Right outcome, wrong process

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 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 close-run 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:

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.

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 tierone 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.