May tests - incidents
We have incidents from three Tests at the end of May to discuss – Australia vs Wales, South Africa vs England and Argentina vs Ireland.
We have already given some statistics from the first two of those Tests with particular regard to the messy scrums. For the first week in June we hope to do that for four Tests as France take on New Zealand.
1. In touch – whose ball?
James Hook of Wales kicks diagonally across the field towards the touch-line on his right. The ball bounces along the touch-line, breaking slightly infield from the touchline. The bouncing becomes slower. Standing in touch the Australian fullback, Julian Huxley, picks up the ball as it bounces.
Picking up the ball while standing in touch, means that the ball is out.
Whose line-out?
Law 19 TOUCH AND LINE-OUT
Definitions
The ball is in touch if a player catches the ball and that player has a foot on the touch-line or the ground beyond the touch line.
The place where the ball-carrier (or the ball) touched or crossed the touch-line is where it went into touch.
If a player has one foot in the field of play and one foot in touch and holds the ball, the ball is in touch.
By analogy with the goal-line and the 22-metre line, where a distinction is made between the rolling ball and the stationary ball, it would seem that what Huxley did was clever and that his side should have been given the throw-in. He caught the ball – the law does not requite the catch to be from the air only – and that made it out. Wales had kicked it and so Australia should throw in.
Peter Shortell writes: “IRB Ruling (14 of 2003) dealt with a similar situation:-
‘If a player with one or both feet inside the 22 metre line, picks up the ball which was stationary outside the 22 metre line, and kicks it directly into touch, then the player has taken the ball back inside the 22-metre line, and therefore the line-out is formed in line with where the ball was kicked.
‘If a player with one or both feet inside the 22 metre line, picks up the ball which was in motion outside the 22 metre line, and kicks it directly into touch, then the player has not taken the ball back inside the 22-metre line, and therefore the line-out is formed in line with where the ball crossed the touch-line.'”
At the goal-line, if a defender has one foot or both feet in the in-goal and receives the ball which is moving from an opponent, he gets a drop-out. If the ball is stationary and he, in in-goal, fetches the ball and takes it back to ground it, it would be a five-metre scrum.
The same here. The catching of the ball, is not necessarily the catching of a ball directly from a kick. It could be a bouncing ball and there is no specification of how high the ball had to bounce.
The touch judge seems to be explaining that the ball was bouncing away from the touch-line. That too is irrelevant as it clearly would not apply to a ball swinging away in the air – and the laws say nothing about the direction the ball is travelling in.
2. Penalty try
A penalty try is such a dramatic decision. Often there is debate bout it. There was one in Santa Fe about which there could, surely, be no debate.
The law talks about awarding a try if an offence “prevents a try that would probably otherwise have been scored”.
This time probability had probably been superceded by certainty!
Ireland win a line-out about 10 metres from Argentina’s line. They form a maul with hooker Jerry Flannery joining in at the back. The Irish work the ball back to Flannery and drive the maul at the Argentinian line at a fair speed. They are on their way for a try, but about a metre from the Argentinian goal-line Argentinian lock Esteban Lozada works his way round the side of the maul and pulls Flannery down from behind.
The referee runs off to the posts to award the penalty try.
There is a little tail to the tale. Law 10.2 (a) A player who prevents a try being scored through foul play must either be cautioned and temporarily suspended or sent off.
Foul play?
Law 10 Foul Play
DEFINITION
Foul play is anything a person does within the playing enclosure that is against the letter and spirit of the Laws of the Game. It includes obstruction, unfair play, repeated infringements, dangerous play and misconduct which is prejudicial to the Game.
Law 10.2 UNFAIR PLAY
(a) Intentionally Offending. A player must not intentionally infringe any Law of the Game, or play unfairly. The player who intentionally offends must be either admonished, or cautioned that a send off will result if the offence or similar offence is committed, or sent off. After a caution a player is temporarily suspended from the match for a period of ten minutes playing time. After a caution, if the player commits the same or similar offence, the player must be sent off.
Penalty: Penalty Kick
A penalty try must be awarded if the offence prevents a try that would probably otherwise have been scored. A player who prevents a try being scored through foul play must either be cautioned and temporarily suspended or sent off.
Lozada may well have been guilty of “unfair play”.
3. Getting a word in
a. Early in the match between England and South Africa, the referee called over Andy Gomarsall, England’s scrumhalf and said to him: “This will be the last time that you talk. You are not going to referee the game for me. Keep your chatter down and talk to your forwards, not to me.”
b. Five minutes later, South Africa’s are driving a maul from a line-out. They have good momentum and in the midst of it the referee says to Ricky Januarie, the South African scrumhalf: “Keep quiet, 9.”
When the ball becomes dead the referee says to John Smit, the South African captain: “Captain, talk to your 9. Just as I spoke to them, he’s telling me how to referee.”
That sounds sensible and consistent.
c. A little later in the first half, John Smit of South Africa is to throw in at a line-out. Mark Regan, the England hooker, shouts and Smit and points at him, presumably in an attempt to put him off.
Would the referee be entitled to act against Regan?
Yes. Just as he was entitled to penalise Gomarsall and Januarie.
Law 10 Foul play
Foul play is anything a person does within the playing enclosure that is against the letter and spirit of the Laws of the Game. It includes obstruction, unfair play, repeated infringements, dangerous play and misconduct which is prejudicial to the Game.
Foreword The Object of the Game is that two teams of fifteen, ten or seven players each, observing fair play according to the Laws and sporting spirit, should …..
Could the referee penalise Regan?
Yes? As he did when Bakkies Botha was silly later in the match.
Should he in Regan’s case?
No. Again, as in the cases of Gomarsall and Januarie, it would have been swatting a mosquito with a sledgehammer. But the could tell Regan to behave.
4. Over the top
England throw into a line-out. Chris Jones, the England flank, leaves the line-out, running back and over the 15-metre line. Mark Regan, the England hooker, throws to him. Jones catches the ball.
OK?
No.
Law 19.15 15 Exception: Long throw-in. There is an exception to the law of off-side at the line-out. It applies if the ball is thrown beyond the 15-metre line. As soon as the ball leaves the hands of the player throwing in, any players of the thrower’s team may run for the ball.
This means that a player taking part in the line-out may run in-field beyond the 15-metre line, and a player not taking part in the line-out may run forward across the off-side line.
If this happens, an opponent may also run in-field or run forward.
However, if a player runs in-field or runs forward to take a long throw-in, and the ball is not thrown beyond the 15-metre line, this player is off-side and must be penalised.
Penalty: Penalty Kick
The timing was out. Jones ran and then Regan threw. To comply with the law the sequence should have been throw, then run.
The referee was actually playing advantage to England at the time because South Africa had eight in the line-out to England’s seven and he had tried to get South Africa to conform and have a retriever.
Can you imagine gesturing to explain why you were going back to a free kick!
5. Clever Ricky
England throw into the line-out. Tall Alex Brown is deep in the line-out. In the middle of a pod of three. This back pod moves back over the 15-metre line. Brown goes up and catches the ball and England players gather round as if to form a maul.
Ricky Januarie, South Africa’s scrumhalf immediately goes round behind the England formation and attacks them from behind. Only then does Danie Rossouw of South Africa attack the England formation from the front.
The referee explains that the line-out was over.
There was thus no line-out off-side line. There was also no maul. England were playing the ball. There was nothing to stop Januarie doing what he did.
