RUGBY GAMES ARE made up of countless moments that are all important to the outcome, but there are always a few that stick in the mind as being the real keys.
Yesterday at Murrayfield, one of those impossible-to-overlook incidents arrived in the 69th minute, with Munster trailing Edinburgh 13-10 and defending in their own half.
Munster hooker Rhys Marshall shoved Edinburgh out-half Jaco van der Walt after he had passed, which would have brought a vital penalty for the Scottish side until Pierre Schoeman delivered a needless bit of foul play that he surely has major regrets about.
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The original penalty for Marshall’s late contact was called in by Pascal Gaüzère’s assistant referee.
But with Tadhg Beirne down on the ground for a lengthy period, Munster’s medical team around him, the TMO brought to Gaüzère’s attention the actions of Schoeman just after the Marshall incident.
Edinburgh loosehead Schoeman steps into Beirne as the Munster lock attempts to drift across the pitch in defence, hitting Beirne with his right shoulder.
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There is a clear penalty offence from Schoeman here and after viewing the replays, Gaüzère calls in Edinburgh captain Stuart McInally and explains that he is reversing his decision.
“First infringement is a late tackle by red on blue [Marshall on van der Walt],” says Gaüzère, “and then the reaction by one blue [Schoeman]. He charged the player off the ball, so I reverse the penalty. Penalty against one blue.”
Munster kick the penalty down the right-hand touchline and score the winning try through Keith Earls from the subsequent lineout – underlining just how costly this penalty reversal was.
“It’s a bit of discipline from Pierre Schoeman at the end and [you could be] kicking a goal and you’re six points up and you win the game,” said Edinburgh boss Richard Cockerill post-match when pointing to some of the fine margins in his team’s defeat.
“That’s life. I’m not going to criticise Pierre because he’s a committed fellow and he does what he does and I’ll back him to the hilt. But those are the falls sometimes. Munster are a good team and they find a way to win and we’ve got to do the same.”
Gaüzère’s decision-making here seems sound and Munster deserve great credit for manufacturing a wonderful game-winning score for Earls.
However, Beirne’s actions in this instance have deservedly come in for scrutiny, with the Munster lock certainly going to ground in a theatrical fashion.
There is strong contact from Schoeman’s right shoulder, clearly, and none of us should underestimate the physical toll that professional rugby players have to deal with, but there is little doubt that Beirne accentuated Schoeman’s contact in this specific instance with his reaction in throwing his arms out as he went to ground.
It’s arguable that Munster would not have got a penalty reversal decision had Beirne not reacted in such a manner, which raises an interesting point about how players should handle being on the receiving end of any off-the-ball foul play.
As we’ve seen here, ensuring the foul play is noticed by match officials can centrally affect the outcome of games.
There was an intriguing incident involving the Dragons’ Ross Moriarty earlier this season in a Pro14 game against Cardiff Blues when the Wales number eight felt he was blocked off the ball.
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Cardiff Blues make a linebreak and we can see Moriarty throwing his hands out in exasperation as he bumps into the retreating Willis Halaholo in midfield, but he stays on his feet.
While Dragons scramble to tackle the Blues into touch, Moriarty instantly turns to referee Ian Davies in protest.
“What about the blocking back there?” Moriarty demands.
“If I need to look at it, I will look at it,” responds Davies.
“Do you want me to dive on the floor? Do you want me to dive on the floor?” asks Moriarty.
Davies: “If you dive on the floor, I will penalise you. Stay on your feet.”
The referee then warns Moriarty to speak to him in the right tone.
“All I’m asking is that if I get blocked, should I just fall on the floor to get your attention?” asks Moriarty more calmly.
Davies: “No, don’t fall on the floor. I suggest you stay on your feet and make the tackle. All I’m saying is stay on your feet.”
The referee then tells Dragons captain Cory Hill that the angle of the sun has made it difficult for himself and his assistants to catch everything in real time.
While Moriarty’s suggestion may be exaggerated, he does raise an interesting question – should players go to ground when they’ve feel they have been the victims of foul play off the ball? When massive games are on the line, surely going to ground is the right thing to do for your team?
Rugby tradition would have us baulk at the idea but the incident at Murrayfield yesterday highlighted that reacting in an eye-catching manner could be decisive in a game.
This is also a conundrum for referees – should they reverse penalty decisions if the player taken out off the ball throws themselves to ground? Are they still the victim or does an over-egged reaction cancel out the foul play that brought it about?
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