THE MOMENT REFEREE DECIDED THE SERIES 4

After the Lions have levelled at 15-15, the 78th-minute re-start is knocked by Liam Williams into the arms of Ken Owens, who is offside. He drops it but referee Romain Poite gives a penalty.

Romain Poite Playing in an offside position, 16.

Poite decides to check with the TMO and walks across to assistant Jaco Peyper.

RP Red touched the ball and 16 got the ball in front.

George Ayoub

(TMO) Romain, they are all the angles.

RP Are you happy for the knock-on? Is the challenge in the air fair? And a penalty kick against 16 red, in front?

GA Yes I am.

RP OK

Sam Warburton and Kieran Read go to Poite to talk to him about his decision.

RP We have a deal, we have a deal for the offside from 16. He didn’t play deliberately at the ball, okay? It was an accidental offside.

KR No, no, no, no, no.

RP It was an accidental offside, we go for a scrum, black.

Poite leaves Peyper before being summoned by Jerome Garces.

RP [to the players]: Fair challenge. [Raises finger to ear, after hearing voice of assistant Jerome Garces]. Oui, Jerome.

This appears to the crucial moment when Poite is persuaded to downgrade the penalty to a scrum.

Read protests the decision.

KR Romain, Romain, in the rules there is no accidental offside. If you run into your own man...

RP It was. Because the ball touch him...

KR He caught the ball

RP It wasn’t foul play. We play from scrum. Scrum black.