Deadball debate: Tappe Henning clears the clutter
LAW DISCUSSION: Tappe Henning, the URC Head of Match Officials, has moved to clear up the confusion around one of the more contentious decisions of the past weekend.
Griffin Colby and his refereeing team, which included the TMO, denied Bulls scrumhalf Embrose Papier a try with the teams in a scoreless deadlock at the end of the first quarter.
With the Stormers going on to win 13-8, through a 78th-minute maul try, the rubbing out of the Papier effort has become a law firestorm.
Papier celebrated what he thought was legitimate five-pointer, following a brilliant kick chase that saw him dot down the ball just short of the dead-ball line.
While the scrumhalf was confident he had scored, referee Griffin Colby referred it to the TMO to check the grounding.
Papier grounded the ball just in front of the dead-ball line, but Colby and TMO Marius Jonker ruled that the No.9’s knee was already touching the line when he ‘grounded’ the ball, and the try was chalked off.
Those who argued that Colby erred relied on law 21.9: ‘If a player is in touch or touch-in-goal, they can make a touch down or score a try by grounding the ball in in-goal provided they are not holding the ball.’
However, the URC Head of Match Officials, Henning, said the debate is centred around the wrong law.
“The correct law applicable in this case is law 6.9[e],” Henning told @JanDKrugby.
“The law states that the ball is dead when the ball or ball-carrier touches the dead-ball line or anything beyond it,” the veteran match official added.
“Papier’s right knee touches the dead-ball line before he touches the ball, so he is deemed to be in the dead area.
“When he touches the ball, the ball is immediately dead, and therefore it is not a try.
“The match officials’ decision was correct.”
Henning’s comment certainly clears up the clutter that developed around the incident in a brutal and intense South African derby.
It was the Stormers’ eight consecutive URC win of the season (10th in all competitions) and leaves them clear at the top of the URC standings.
They head to London this week, where they will face Harlequins in a crucial Champions Cup encounter.
After upsetting French giants Aviron Bayonnais (26-17) at Stade Jean Dauger in Round One, the Stormers then beat two-time European champions Stade Rochelais 42-21 to top Pool Three.
On Sunday, they will run out at Twickenham Stoop to face Harlequins, before hosting English powerhouse Leicester Tigers in Cape Town a week later.
The Bulls, who have lost their last six matches in all competitions and are desperately clinging to their play-off hopes in both competitions, host Bristol Bears at Loftus this coming Saturday, before a trip to Pau’s Stade du Hameau and a face-off with Section Paloise six days later.
Two Champions Cup losses – 33-46 to Union Bordeaux Bègles at Loftus Versfeld and a 5-50 rout at the hands of the Saints in Northampton – has the alarm bells ringing.
@JanDKrugby
@rugby365com
