The Ref

[O'Regan]

You can not do anything about poor decisions that is the way of RUgby, you will get games that the referee does not control in a sensible matter.

I did witness this game, and however i do agree with you Pockets, the game was poorly refereed, but every referee has bad games, what you have to remember is that there is something like 20 ways which the referee needs to be aware of when it comes to Ruck and Maul time.
You could go back to every single line out and go there was a mistake there, something could have happened there, etc;

[AndyS]

Interesting discussion from Soundsure

At the scrum the Hurricanes destroy the force and win a tighthead. They immediately bash and then release the ball to Jimmy Gopperth of the Hurricanes who charges at the line, spins and goes over. The referee, Mark Lawrence, is right on the spot and awards the try.

There is no demur about the try, not by the players gathered there or by anybody else - till the third replay in slow motion which asks the question whether Gopperth had lost the ball.

It is a hard one.

Firstly, losing the ball does not eliminate the possibility of a try. It is only if the ball is knocked forward that a try should not be awarded but a five-metre scrum to the defending team.

Gopperth's left hand with the strapping at the wrist and not as obvious as his right hand does not leave the ball. He brings it to ground with his hand always on the ball. He does not need downward pressure - just the ball in contact in contact with the ground while he is holding it. His right forearm, too, stays in contact with the ball though his upper arm loses contact with it.

Clever men whom Soundsure enables to work clearly frame by frame at a tenth of a second concluded that Gopperth did not lose the ball and that the try was scored.

The referee did not have the luxury of that - and nor did the TMO or the crowd in Subiaco Oval who thought that their hopes had been unfairly dashed.

Law 22.1 GROUNDING THE BALL

There are two ways a player can ground the ball:

(a) Player touches the ground with the ball. A player grounds the ball by holding the ball and touching the ground with it, in in-goal. 'Holding' means holding in the hand or hands, or in the arm or arms. No downward pressure is required.

(b) Player presses down on the ball. A player grounds the ball when it is on the ground in the in-goal and the player presses down on it with a hand or hands, arm or arms, or the front of the player's body from waist to neck inclusive.

The relative bit is (a). Gopperth holds the ball and touches the ground with it in the Force's in-goal.

[The EnForcer]

Interesting....wouldn't mind looking at that. But for me the ball looked as though it had been fumbled but I guess it is all in the past now. Anyway, it fired the boys up enough to make them go for a great match winning try and conversion that all will remember.

[JediKnight]

I disagree with the conclusion that it was a valid try as he lost control of the ball in action of attempting to score. The comments regarding having contact on the ball & ground are more relevant when the ball is loose rather than when the player has hold of the ball going over the line.

Looking back to last Friday, I am actually quite glad that the try was awarded.....consider this.....

If the try was disallowed for a knock-on over the line, the Force would have had a defensive 5-metre scrum. Considering the way the 'Canes demolished the Force scrum in winning a tight-head at the previous defensive 5-metre scrum there's every chance that they would have either won the ball and scored a try anyway or been awarded a penalty.

In either case, more time would have been used up on the clock and that would have reduced the available time for the Force to get up to the other end and recover the lead with the last action of the match. As it was, Shepherd scored the try with 7 seconds (or was it 9 seconds) on the clock.

ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL!!!!!!

[travelling_gerry]

I agree Jedi...and it now gives our guys the physcological edge in that they know they can drive up the field and be positive and score a try....similar to the 99 Wallabies v Ireland...

I has done us good..

[AndyS]

It is only knocked on if it touches the ground or another player - he can lose control all he likes so long as his hand is on it as it touches the ground. But I've watched it a bunch of times since and it still doesn't look like a try to me. As you say though Jedi, thank goodness (in 20-20 hindsight).