November Tests, Week 2 - incidents

Consistency?

All of the Six Nations were in action against invaders from east and south this last weekend. Mercifully, they were matches free of refereeing controversy, but there were still incidents to keep as sharp on our laws as we look at them in action.

We have already given some statistics from the weekend. (Click here.)

Consistency is a watchword when it comes to refereeing - consistency within a game and from game to game. That's what referees strive for and what one expects from top matches with top people in charge.

In Rome Brendan Cannon hit out at Gonzalo Canale. There the referee stated not full contact in the punch but Cannon was sent off to the sin bin after just two minutes of play.

In London Ben Cohen punched Mario Ledesma and Ledesma punched Cohen. There was full contact or at least it looked that way. The incident earned a wry smile.

In London Martín Schusterman of Argentina tackled Ian Balshaw of England after Balshaw had passed. He lifted him up, kept a hold on him and Balshaw was lowered to the ground on his side. Schusterman was cited and exonerated. But, of course, just the citing process is upsetting for the player and his team.

In Dublin Shane Horgan of Ireland tackled Danie Rossouw of South Africa after Rossouw had passed. Horgan did not grasp Rossouw but put his shoulder into him and lifted him upwards. Rossouw was thrust into the air, head down and perpendicular to the ground. He fell to ground. Horgan was not cited.

It's tough to see consistency in these incidents. Maybe geography made the difference.

1. Why isn't it my ball?

Felipe Contepomi of Argentina kicks a high ball down the middle of the field and sets off after it with Gonzalo Tiesi behind him. Charlie Hodgson of England's catches the ball and immediately Contepomi slams into him and with Tiesi drives him to ground. Ben Cohen of England and others gather, and the referee awards the scrum to England.

In response to a query, the referee says: "Tackle was complete. It wasn't a maul."

Referee right?

Yes.

The exception that gives the ball to a swamped catcher applies only to a maul that becomes unplayable. It des not refer to a tackle or a ruck.

Law 17.6 (h) Scrum after a maul when catcher is held. If a player catches the ball direct from an opponent’s kick, except from a kick-off or a drop-out, and the player is immediately held by an opponent, a maul may form. Then if the maul remains stationary, stops moving forward for longer than 5 seconds, or if the ball becomes unplayable, and a scrum is ordered, the team of the ball catcher throws in the ball.
‘Direct from an opponent’s kick’ means the ball did not touch another player or the ground before the player caught it.

2. What about the TMO?

Rodney So'oialo of New Zealand breaks downfield on  a long run. He grubbers to his right where Christophe Dominici of France and Conrad Smith of New Zealand chase the ball, Dominici ahead of Smith. Dominici flykicks the ball over the dead-ball line. The referee orders a five-metre scrum to New Zealand.

Dominici does not agree with this and suggests by rectangular gesture that the referee consult the television match official. The referee does not do so.

Could he have?

Not really. It's not within the TMO's area of adjudication.

As a matter of interest the slow-motion replay showed that the referee was right.

3. Time?

Fabien Pelous is in the sin bin. His time  is nearly up when the referee calls Tome off to allow for the French hooker Dimitri Szarzewski to be attended to. When he is ready for scrum action the referee calls Time on.

The All Blacks get a shove on in the scrum but it goes up in the middle and the referee calls for a reset.

Now Pelous's time of penitence is up and he comes on to take part in the reset scrum.

OK?

Yes.

There is no time off for resetting a scrum.

Law 5.4 TIME LOST

Time lost may be due to the following:

(a) Injury. The referee may stop play for not more than one minute so that an injured player can be treated, or for any other permitted delay.

The referee may allow play to continue while a medically trained person treats an injured player in the playing area or the player may go to the touch-line for treatment.

If a player is seriously injured and needs to be removed from the field of play, the referee has the discretion to allow the necessary time to have the injured player removed from the field-of-play.

(b) Replacing players’ clothing. When the ball is dead, the referee allows time for a player to replace or repair a badly torn jersey, shorts or boots. Time is allowed for a player to re-tie a boot-lace.

(captain) Replacement and substitution of players. Time is allowed when a player is replaced or substituted.

(d) Reporting of foul play by a touch judge. Time is allowed when a touch judge reports foul play.

The time to set or reset scrums - or line-outs - is not included in "time lost".

4. Jumper let down

France throw in at a line-out. High into the sky goes Julien Bonnaire, the French Flank. He catches the ball and plummets to earth.

His fall is not due to anything nefarious by the men in black. The commentator notes that his own people were responsible.

Does that make it OK?

No.

Law 19.(l) Lowering a player. Players who support a jumping team-mate must lower that player to the ground as soon as the ball has been won by a player of either team.
Penalty: Free Kick on the 15-metre line

5. Good conversation

After the whistle had gone, Brendan Cannon struck Gonzalo Canale who reeled away and fell as if laid low by Mike Tyson.

The referee consulted with his touch judges and then called Cannon and his captain Stirling Mortlock over.

He spoke to Cannon and what he had to say was clear,  admirably succinct and delivered with firm calm.

Referee: "If there are any issues after the whistle we will deal with them, not you. I quite clearly and the touch judges quite clearly saw your arm throwing a punch. We believe that full contact was not made. You are very, very lucky that full contact was not made and that is why you are having only ten minutes in the sin bin. When you come back onto the field and I have to deal with you again, it will not be a yellow card. You are very fortunate that full contact was not made."

Cannon made to say something but the referee said: "Final decision."

6. Into the gap

Italy are to throw in at a line-out. They line up with seven players. In the middle is replacement prop Carlos Nieto. He goes across the line of throw and backs into the Wallabies. Then hooker Carlo Festuccia throws  in.

The referee awards a free kick to Australia.

OK?

Law 19.7 (k) Metre gap. Each line of players must be half a metre on their side of the line-of-touch.
Penalty: (k) Free Kick on the 15-metre line

7. Water-carrier off

France are penalised, and Daniel Carter of New Zealand is about to kick at goal. The referee stops proceedings and orders a French water-carrier to leave the field. The water-carrier is not doing anything heinous; in fact he is involved in an act of rewardable charity - giving water to the thirsty.

Referee silly?

Law 6.C 2 THOSE WHO MAY ENTER THE PLAYING AREA

The match doctor and the non-playing members of the team may enter the playing area as authorised by the referee.

3 LIMITS TO ENTERING THE PLAYING AREA

In the case of injury, these persons may enter the playing area while play continues, provided they have permission from the referee. Otherwise, they enter only when the ball is dead.

If a penalty kick is being taken at goal, the ball is not dead. If water-carriers were allowed on - and this was not an injury - willy-nilly when kicks are being taken at gaol, chaos could ensue.

8. O'Gara drops to convert

David Wallace of Ireland has scored a splendid try against South Africa and Ronan O'Gara tees the ball up for a relatively easy conversion. There is a strong wind at the Irish backs and it blows the ball off the tee.

O'Gara darts forward as the South Africans charge and drops at goal. He misses.

Law 9.1 B CONVERSION KICK

DEFINITION

When a player scores a try, it gives the player's team the right to try to score a goal by taking a kick at goal; this also applies to a penalty try. This kick is a conversion kick. A conversion kick can be a place kick or a drop kick.

So the drop kick is OK.

Law 9.2 (c) If the ball falls over before the kicker begins the approach to kick, the referee permits the kicker to replace it without excessive delay. While the ball is replaced, the opponents must stay behind their goal-line.

If the ball falls over after the kicker begins the approach to kick, the kicker may then kick or attempt a dropped goal. If the ball falls over and rolls away from the line through the place where the try was scored, and the kicker then kicks the ball over the cross bar, a goal is scored.

If the ball falls over and rolls into touch after the kicker begins the approach to kick, the kick is disallowed. Penalty: (a)-(captain) If the kicker's team infringes, the kick is disallowed.

If the ball rolled over before O'Gara had started his run, he would have been allowed to place the ball again.

If the ball rolled over after O'Gara had started his run, he would not be allowed to place the ball again.

O'Gara did not seek to have the privilege of placing the ball again, as he opted to pick it up and drop it.

9. Drop-off

Phil Godman of Scotland kicks off to start the second half.

Let's ;pretend that this is what he does: He drops the ball down onto his instep from where he foots the ball a, long the ground with his men in pursuit.

OK?

We know that kick-offs are done with drop kicks.

Definitions: Drop Kick - the ball is dropped from the hand or hands to the ground and kicked as it rises from its first bounce

Sequence: ball dropped - ground - boot

What we described is ball dropped - boot - ground.

Let's pretend that Godman's kick was not a drop. What then.

Law 13.1 (b) If the ball is kicked off by the wrong type of kick, or from the incorrect place, the opposing team has two choices:

To have the ball kicked off again, or
To have a scrum at the centre of the half-way line and they throw in the ball.

10. Uncontested line-out maul

This refers to what we have dubbed the Lensbury Laws (click here).

Reader: As long as the line-out remains the team not in possession may not retreat from the line-out.
 
So, does this mean that if the team in possession has not formed a maul and the defending team does not engage, and also cannot retreat, the ball is in open play and the opposition can move forward, (almost laterally), to come around the unformed 'maul' and secure the ball. After all no maul has been formed.
 
However unlikely this may be, what would any decent back row player do?

Comment: Once the ball has left the line-out - passed, carried, kicked, tapped, knocked - then the line-out is over and general play ensures. There are no off-side lines. People  may play the ball in accordance with the laws governing general play.