VIDEO: The Boks Office verdict on Scotland's late no-try drama
WATCH as the Boks Office crew discuss Scotland’s disallowed try against France during the Six Nations Round Two clash.
The match in Edinburgh ended dramatically, as referee Nic Berry ruled out a last-minute try by Sam Skinner, stating the ball hadn’t been properly grounded.
The television match official (TMO) Brian MacNiece spent several minutes dissecting the footage before concluding that the ball was held up.
As a result, France clung on to win 20-16, ending any hopes of a Scotland Grand Slam following their opening 27-26 defeat of Wales.
While Berry and MacNiece felt that the decision was correct, Boks Office host Hanyani Shimange and guests, Springbok legend Jean De Villiers and former England prop Matt Stevens, were divided over the whole incident.
“It was a try,” Stevens said.
“If I’m going to give my opinion, I was pointing at the [television] TV and believed it was a try.”
Shimange also shared Stevens’ sentiments: “I thought it was a try.
“If you look it does hit the boot first before sliding over onto the ground.”
Meanwhile, De Villiers emphasises one has to be wary of going with assumptions and there is a need for conclusive evidence in these crucial moments.
“It is easy for us to sit here to say it was or it wasn’t, but I don’t think people understand how important that initial question from the referee is,” De Villiers said.
“If you say try then all the camera angles, all the officials, all the TMOs need to find a conclusive reason not to award the try and visa versa.
“And conclusive means, seeing the ball touching the ground over the line and they could not do that.”
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