THE REFEREE’S VERDICT
David Bodilly is a former Pro12 referee who also officiated at international level. Here, he gives his expert lowdown on two of the main talking points surrounding Jerome Garces from the Lions’ triumph in Wellington...
THERE were lots of talking points from the Lions’ second Test victory over New Zealand and it sets up a cracking contest in the deciding showdown at Eden Park next weekend.
Referee Jerome Garces, of course, had a significant bearing on the result. There were two decisions in particular which became talking points.
The first was the decision to redcard Sonny Bill Williams during the first-half, the second was to ping replacement prop Charlie Faumuina at the end for Owen Farrell’s matchwinning penalty.
Were they the correct calls by Garces? This is my take...
THE RED CARD
IF you are a New Zealand fan you probably think it was a little bit harsh, if you’re a Lions supporter it was undoubtedly a red card.
Me? I don’t think there was an attempt at making a proper tackle by wrapping the arms and Anthony Watson was lucky he didn’t have a fractured cheekbone. It was a bit of a cheap shot by Williams.
Some Kiwis will be saying it was harsh, there was no intent by Williams and that it was clumsy more than anything else.
But a referee has to deal in what is factual, not what may or may not have been intent, which is open to interpretation.
The bottom line here is that it was the fault of the player. It is up to every player to perform within the laws of the game. If Williams hadn’t performed his action, then Garces has no decision to make. Full stop.
Of course, it would have been easy for Garces to have a get-out, so to speak, and brandish a yellow card. Particularly that early in the game.
I did find it somewhat amusing to look at the faces of the touch judges when, upon calling in the TMO and looking up at the big screen himself, Garces suddenly says: “I think that’s a red.”
The touch judges look at one another as if to kind of say, ‘Well, OK!” The TMO comes in by asking Garces whether he should have another look, but he’s happy and the decision is made.
I think it was the correct call, too.
THE DECISIVE PENALTY
THIS is far more open to debate. It’s a poor pass by Conor Murray which Kyle Sinckler has to jump up to take.
As he charges into contact, Faumuina is there to stop Sinckler and is penalised for tackling in the air. Up steps Farrell and the match-winning penalty is struck.
This tackling in the air is a bugbear of mine. It’s a mess and there is too much inconsistency which needs to be sorted.
Let me give you a hypothetical. Beauden Barrett puts in a high kick, it’s gathered by one of the New Zealand wings a yard from the Lions try line and Liam Williams is there. What’s he supposed to do, just let the player waltz through and score, or does he attempt to challenge for the ball and possibly make some contact in the air?
Under the letter of the law, I guess Garces was correct to penalise Faumuina. But I also ask this – what was the Kiwi supposed to do?
Just put yourself in that position, for a moment. You have one 19-stone Lions prop running straight at Faumuina, and you have a similar-sized New Zealand prop trying to stop Sinckler. A full-on collision is inevitable. Because of Murray’s poor pass, Sinckler is very slightly in the air. And I do mean very slightly.
Sinckler, because he jumped up in the first place, has momentum. Faumuina is committed and has to go through with his tackle. I can’t see how he could have pulled out of it, to be honest.
As I say, under law it’s technically a penalty. But my fear is that given this call by Garces decided such a high-profile match, it is the type of thing that could be, and probably will be, latched upon by coaches throughout the world.
As Keiran Read said to the referee, ‘If one of our players jumps into a tackle we get a penalty then, do we?’
You can’t jump into a tackle, so to speak. But what coaches can do in tight matches similar to this one is tell their scrum-half to throw the ball slightly high, so the receiving player has to jump for it, has momentum and will get a penalty for being tackled in the air.
Look, we know when a player has been tackled badly in the air. It’s clear and obvious.
This was was far less so. I bet Faumuina didn’t even know what he had been penalised for when Garces blew his whistle.
I repeat, under law it was probably the correct decision. But it’s something the authorities will need to look at and address, to stop every team trying to gain an advantage that way.
Anyway, at least it meant the Lions won, which is the main thing over here and for their army of fans out in New Zealand!
David Bodilly’s column appears in association with joneshargreaves.
They are proud to be associated with Rhiwbina RFC, Lions captain Sam Warburton’s first club