Decision 2018: Right outcome, wrong process
Game on. The Rugby World Cup is now officially anybody’s for the taking if a compelling, captivating and slightly controversial test match between the All Blacks and England at Twickenham is anything to go by.
The New Zealanders, back-toback world champions, got up 16-15 in the end, but only by the skin of their teeth after a typically muscular, bustling and committed performance from Eddie Jones’ England side came up agonisingly short.
This was supposedly a limited, struggling, out-of-sorts England side. Far from it, they revealed themselves to be a strong, disciplined and cohesive unit who showed, less than a year out from the global gathering, they are right where they need to be as one of the serious contenders.
Yes, the wet conditions made this a contest tailor-made for the English. But they were good enough to push the All Blacks to the very limit. Maybe even to snatch it at the death, only denied a match-winning try in the dying minutes when the MO spotted England replacement forward Courtney Lawes fractionally offside prior to a chargedown that put Sam Underhill away for a score.
The decision, to the letter of the law, was a good one. But the All Blacks were massively fortunate that TJ Perenara’s clearing kick was put under the microscope to the extent it was. Lawes had just taken a half a step too much and the eagle-eyed TMO spotted his transgression.
England were entitled to feel slightly aggrieved. There are
The match officials were right in disallowing England’s matchwinning try against the All Blacks, even if the process that got them there was wrong.
Under the first weekend of international rugby’s new Television Match Official protocols there were clear teething problems, with referee Jerome Garces dropping the ball at Twickenham and allowing TMO Marius Jonker to take charge on the game’s monumental moment.
Thankfully for all concerned – as close a call as it was for the broken-hearted English – the correct decision was made.
The contentious play came with five minutes left, as replacement loose forward Courtney Lawes charged down a kick from TJ Perenara, who then knocked on and gifted possession to flanker Sam Underhill to sprint away for what looked like the upset clincher.
Garces initially awarded the moves afoot to dial back the influence of the TMO, and in this instance the offence was not spotted by the referee or either of his assistants in real time. It was a massive Get Out of Jail card for the All Blacks.
The rub of the green that went so patently against the All Blacks at the end of the Lions series very much fell their way this time. In short, they were lucky.
Truth be told, it was a test both sides will take plenty from.
England showed that, for all their recent struggles, they remain one of test rugby’s most combative sides. They love themselves an arm-wrestle, and try, but then decided to check the legality of the charge down, as to whether Lawes was onside. Fair enough, so he asked for Jonker’s assistance. Numerous replays followed and while it was a closerun thing, under the laws (excuse the pun), Lawes was offside at the tackle (it was not a ruck as no English player was on his feet contesting).
World Rugby’s lawbook states: are good enough to apply all sorts of pressure with defensive line speed, forward strength and direct running in the channels.
They played about as good a half-hour as they could have when they opened out to a 15-0 lead that had the No 1 team on the planet having to dig as deep as they’ve had to in a long time.
Granted, they weren’t good enough to close out the win. They allowed the All Blacks to score the match’s last 16 points and haul them in. Their run rather came to a screeching halt until that sniff of a chance late. They
Law 14 – Tackle 10: Offside lines are created at a tackle when at least one player is on their feet and over the ball, which is on the ground. Each team’s offside line runs parallel to the goal line through the hindmost point of any player in the tackle or on their feet over the ball.
When slowed down, you can see Lawes is slightly in front of that mark, being the shoulders of team-mate George Ford. have to take that on the chin.
But they are not far off. They have clearly demonstrated, not only that they can foot it with the best team in rugby, but that the side that many thought might have been unbeatable not so long ago is very much within reach.
The Springboks have already shown they’re right there. Now England. Ireland next week will get their chance to dance toe to toe with the All Blacks. You sense that the belief in the challenging pack is growing by the week.
Credit to the All Blacks, though.
They were in a heck of a tight spot, down 15-0 after just 24
The process
But while the decision may have been the right one, Jonker potentially saved face for Garces, who seemed to forget that he was actually the one having to make the decision.
After a full review of the TMO system, World Rugby decreed that the November tier-one internationals be officiated under an adopted format – the same manner that is used in Super Rugby. One of six principles agreed on was:
Try scoring should be an onfield decision with the referee being responsible, but the team of four can all contribute.
Jonker says to Garces: ‘‘We’re putting it on the screen now for you, Jerome.’’
That should have left the Frenchman with the duty of making the big call, but instead, while trying to contend with the thunderous noise of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot coming from the 82,000 crowd, he squirmed away.
‘‘Is it onside or offside,’’ he asks Jonker, who then feels compelled to give his viewpoint.
‘‘Jerome, from the pictures I have, as the halfback from black picks up the ball, number 20 white is in an offside position,’’ the South African says.’’
Even that wasn’t enough for Garces.
‘‘So it’s a try, or it’s offside,’’ he queries.
‘‘It’s offside, so you need to change your onfield decision to a penalty,’’ Jonker blatantly concludes.
Prior to this test Garces would not have exactly been enamoured by All Blacks fans – due to his sending off (albeit correctly) of Sonny Bill Williams in last year’s second test against the British and Irish Lions in Wellington, then his role as assistant referee in overturning Romain Poite’s knock-on offside call at the death in the third test at Eden Park.
Here, he wasn’t to be the villain, only after palming away the responsibility.
Whether World Rugby see it as an excusable minor forgetful moment, or frown upon it more, we may not know.
Regardless, Garces is off duty next weekend anyway, before returning the following week to control Japan versus Russia.