"Embarrassing" - Why Springboks vs All Blacks was suddenly halted for more than 15 minutes

Play was stopped for more than 10 minutes in Baltimore, with players from both sides forced to wait on the field while officials attempted to resolve the problem.

The lengthy delay was caused by an issue with Dickson’s referee communications equipment.

The English official appeared unable to communicate properly with the rest of his officiating team, leading to an extended stoppage while technicians worked to fix the problem.

Communication between the referee, assistant referees and TMO is essential during an international Test, particularly when incidents need to be checked or decisions reviewed.

With the problem preventing the officiating team from operating normally, the match could not immediately continue.

Players were left standing around during the unusual interruption, with the stoppage eventually stretching beyond the 10-minute mark before play was able to resume.

The bizarre scenes came during the deciding Test of the four-match Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series between South Africa and New Zealand.

The lengthy stoppage quickly sparked a reaction from supporters watching around the world, with many questioning why the match could not continue without the communications system.

One fan wrote: “This delay is frustrating.”

Another was considerably more critical, posting: “What an utter farce rugby is at times. Just get on with it.”

A third described the situation as “embarrassing for the sport” after the officials’ communications failed to work properly.

Others questioned rugby’s reliance on technology, with one supporter writing: “Shows where the game has got to where the ref can’t talk to the video ref so we can’t work out how to keep the game going! Mad!”

There was also some humour amid the frustration. One fan joked: “They must talk via the DJ booth at this point.”

Another supporter pointed to the setting for the series finale, writing: “Always some sort of technical issue when teams play rugby in the USA.”