Controversy shrouds win for Wales as cramps hit

WALES GEORGIA 13 6

WARREN Gatland said there was no attempt by Wales to “manipulate the laws” after his team’s dour 13-6 victory over Georgia ended in controversial fashion.

Substitute prop Tomas Francis was sin-binned a minute into stoppage time, with both starting props – Nicky Smith and Leon Brown – having gone off just before the hour mark.

After a lengthy delay and confusion reigning as the fourth official became involved, referee Mathieu Raynal ruled uncontested scrums as both Smith and Brown were deemed unfit to return.

Loosehead Smith would not have been allowed to scrummage at tighthead on safety grounds anyway, while Brown was suffering from cramp.

Georgia, meanwhile, then changed their mind – which they are not allowed to do – by kicking a penalty resulting from Francis’s yellow card to touch after calling for a scrum, before going through 11 phases of play and then conceding a penalty as Wales held out to win. “We were as confused as anyone,” Gatland said. “It was a tactical change with Leon, but we knew he was cramping up a little bit. After the yellow card, there was a question whether he could go on. But he had cramped up, his calves were no good.

“Nicky had had a bag on his calf as well. It would have been uncontested anyway with Nicky going back on at tighthead. So (hooker) Kristian Dacey has gone on. I can promise you there wasn’t anything from our point of view in terms of trying to manipulate the laws or anything like that.”

A World Rugby spokesperson told PA Sport: “All matches are reviewed, including match official, performance reviewer and coach feedback. It would be inappropriate to comment until the facts have been obtained and the review has been undertaken.”

Georgia head coach Milton Haig said: “The comment was they had two props who were suffering from cramp at the same time, so they couldn’t put somebody on. It was disappointing for us, obviously. It is what it is. There is a process for looking at whether the correct procedure was followed.

“To be honest, I am not interested in taking it further.

“We were obviously disappointed we couldn’t have a scrum. There was an opportunity for us at the end to be able to at least get the draw, so I am a little bit disappointed about that.”