Springboks v All Blacks, Ellis Park 25/7/2015

[galumay]

Technically it may well have been illegal, but I doubt any referee in the world would've awarded the penalty. The only time I can recall teams being penalised for incorrect halfback positioning was way back when they first brought the law in. I, personally, had forgotten about it and I wouldn't be surprised if professional referees had as well.

I also believe that TMO's cannot rule on set plays. Ergo using replays wouldn't be an option, thus making it a split-second on-field call.

Not so sure about that, referees not infrequently warn the potential receiver/halfback about their posistioning - join the line out or get back.

The law says the receiver has to be 2m back from the linout, (or 2.5m from the LoT.) When I looked at it in more detail its pretty clear to me its borderline, as the ball leaves the hands McCaw is in the process of coming across the 2.5m line - but it would be a question of 100ths of a second so I would let that go.

No doubt the player was lifted prior to the throw, but again it was fractions of a second early, in real time it looks ok.

Importantly the all important question of material impact has to be asked as a pro referee, neither the lifted player nor McCaw's positioning had a material impact, the impact was created by SA's abject failure to mark McCaw, they obviously thought he was a decoy.

So taken all in all I reckon it was a fair call by the ref.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Importantly the all important question of material impact has to be asked as a pro referee, neither the lifted player nor McCaw's positioning had a material impact, the impact was created by SA's abject failure to mark McCaw, they obviously thought he was a decoy.
So taken all in all I reckon it was a fair call by the ref.

If the forensic level of detail that is being applied to this try in some places was done in every case we'd barely have a try scored in international rugby.

 

[PaarlBok]

If the forensic level of detail that is being applied to this try in some places was done in every case we'd barely have a try scored in international rugby.

This, hell the All Blacks won the test, nothing will change this, take it on the chin and move on. This ref, that ref callconspire into depression of the worst kind.

 

[galumay]

If the forensic level of detail that is being applied to this try in some places was done in every case we'd barely have a try scored in international rugby.

LOL! Not really, I think there is usually a healthy level of discussion about tries that change the course of a game where there is any element of uncertainty about the laws involved.

As I say I think the try was legal after my own "forensics", but it was also an opportunity to check out the detailed laws around the lineout and remind myself of their corrrect application.

For what its worth the concensus amongst professional referees seems to be that it was borderline, but legal and again no material impact anyway - which is the critical point many arm chair refs miss.

 

[Strewthcobber]

LOL! Not really, I think there is usually a healthy level of discussion about tries that change the course of a game where there is any element of uncertainty about the laws involved.

As I say I think the try was legal after my own "forensics", but it was also an opportunity to check out the detailed laws around the lineout and remind myself of their corrrect application.

For what its worth the concensus amongst professional referees seems to be that it was borderline, but legal and again no material impact anyway - which is the critical point many arm chair refs miss.

I didn't mean you! I entirely agree with what you've posted.

There's plenty of much much poorer analysis of that try every where else on the internet.

 

[Dan54]

Franklind
( qwerty did, for the past three years actually )

I have just realised that gwerty maybe a lot smarter or further ahead than a lot of us Frank, lets face it in a year or 2(Or maybe 4 or 5) Richie will be too bloody old, gwerty maybe just was predicting it, and will be able to say "I told you so"

 

[Ulrich]

Surprising amount of discussion going on.

It's test rugby and the Springboks lost to the All Blacks at home. Terrible thing, I know.

It's our job as fans to remind the players of that whether it happens once every 10 years or once every year or two. A loss is never acceptable.