Law discussion - RWC, Day 3

There was plenty to talk about on Day 3 as well when some of the minnows became piranhas and bit back – not enough to destroy but enough to cause discomfort.

Canada led Wales 17-9 at one stage, Samoa were aggressive and tough, Portugal were creative and Namibia had the better of Ireland in the second half – in some ways.

We have already given statistics of the World Cup so far and noted with surprise that Namibia, Portugal, Canada and the USA have scored more tries than France.

We have some incidents for consideration.

1. Dissent has a field day

The Samoans start the second half charging. They force a five-metre scrum when Victor Matfield knocks the ball back over his goal-line and Schalk Burger grounds just ahead of Semo Sititi The Samoans stand firm in the scrum and Junior Polu goes right. Into the line comes fullback David Lemi, darting for the line but Juan Smith mows him down to produce a tackle/ruck heap close to the line and just in from touch. Lock Joe Tekori of Samoa takes up a position to the right of this heap of players which is not a ruck because there are no opponents in physical contact over the ball which is, as a ruck requires, on the ground.

Tekori, leans back and with a left huge hand picks up the ball and plunges past Bryan Habana and over the South African line, claiming a try.

The referee signals that Tekori was off-side and penalises him, much to the Samoans vocal dismay. Their dismay continues despite the referee’s protestations that Tekori was off-side..

Off-side at what?

Ruck? There may have been one at one stage.

Maul? There wasn’t one.

Coming in at the side of a tackle?

Quite possibly.

The most obvious off-side was that Tekori was in front of a player of his team who last played the ball – the most rudimentary off-side of them all.

Law 11 In general play a player is off-side if the player is in front of a team-mate who is carrying the ball or in front of a team-mate who last played the ball.

The Samoans were, understandably, upset but the level of their dissent was not helpful. The referee was not going to change his decision because of their dissent. Sititi was reported as being critical of the referee after the match, saying that the referee did not treat the teams equally, which is tantamount to an accusation of bias, which is a form of cheating. He expressed the hope that he would not fined for his criticism.

If the pretournament’s admonitions are to be carried out in cases of dissent this may well be a test case.

2. He pushed me.

In our discussion of the Italy-New Zealand match we discussed the advice given by the television match official when Rolland de Marigny grabbed Sitiveni Sivivatu without the ball and Ezio Galon “scored”. The TMO advised against the try because De Marigny had played Sivivatu without the ball and so prevented him from getting to the ball to prevent the try.

Sean Lamont, a big man, kicked ahead down towards the Portuguese line. The Portuguese scrumhalf Luis Pissarra runs after the ball as Lamont closing in on him. The ball bounces just before the goal-line and just before the goal-line, Lamont pushes Pissarra who falls out of the way of the ball. Ross Ford gathers and scores while Pissarra appeals to the referee’s better judgement. The referee awards the try.

Did Lamont play Pissarra illegally?

Yes.

Could the referee have asked the TMO for help?

Not according to the protocol for the referee may consult the TMO in the matter of foul play only for foul play within the goal area.

3. Dangerous tackles

There have been several tackles that have been dangerous at the World Cup. Paul Emerick’s tackle on Olly Barker has had most action taken against it – a spear tackle that earned Emerick a yellow card and a citing. There were two in the match between New Zealand and Italy, one by Jerry Collins and one by Chris Masoe, that were debatable and looked worse than Morgan Williams’s air challenge, which was penalised. But the one which looked the shattering worst and was penalised was the late, high attack by Brian Lima on Andre Pretorius. Lima had just come on and created history with his fifth World Cup, an immensely popular man in world rugby. He hurt himself and had to leave the field.

Did his tackle warrant a yellow card at least?

Quite possibly.

Was he spared a card because he was hurt? Possibly. Was he spared a card for sentimental reasons? Possibly.
Could one really revive and injured player and then send him off? Yes, but it may have done more harm than good to the rugby name.

Not a tackle, but how about shoving Montgomery after he has dotted the ball down so that he made contact with the advertising board which fortunately was so constructed that it gave way? There was nothing to be gained by the Samoan action except injury to Montgomery.

4. Scrums

The scrums in the Wales-Canada match were a problem in the first half when the Welsh scrummage had to be repeatedly reset.

Wales put the ball into four scrums which produced five resets, four collapses, two free kicks and a penalty. That is not a great outcome for scrummaging.

In the Ireland- Namibia match there was a penalty try. The penalty try was not because it was the third collapse or because there was a penalty for collapsing the previous scrum. The penalty try was given because at this particular scrum the Irish had a shove on and a try was probable but stopped by collapsing the scrum,. Collapsing the scrum is foul play – hence the penalty.

5. Line-out option

Late in the first half, Ireland throw into a line-out. The ball does not go into touch and then the next thing Namibia are throwing into a line-out.

The Irish throw had been skew. This gave Namibia the option of a scrum or a throw-in of their own. Their previous three scrums had battled – a free kick against them, possession lost through a wheel and then a penalty against them. They opted for the line-out.

6. In the side

Kees Lensing of Namibia tackles Simon Easterby of Ireland. Easterby falls beyond Easterby. Lensing gets up and plays the ball. He is penalised for coming in at the side.

Two points:

a. As the tackler – and he was a tackler as he went to ground – he is not required to come in through the game

b. but if a ruck has formed, as happened here, than he is required to join from his own side. Lensing did not leap to his feet, aging prop that he is, and by the time he entered a ruck had been formed.

That meant that he was penalised for incorrect entry into a ruck, not incorrect entry into a tackle. Or at least that is how it seemed.

7. To TMO or not to TMO

Referees in the Southern Hemisphere are well used to using the television match official as they do it week in and week out for most of the year. France has, till now, not been using a TMO as they have goal judges. But at the World Cup the TMO is in use.

In the case of Ireland’s last try, scored in the corner by Jerry Flannery, the referee may well have been wise to use the TMO as the try did not look at all a certainty.

The action had started at a scrum. Namibia had put the ball in and Simon Easterby’s early detachment may well have helped Ireland to secure the ball that led to the try. That part of the action could not be referred to the TMO because it falls outside of what is allowed by protocol.

8. Use your head, man

Scotland are on the attack and move the ball to their right. Flyhalf Dan Parks flings out a rocket of a pass at Rob Dewey at centre. The ball strikes Dewey’s head and flies off into the Portuguese in-goal where Portugal grounds the ball.

Decision? Scrum for a knock-on? Drop-out?

It’s not a knock-on because it’s not off hand or arm. The referee awarded a drop-out to Portugal, which was the correct decision.