2
So Gardner knows he's wrong and apologises. Doesn't make me feel any better.
Apology issued to Force after ref blunder
Nick Taylor
The West Australian
Sunday, 12 July 2020 2:40PM
The controversial referee decision that produced a huge momentum swing against Western Force in their loss to the Waratahs was wrong, officials have ruled.
Rugby Australia’s match review committee said referee Angus Gardner should not have awarded a line-out to the Waratahs under the new 50-22 law that produced the swing in the Force’s 23-14 loss at the SCG on Saturday night.
Gardner telephoned Force coach Tim Samson to apologise for the error after the review decision.
Two decisions made under the new law were reviewed by RA’s referee manager Scott Young, referee coach Mitch Chapman and Director of Rugby Scott Johnson.
Under the law, if a kick from inside a team’s own half bounces into touch in the opposition 22 metres the kicking side gets the line-out.
Crucially the passage of play before the kick must start inside their half.
When Karmichael Hunt kicked long into the Force 22 after 60 minutes the starting ruck was inside the Force half and they should have been awarded the line-out.
It wasn’t and from the set piece Waratahs second-rower Tom Staniforth crashed over to put his side ahead for the first time.
Fourteen minutes later Hunt again kicked long for touch. Initially the assistant referee marked the ball outside the 22-metre line.
The Force quickly played on into attack but were called back when Waratahs players complained and the match officials changed the decision.
The RA review committee found that decision was correct.
The TV match official cannot fully adjudicate on 50-22 rulings but he did monitor both decisions and agreed with the referee.
That is expected to change with the referee set to be able to ask the TMO to make rulings.
Force coach Tim Sampson said his side had plenty of belief and nothing to prove heading into Friday’s clash with the Reds at Suncorp Stadium.
“We didn’t go into the game worried about proving people wrong. We have to have belief after that performance,” Sampson said.
“We were comfortable with the way the club has been travelling.
“There was no sign of nerves. There was no sign of us playing on too much emotion.”
The Force had a bye in the first round and came close to producing a fairytale win, 1092 days since they humiliated the Waratahs 40-11 in their final Super Rugby match before the Rugby Australia axe fell.
“We rattled them a few times. I take my hat off to the guys for that first half,” Sampson said.