August Wk 3, laws from Tests

From Week 3 we have we are going to take incidents from the matches between Wales and Argentina in Cardiff and France and England in Paris.

So far this week we have given statistics from the matches and also discussed Marcelo Loffreda’s anger with the referee at Millennium Stadium.

We have also discussed incidents from Currie Cup rugby.

In addition there is an interesting set of eight clips on www.sareferees.co.za, two of them from the Cardiff match. We shall repeat those two incidents in case there are people who cannot open clips. The first one has a little bit extra which may be interesting.

We are also looking at the possibility of discussing dangerous tackles with clips as illustrations. There is no doubt that being able to see what happens is better than lots and lots of words.

1. Any reason

What a desperate finish! Argentina, trailing 27-20, charge at the Welsh line with Martin Durand in possession.

Wales defend with big Adam Jones blocking the path but Durand is over and the ball is on the ground.

The referee consults the television match official.

He says: “Is there any reason why I cannot award a try. We believe a try has been scored. Is there any reason why I cannot award the try?’

The question is interesting. If the TMO is unsure the referee has the right to award the try. The TMO does not have to make sure that a try was scored only that a try was not scored.

It is just as well that the referee asked because the replays show that Durand lost the ball. The TMO’s advice is that he knocked the ball on. The referee repeats the advice, blows his whistle to show the knock-on and then blows the final whistle.

Just one little extra thought. If Duran dropped the ball and it went straight down or backwards and he then fell with his torso on the ball, would it have been a try?

Yes.

But the TMO made it clear that there was a knock-on. It was not just a matter of “losing the ball”.

2. Shanklin shoved

from a line-out Wales move the ball to the right just inside their own half. Tom Shanklin of Wales gets grabbed by Martin Gaitan. Rodrigo Roncero and Martin Durand push on Shanklin as Gareth Thomas tries to stem the tide and Martyn Williams arrives as well. The Pumas shove Shanklin back some four metres before the lot collapse in a heap on the ground.

The referee blows his whistle and refers to Roncero, saying: “He can’t move from there. I’m not going to penalise.”

It is a legal principle – nemo ad impossibile tenetur. It’s an obvious principle – nobody is obliged to do the impossible. Roncero could not get out of the way. The referee is right not to penalise him.

The referee orders a scrum because the ball is unplayable. It is a maul which has had an unsuccessful ending.

Whose ball?

Law 17.6 UNSUCCESSFUL END TO A MAUL

(b) A maul ends unsuccessfully if the ball becomes unplayable or collapses (not as a result of foul play) and a scrum is ordered.

(c) Scrum following maul. The ball is thrown in by the team not in possession when the maul began. If the referee cannot decide which team had possession, the team moving forward before the maul stopped throws in the ball. If neither team was moving forward, the attacking team throws in the ball.

That would make it Argentina’s ball.

But say it was not a maul though it gave every appearance of being one. Then maybe it was a ruck – ball-carrier grasped, held and brought to ground and others in physical contact over the ball, perhaps for a short while on their feet..

Law 16.7 UNSUCCESSFUL END TO A RUCK

(a) A ruck ends unsuccessfully when the ball becomes unplayable and a scrum is ordered. The team that was moving forward immediately before the ball became unplayable in the ruck throws in the ball. If neither team was moving forward, or if the referee cannot decide which team was moving forward before the ball became unplayable in the ruck, the team that was moving forward before the ruck began throws in the ball. If neither team was moving forward, then the attacking team throws in the ball.

But say it was not a ruck, then certainly it was a tackle – ball carrier held and brought to ground.

Law 15.8 DOUBT ABOUT FAILURE TO COMPLY

If the ball becomes unplayable at a tackle and there is doubt about which player did not conform to law, the referee orders a scrum immediately with the throw-in by the team that was moving forward prior to the stoppage or, if no team was moving forward, by the attacking team.

The referee thought that Roncero had failed to comply but believed that he simply could not comply.

The Pumas were certainly moving forward and they were in the Welsh half of the field which made them, by law, the attacking team.

It’s hard to see a reason for awarding the scrum to Wales.

This happened at about 62 minutes.

3. Shaw cross

England are to throw the ball into a line-out for the third time. Mark Regan, the thrower, hoists the ball. Simon Shaw standing at No.3 in the line-out suddenly lunges across the line-out in front of Fabien Pelous of France. Regan throws in and Martin Corry rises up at No.3 and catches the ball. The referee awards a free kick against Shaw for closing the gap.

The referee was right. It is not an uncommon practice.

4. Knock-on?

James Hook of Wales hoists one high. Federico Serra of Argentina comes and jumps to catch the ball. He turns his back on the ball which hits his hands which are now facing his own goal-line. He fails to catch the ball which goes to ground and then bounces forward past him.

Knock-on?

If the ball went forward off his hands, i.e. went from his hands in the direction of the Welsh line it was a knock-on.

If it went towards his own goal-line off his hands and then bounced forward, it was not a knock-on.

This happened around 70 minutes.

5. In the way, ref!

Wales win a turn-over and go in for pick-‘n-go. Alun-Wyn Jones has the ball and is brought to ground. But Tom Shanklin is there to pick up the ball and runs in an arc around the referee. Gonzalo Longo of Argentina is behind the referee and cannot get to Shanklin.

The referee blows his whistle and awards a scrum to Wales for being in the way.

Yes – in common sense but not in the direct letter of the law.

The letter of the allows for a stoppage if the ball-carrier touches the referee and gains an advantage. Shanklin gained an advantage here ands the referee was fair in stopping play, which he is allowed to do at his own discretion.

Law 6.A.8 (b) The referee has the power to stop play at any time.

The scrum is then awarded to the team which last played the ball. In this case Wales.

Law 20.4 (d) Scrum after any other stoppage. After any other stoppage or irregularity not covered by law, the team that was moving forward before the stoppage throws in the ball. If neither team was moving forward, the attacking team throws in the ball.