership appearance, scored 22 points to lead Harlequins on the greatest comeback in Premiership history.

The reigning champions scored four tries and 29 unanswered points in the final quarter of a breathless match.

After Tom Guest’s charge-down try, Evans set up two scores for Mike Brown and then touched down himself before wrapping up an astonishing victory with a penalty four minutes from time.