World Rugby has no plans to explain controversial call
WORLD RUGBY has no plans to issue any public explanation regarding the controversial decision not to award Scotland what would have been a matchwinning try in last Saturday’s Six Nations defeat by France at Murrayfield.
The Scots — trailing 20-16 — thought they had secured victory when replacement lock Sam Skinner pushed through and appeared to ground the ball on the line under a ruck of bodies as the clock ticked past the 80-minute mark.
Referee Nic Berry’s on-field decision was ‘no try’, and after several minutes of high drama while footage was reviewed from various angles, TMO Brian MacNeice, having initially suggested he could see the ball on the ground, advised that there was ‘no conclusive evidence’ to change the original call, much to the hosts’ dismay.
‘I just don’t understand how the referee didn’t see it,’ former Scotland international Craig Chalmers said on Monday. ‘He should have got in closer to it and put his hands in and had a better look.’
Head coach Gregor Townsend was similarly bewildered by the process that led to the try not being awarded. ‘I don’t understand the rationale,’ he said in his post-match media briefing on Saturday.
‘When you see the pictures, and when you also see the conversation, they have already said between them that the ball has been placed on the tryline.’
When asked last weekend if Scotland would be seeking further explanation from World Rugby, Townsend said: ‘It doesn’t really matter.
‘We’ll get feedback, we do regularly, and that’ll be one of some incidents we’ll ask for clarification on, but it doesn’t change the outcome, unfortunately.’
Townsend regularly liaises with World Rugby regarding issues arising from matches and he wrote to the governing body after the France game, as he had done the previous week when seeking clarification over the number of penalties that went against his side in their victory away to Wales.
The head coach spoke with referee Berry after the France match and communication lines remain open between Scottish Rugby and the sport’s governing body, but Scotland are not demanding or expecting an apology or an admission that a mistake was made regarding Skinner’s disallowed try.
Despite the ferocity of the backlash, World Rugby will be sticking to their stance of not commenting publicly on specific officials’ decisions and are not expected to issue any clarification to clear the situation up in the public domain.
Although there remains a deep sense of injustice among Scotland’s players, coaches and supporters, the furore surrounding Saturday’s pivotal last-gasp flashpoint appears to be subsiding.
Meanwhile, England will be reinforced for their Calcutta Cup clash with Scotland by the return from injury of Manu Tuilagi, George Martin and Luke Cowan-Dickie.
The trio missed the opening two rounds of the Guinness Six Nations but come into contention for the trip to Murrayfield on February 24 after being included in a 36-man training squad named for the first fallow week.
Ollie Lawrence faces a battle to prove his fitness, with the Bath centre continuing to rehab his hip problem in camp, alongside Marcus Smith, who has a calf problem. No date has been set for either player’s comeback.
Tuilagi (right) has been out since December because of a groin injury but his recovery will allow him to compete for a spot in the midfield having replaced Oscar Beard in the 36.
Fraser Dingwall and Henry Slade formed the centre partnership for the victories against Italy and Wales but neither possess Tuilagi’s power over the gainline and it will be hoped the Sale Shark proves he is ready for a Test return.
Cowan-Dickie was picked in Steve Borthwick’s original Six Nations squad but was forced to withdraw because of an undisclosed medical issue.
His availability at hooker will relieve the pressure on captain Jamie George, whose workload has been increased by the lack of experienced alternatives in the position. Martin’s fitness will be welcomed by England, who benefited from his display against South Africa in the semi-final of last autumn’s World Cup — his most recent international appearance. The 22-year-old had tweaked his knee, ruling him out of the start of the Six Nations, but will look to secure a place in the second or back row against Scotland. Cowan-Dickie replaces Jamie Blamire and Martin comes in for Tom Pearson in Borthwick’s squad. England have won just one of their last six Tests against Scotland. However, alongside Ireland, they are the only unbeaten side left in the tournament, with Andy Farrell’s champions visiting Twickenham a fortnight later. Louis Lynagh has been named in Italy’s training squad before their next Six Nations game with France, two days after the announcement that he will join Benetton. Lynagh, son of former Australian flyhalf Michael, will leave Harlequins for the Italian club in July, and the 23year-old has now been called up by head coach Gonzalo Quesada. The Italian-born wing is a former England Under-20 player and has been called up to England’s senior training squad but has yet to be capped, and is also eligible to play for Australia.