Former Test referee and current URC head of match officials Tappe Henning says Eben Etzebeth’s disallowed try against Argentina in Durban should have been awarded.
The lock thought he had scored in the first half of the Boks’ 67-30 victory, only for the TMO to spot that Cobus Reinach had knocked the ball on at a ruck in the build-up. The ball, though, had been illegally kicked out of the scrumhalf’s hands by a Pumas player.
Henning explained on a Brenden Nel podcast that the officials applied the letter of the law but argued the principle should be different.
“This was a very unusual incident – I’ve never seen it before,” he said. “The first law is clear: it’s illegal to kick the ball out of a player’s hands, that’s foul play and a penalty. The second is that the ball went forward from Reinach’s hands, and under law that’s a knock-on.
“But normally, when an opposition player rips the ball and it goes forward, it’s not a knock-on because the ball-carrier isn’t responsible for losing possession. By principle, the same logic should apply when the ball is illegally kicked from someone’s hands – it shouldn’t be deemed a knock-on.
“In that case, advantage should be played, and Etzebeth’s try should have stood.”
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Henning said World Rugby would now be asked for clarification so referees can apply the law consistently in future.
The other much-talked-about moment came when Bok wing Cheslin Kolbe drop-kicked the ball from his in-goal area after dotting it down only for centre Santiago Chocobares to score for Argentina.
“I don’t think Kolbe intended a restart, but once he dropped the ball onto the ground and kicked it, that was a drop-kick,” Henning explained. “Because it crossed the goal line, it became a goal-line dropout.
“By law, the ball must travel at least five metres, and in this case it didn’t. That means advantage goes to the opposition. Argentina were entitled to pick up the ball and score, and the try was correctly awarded.”
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Henning stressed that neither decision reflected poorly on referee Angus Gardner.
“The law book can’t cover every unusual scenario. Sometimes new situations force us to revisit the intention of the law. That’s why these clarifications are important – so everyone has the same understanding going forward.”
Photo: Floris van Schouwenburg/Gallo Images
