November 13 - Part III

Dublin and beyond

There are four Tests to talk about this weekend - Italy vs New Zealand, Ireland vs South Africa, England vs Canada and France vs Australia. We have discussed the emotion-charged incidents in Dublin in Part II, which was not a lot of fun to write as it was not quite in the style of our prim little law discussions.

The most interesting piece in this part is Lote Tuqiri's knock-back which has with it an interesting question from a reader.

And there are one or two other things including readers' questions. It should be fun.

Let's start gently with Tuqiri.

1. Leaping Lote's knock-back

From a five-metre scrum on the French left, Frédéric Michalak, France's flyhalf, kicks high and diagonally. The wings contest the ball, Aurélien Rougerie of France slightly ahead of Lote Tuqiri of Australia. Rougerie is slightly ahead, feet on the ground, hands ready to pouch the ball. Tuqiri leaps high and knocks the ball back over the dead-ball line.

Law 10.2 (c) Throwing into touch, etc. A player must not intentionally throw or knock the ball with his arm or hand into touch, touch-in-goal, or over the dead-ball line.
Penalty: Penalty Kick on the 15-metre line if the offence is between the 15-metre line and the touch-line, or, at the place of infringement if the offence occurred elsewhere in the field of play, or, 5 metres from the goal-line and at least 15 metres from the touch-line if the infringement occurred in in-goal.
A penalty try must be awarded if the offence prevents a try that would probably otherwise have been scored.

The law telling you that you are not allowed to knock the ball back over the dead-ball line has ben in place for more than two decades.

The referee penalised Tuqiri.

Right?

Obviously.

Where?

Where the referee gave the penalty - 15 metres in from touch, five metres from the Australian goal-line. Michalak missed the kick at goal.

Reader: "Early on in the France-Australia match, there was a cross-kick to the in-goal area.  Ex-leaguer Lote Tuqiri and the French Winger both went up for the ball and Tuqiri palmed it out - legal in league but NOT in union. The referee correctly gave a penalty against Tuqiri.  My question is... was this not a cast-iron penalty try? Tuqiri's illegal actions prevented a probable (if not certain) try! Ignorance of the laws is no excuse - it was inexcusable from Tuqiri and a weak decision from the referee (in my opinion)."
- Lawrence, London

Answer: It's a tough one - and an interesting one and one worth asking, especially in view of the last sentence of Law 10.2 (c). At the time it seemed that the referee as correct and brave in giving the penalty.

A penalty try is awarded not for an offence but because the offence in terms of Law 10 on Foul Play prevented the probable scoring of a try. But for Tuqiri's interference, which was adjudged illegal in terms of Law 10, Rougerie would probably have caught the ball. Then all he had to do was to sink to the ground to score the try.

Summing up all that with hindsight and slow motion is different from summing up all that in the heat of battle as the referee had to do.

The penalty seems to have been the wise thing to give.

The refereeing in that match was, by the way, outstanding.

2. Tunnel hooking

Italy put the ball into a scrum. The ball, gets stuck in the front row on the side of the Italian tighthead.

Aaron Persico, the Italian right-hand flank reaches out a right leg and tries to heal it back. Jerry Collins, New Zealand's left flank reaches out a left leg and tries to heal the ball back.

OK?

No.

Law 20.9 (f) Locks and flankers: Staying out of the tunnel. A player who is not a front-row player must not play the ball in the tunnel.

3. Scrum up

Canada put the ball into a scrum. They get shoved back and the ball is kin England's side of the scrum when the front rows go up. The referee stops the scrum.

Right?

Yes.

He orders a rescrum. Whose ball is it?

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.

4. On the line

Jaco van der Westhuyzen of South Africa receives the ball just inside his 22. He movers forward to kick, right--footed to touch. The ball goes out 30 metres downfield.

As he kicks his left foot is on the ground.

Where will the line-out be?

(a) if his left foot is on the 22-metre line?
(b) if his left foot is over the 22-metre line?

(a) where the ball went out.
(b) opposite the place where he kicked the  ball.

5. Opting to scrum

England throw in skew at a line-out.

Canada decide that they will have a line-out.

OK?

Oh yes. Canada have the option of a scrum or another line-out. Suffering in the scrums, they opt for another line-out, which does not often happen.

Law 19:

5 HOW THE THROW-IN IS TAKEN

The player taking the throw-in must stand at the correct place. The player must not step into the field-of-play when the ball is thrown. The ball must be thrown straight, so that it travels at least 5 metres along the line-of-touch before it first touches the ground or touches or is touched by a player.

6 INCORRECT THROW-IN

(a) If the throw-in at a line-out is incorrect, the opposing team has the choice of throwing in at a line-out or a scrum on the 15-metre line. If they choose the throw-in to the line-out and it is again incorrect, a scrum is formed. The team that took the first throw-in throws in the ball.

6. The Collins dive

From a five-metre line-out, the Italians drive at the New Zealand line. First Mauro Bergamasco drives and is stopped three metres from the line. Slowly the ball comes back to Italy. Santiago Dellapè picks up and drives and is stopped two metres from the New Zealand line. Again players group and the ball is coming back slowly to Italy where Fabio Ongaro, the hooker, is waiting to pick up the ball. Jerry Collins of New Zealand dives over the prone players and grabs Ongaro, pulling him into the heap.

OK?

If it was still a ruck, Collins did not join properly.
If it was a ruck, Collins went off his feet.
If it was a ruck, Law 16.3 (d): A player must not jump on top of a ruck.
If it was not a ruck - and in any case if it was a ruck - Collins was playing a man without the ball.

Collins may well have been in the wrong!

7. The chicken or the egg

Ireland pass the ball to the right. The ball comes to Denis Hickie upon whom Schalk Burger attends. Big Malcolm O'Kelly gallops between Burger and Hickie at close quarters. Burger snatches first at O'Kelly and then tackles Hickie high. The referee penalises Burger for a high tackle.

Obstruction first, then high tackle?

It seemed so.

Perhaps if O'Kelly had not crossed in front of Burger he may have been in a position to tackle less offensively.

8. Off the knee

Reader: "Is it legal to knee the ball ahead?"
George, England

Answer: Yes. It is not a knock-on. It is not a kick, as defined by the law, but it is not an infringement of any sort, anymore than heading the ball forward is.

8. Time or time enough

Reader: "Here is a simple question that occurred in a first division club match that I participated in. Time was running out, and my team were down by three points. Coincidentally, we need a tie to secure a playoff position. We were putting pressure on the opposition, and after a grubber kick, the ball was collected by an opposition player in the playing area, who proceeded to run into the in-goal area in an attempt to elude the chasing tacklers, without success. The opposition player was tackled in-goal and grounded the ball. The referee whistled for full-time and the game was over. Our team questioned the decision not to allow the five-metre scrum. This would possibly have resulted in at least three points from a drop goal, but could have ended with a try, as the opposition was a man down through a yellow card. It is made even more difficult, as at this level, there is no official timer, and the referee keeps time. I do believe that the referee actually can call the game in this situation as it is a stoppage in play. However, a team-mate, also a referee, believes that the scrum should have been ordered as the opposition carried the ball over the touchline.

In short, what is the correct call according to the laws?"
Andrew, Canada

Answer: In short the referee was right. He is the sole judge of time. He would have allowed time for a penalty kick to be taken but this was not a penalty. There is no penalty kick for taking the ball into your own in-goal and making it dead.

9. Leaping the ruck

Reader: "Jumping over the ruck from an on-side position, when the ball is out and in the acting scrumhalf's possession. Is this allowed? Martin Johnson used to do it all the time, yet I saw a French Player do it on Saturday and he got penalised. In theory it sounds ok, the ball is out, and the defender jumping over the mall is on-side, but it seems wrong and negative. I guess it may come down to the ultimate contact, either making the tackle clean, or slapping the ball out of the scrumhalf's hands? I know an attacking player can not jump into a tackle."
Conrad, England

Answer: I did not see this happening to the French player. There must have been some other offence involved. It is legal to leap over rucks and mauls when the ball is out, however this athletic feat is performed. It is not legal to jump on them.