The Christchurch thriller

Stats and discussion

Just when it seemed that South Africa could be heading for a famous victory in Christchurch, the All Blacks made it a famous victory for New Zealand with the try that won and ended the thrilling match.

We look at some statistics from the match and discuss some points of law. Then this week there are also some questions from readers.

One of the readers' questions - on obstruction - is relevant to the Christchurch match. But we shall discuss that in Part Two later.

1. Penalties conceded:

These represent the number of times each team was penalised. New Zealand were penalised five times, as they were against Australia last week.

New Zealand: 5
South Africa: 13

In six Tests so far this year, New Zealand have conceded 52 penalties. In five Tests so far this year South Africa have conceded 56 penalties.

Reasons for the penalties:

New Zealand:
Tackle/ruck: 1 (Marshall)
Off-side: 3 (Umaga, Holah, Marshall)
Discipline: 1 (Obstruction - Holah)

South Africa:
Tackle/ruck: 7 (Du Randt, **Botha 2, *Burger, Paulse 2, *Barry)
Off-side: 4 (Botha, *Van der Westhuyzen, *Burger, Undetermined)
Discipline: 2 (Barry - high tackles)
* = penalty goal

2. Line-outs

This is the number of times a team threw into a line-out. South Africa threw in twelve times.

New Zealand: 21 (2 lost)
South Africa: 12 (2 lost)

3. Scrums

This the number of times a team put the ball into a scrum, New Zealand ten times.

New Zealand: 10 (3 reset)
South Africa: 9 (3 reset, 1 free kick, 1 wheel)

4. Free kicks

This is the number of times a team received a free kick, South Africa one.

New Zealand: 1 (mark)
South Africa: 1 (scrum)

5. Drop-outs:

New Zealand dropped out once, South Africa twice.

6.Tri-Nations Penalties conceded

	vs Aus 1	vs NZ 1	vs SA 1	vs Aus 2	vs NZ 2	vs SA 2
Australia		11
New Zealand	5		5
South Africa		13

Sanctionary punishments - Cards and citings

	vs Aus 1	vs NZ 1	vs SA 1	vs Aus 2	vs NZ 2	vs SA 2
Australia		Y,C
New Zealand	Y
South Africa

Y = Yellow Card.
C = Citing with suspension

Tries scored

	vs Aus 1	vs NZ 1	vs SA 1	vs Aus 2	vs NZ 2	vs SA 2
Australia	1
New Zealand	1		1
South Africa		3

7. In or out?

Here are two incidents, the second of which prompted an infallible statement from a commentator which was fallible!

a. Fourie du Preez of South Africa passes a long pass back to Jaco van der Westhuyzen of South Africa who is just inside his 22. Van der Westhuyzen steps forward and kicks the ball directly into touch. He does so with his right foot while his left foot is anchored on the 22-metre line.

The ball goes out between the half-way line and the 10-metre line. That is where the touch judge raises his flag.

b. Justin Marshall of New Zealand kicks a long way downfield. About a metre outside the South African 22 Jacques Cronjé of South Africa catches the ball and passes inside to Percy Montgomery of South Africa who is inside his 22. Montgomery steps forward and kicks the ball directly into touch. He does so with his left foot while his right foot is anchored on the 22-metre line.

The ball goes out on the half-way line. That is where the touch judge raises his flag.

Touch judges right?

Yes.

Law 19 Definitions: The 22 is the area between the goal-line and the 22-metre line, including the 22-metre line but excluding the goal-line.

The fallible infallibility?

Commentator 3: His foot was well over the line. No doubt.

Commentator 2 (after the replay): His foot was right on the line.

8. Dog with a bad name?

Late in the first half, the referee penalises Schalk Burger of South Africa for having his hands in a ruck. When he first got hands to the ball in the tackle, there was no ruck. The referee called ruck and the ball squirted out as he said so.

Referee: "Number 6. You're taking a fine line. You're getting it wrong too often. You've got to be smarter about it. No more."

That was the first time he was penalised for such an action. In fact it was the only time the South Africans were penalised for such an action.

Maybe he has a reputation. Maybe it's his fair hair!

On the other hand De Wet Barry was penalised twice for high tackles and once for blocking the ball as the tackler. That he did not get a yellow card seemed gentle treatment.

9.  Passing to yourself

Jaco van der Westhuyzen of South Africa is moving to his left and looking to pass to Jacques Cronjé. Van der Westhuyzen dithers, then passes to Cronjé who by this time is in front of him. The ball strikes Cronjé and then bounces back into the hands of Van der Westhuyzen who catches it.

The referee awards a scrum to New Zealand.

Right?

Yes.

It is at least a knock-on.

Law 12. Definitions: A knock-on occurs when a player loses possession of the ball and it goes forward, or when a player hits the ball forward with the hand or arm, or when the ball hits the hand or arm and goes forward, and the ball touches the ground or another player before the original player can catch it.

10. Off-side/on-side

Reader: This is from a Currie Cup match in Witbank. The Pumas kick the ball a long way down the field. Inside the Blue Bulls 22, the ball comes low to a Blue Bulls player who tries to trap the ball like a soccer player. The ball bounces off his foot towards the Blue Bulls' try-line and about ten metres infield at an angle towards the posts. There is a Puma player between the Blue Bulls player and the Blue Bulls' try-line, about five metres behind the Blue Bulls player.

The Puma player scored a try. The try was awarded. Is this all right?

Answer: The player is off-side. That the player did not actually catch the ball does not matter as the 10 metres starts from where the ball lands. That the player is behind the catcher, does not matter as the 10 metres is on each side of the catcher/place of bounce.  That the Pumas player is infield does not matter because the 10-metre no-go zone now stretches right across the field - from touch-line to touch-line. That makes it a huge no-go zone of 20 metres by 70 metres, that is 1400 square metres! That's 0,14 hectares, 0,35 acres.

Lets look at Law 11.44 OFF-SIDE UNDER THE 10-METRE LAW

(a) When a team-mate of an off-side player has kicked ahead, the off-side player is considered to be taking part in the game if the player is in front of an imaginary line across the field which is 10 metres from the opponent waiting to play the ball, or from where the ball lands or may land. The off-side player must immediately move behind the imaginary 10 metre line. While moving away, the player must not obstruct an opponent.
Penalty: Penalty kick

(b) While moving away, the off-side player cannot be put on-side by any action of the opposing team. However, before the player has moved the full 10 metres, the player can be put on-side by any on-side team-mate who runs in front of the player.

(d) When a player who is off-side under the 10-metre law plays the ball which has been mis-fielded by an opponent, the off-side player is penalised.
Penalty: Penalty kick

(f) The 10-metre law does not apply when a player kicks the ball, and an opponent charges down the kick, and a team-mate of the kicker who was in front of the imaginary 10 metre line across the field then plays the ball. The opponent was not waiting to play the ball and the team-mate is on-side.

Penalty: When a player is penalised for being off-side in general play, the opposing team chooses either a penalty kick at the place of infringement or a scrum at the place where the offending team last played the ball. If it was last played in that teams in-goal, the scrum is formed 5 metres from the goal-line in line with where it was played.

11. Whose ball?

Reader: I have another Currie Cup question. Western Province put the ball into a scrum. The Eagles win a tight-head. The front rows go up and the referee orders another scrum. Then he gives the ball to Western Province.  Is this right?

Answer: Yes.

Law 20.4 (g) If a scrum collapses or lifts up into the air without penalty, a further scrum will be ordered and the team who originally threw in the ball will throw the ball in again.