Quick tap, slow thinking
Dan Robson’s semi-f inal t r y shouldn’t have st ood, says our f or mer t op of f icial
HE RECENT Premiership semi-finals didn’t disappoint, yet one incident in the Wasps v Bristol game stood out for the wrong reason. One thing that referees learn before their first game is to “always keep your eye on the ball”, which is meant metaphorically rather than literally! Referees lose credibility when they miss things and you can’t be consistent if you don’t see everything. It’s fair to say the match at the Ricoh Arena offered us a real ‘schoolboy’ refereeing error.
TWith 20 minutes to go, Matt Carley awarded Wasps a penalty (and correctly so). It was roughly eight metres out from the Bristol goal-line and eight metres in from touch, and the mark for this penalty should be the ‘place of infringement’. Carley gave it, then stepped a pace or two forward to explain his call and talk to Bristol’s players.
As the ball bobbled out of the pile of bodies, Wasps scrum-half Dan Robson gathered it and took a quick tap behind Carley’s back from at least one or two metres away from the mark. Carley didn’t see it and most of the Bristol players were distracted by him because he was explaining his penalty decision. Robson cantered over the line to score the try, which Carley promptly awarded. It gave Wasps a significant 31-12 lead.
Referees must ensure that quick taps are taken from the correct place, as well as giving the opposition a fair opportunity to defend. Pandemonium ensues if they don’t create a clean and tidy playing environment. By allowing play to continue without seeing the tap, is the referee really in control of the game?