Law incidents - August Tests, Wk 2
Scotland beat Ireland at Murrayfield and France beat England at Twickenham, both matches free of controversy but still with a law point or two worth talking about.
We have this week given stats of the two matches. We have also had clips of incidents for law discussion on www.sareferees.co.za, one of which is from Murrayfield, and have discussed some incidents from the Currie Cup of last weekend.
We shall also discuss two letters from readers.
1. Penalty on the half-way line
Ireland attack going left where the have an overlap. Sean Lamont of Scotland rushes forward to defend and nearly decapitates Geordan Murphy of Ireland who manages to get his pass away to Andrew Trimble who scores.
Commentator: “Could there be a penalty on the half-way line?”
There is no penalty on the half-way line but the referee speaks to Lamont before Scotland kick off.
The high tackle was foul play but there was the greatest possible advantage to Ireland – a try.
Because the high tackle happened before the try, there was no possibility of a penalty on the half-way line. If the foul play had happened after the try had been scored, then the referee would have allowed the conversion and penalised Scotland on the half-way line.
Could the referee still have sent Lamont off?
Yes.
It would have been farfetched in this incident. The referee seemed to manage the incident really well.
2. Post try
Scotland lead Ireland 7-3 when Andy Henderson of Scotland charges at the line, right at the padding on the goal post. He hits the padding on the left, well above the ground. Then he pulls himself round to the right side of the padding and falls down.
There is a heap of players and the referee refers the matter to the television match official. The referee points out that the ball had to connect with the bottom of the post, in other words with the ground and the padding, which is regarded as post.
The television match official advises the referee to award a try, which the referee does.
Ground and post simultaneously, not just post, for a try.
3. Not 10 metres
France kick-off to start the second half. The kick is high and dropping short of the 10-metre line when Jamie Noon of England comes forward, jumped and knocks the ball back to England’s side. Raphael Iba?ez, France’s captain, runs forward and reaches up for the bouncing ball but knocks on.
The referee awarded a scrum to England.
Where?
Where Iba?ez knocked on.
If Noon had knocked the ball forward the scrum would have been to France where he knocked the ball forward,
Law 13.6 KICK-OFF OF UNDER 10 METRES BUT PLAYED BY AN OPPONENT
If the ball does not reach the opponents’ 10-metre line but is first played by an opponent, play continues.
4. Limitations on the tackler
Jamie Noon of England tackles David Skrela of Franc. Both go to ground. Noon is on France’s side of Skrela. Without getting up and on his knees he plays the ball back to England who thus win a turn-over.
OK?
No.
That Noon played the ball on France’s side of Skrela was not a problem because he was the tackler. But that he did not get to his feet was a serious problem.
Law 15.4 (c) The tackler must get up before playing the ball.
Penalty: Penalty Kick
5. Noon’s tackle
Reader: In your statistics of the game you say the Jamie Noon was lucky to escape a card for a “Dangerous Tackle”, I disagree, I feel it was a harsh call to even give the penalty.
Noon lifted the French player in to the air yes, but he did not turn him so that he landed on his head, it was in fact a very good, physical tackle.
The previous week Perry was turned upside down, and forced into the ground by two tacklers. This was nothing like that incident.
It seems to me that different referees seem to think different tackles are dangerous. Last week against Wales there were at least 4 dangerous tackles, one person went to the bin, the rest were penalties with not even a talking to. This week one tackle with a talking to.
Matt Davies
Comment: The IRB’s aide memoire to referees of 2005:
Dangerous Tackles – To be treated at the upper end of foul play scale
(red card, and work down, not the reverse)
? High
? No Arms
? Spear
? Tackle on the collar
Any player who puts a player in the air or caused a player to be put in the air has a responsibility to ensure that the player is brought to the ground safely.
Noon put David Marty into the air – gripped his thighs and lifted him up to put him in the air. He did nothing to ensure his safe landing.
6. Hogging the try
Reader: I see that you have one of the tries from the Scotland – Ireland game on your SA Referees website. I was hoping that somebody would look at the first try where the ball came out of a ruck, was picked up and the holder dived back into the ruck to ground the ball.
Given that it was a nothing game, the try didn’t generate any controversy so I am just interested in it from the point of view of understanding the relevant law and to correct my own level of ignorance!
The ball came out of the back of the ruck. Presumably that means ruck over and back to general play.
Player picks up the ball and seeing a gap touches the ball down. In the act of grounding the ball, he touches his teammates.
Are the team-mates now accidentally offside?
Are they now blockers and should be penalised for obstruction?
Are they interfering with play or can they be ignored because they couldn’t disappear?
There is absolutely no way that defenders could get into a position to tackle the scorer – is this a fair contest?
Thanks and I really promise that I am not stalking you!!
Liam Byrne
Comment: The Scots drive and drive at the Irish line. They are right at the line when the ball comes back to Alistair Hogg who picks it up and reaches for ward and grounds the ball. In front of him of several of his own players.
The Scots got where they got through good play. They won the ball back through good play. When the ball came back to Hogg the ruck was over. He picked it up and plunged the short distance for the try.
Those team-mates of his in front of him were legally there. They ware not expected to disappear. With the speed of what happened no defender was going to get to Hogg. His team-mates did not disadvantage any defender. That takes away the need to rule accidental off-side which requires contact with a team-mate who disadvantages an opponent.
Something similar happens art a push-over try. The No.8 scores and the opponents cannot get to him. This may even happen when the No.8 picks up the ball fractionally in front of the line.
