LAW DEBATE: Should Papier’s try have stood?
OPINION: Embrose Papier’s disallowed try in the Bulls’ clash with the Stormers at Cape Town Stadium may have seemed like a straightforward decision, but it has raised questions about how one of rugby’s lesser-known laws is interpreted, and whether it was applied correctly in one of the United Rugby Championship’s most highly anticipated matches.
Papier thought he had opened the scoring in the 18th minute of the game following a brilliant kick chase that saw him dot down the ball just short of the dead-ball line.
Though the scrumhalf was confident he had scored, referee Griffin Colby immediately referred it to the TMO to check the grounding.
Papier had managed to ground the ball just in front of the dead-ball line, but upon further inspection, it was decided that his knee was already touching the line when he scored, and the try was chalked off.
The decision seemed straightforward, but it may have been the wrong one.
According to 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.’
In other words, a player can press down on the ball to score even if the player himself is outside the field of play.
So the question is not whether Papier’s knee was touching the line, but rather whether he assumed possession of the ball before scoring.
To his credit, Colby did seem to cite this law loosely while debating the try.
“So in order for him to score the try, the ball has to be on the ground, not in the air,” Colby said to his assistant referees.
The problem is that the review never clearly settled that point. In a competition where margins are thin and decisions are magnified, clarity matters. This was less about a missed try and more about whether the law was fully applied, or only partially remembered.
After reviewing the footage and the wording of the law, we do not believe Papier ever took possession of the ball before grounding it. The action appears to be a clear press down rather than a moment of control, which would make the position of his knee irrelevant under law 21.9.
That does not mean the decision was reckless or careless, but it does suggest the law may not have been fully applied. How would you have interpreted the law, and would you have awarded the try?
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