Another whistle

[spmilligan]

Hello all,
not so much as a bad experience, just unusual, and would like opinions please.
Doing a second team game today, home side winning by 30ish points, set up a ruck on oppos 22m line, 15m in from side. I am standing 5-10m further infield looking toward ruck area.
Ball comes back, no problem then someone behind me whistles loudly. I made the distinction, obviously, that it was not me.
Players from both sides stop, except..... you guessed it, the ball carrier.
Who steps round 3 or 4 players and makes his way toward the try line.
I shout play on, confused defence then half heartedly try to stop him, unsuccessfully.
I award the try.
I call the captains over, and say players should play to my whistle. There was a completely different tone from the phantom whistler.
Also tell them as I never whistled the try stands. That I don't know who it was but if it should happen again, I will deal with as for ungentlemanly conduct.
To be fair to them there was no protest from either side.
Was I right or wrong. Should I let it stand or restart with a scrum.
I have put it in this section for "referees eyes only" to help prevent every Tom, Dick and Harry turning up next week with a whistle.
Thoughts PLease.

 

[Gareth-Lee Smith]

Award the try. You were right to do so: you even told them to play on, so they knew that you were encouraging them to continue.

 

[Mike Whittaker]

Your narrative would suggest that the whistle was actually on the pitch?

If you were sure then perhaps you should have taken some further action such as demanding it be handed over before game can continue and sending off player who produces it? Given the level of the game you could then laugh, bring him back on and either allow / disallow the try depending on which side he was on...

Should be scope for some hunour, but not at your expense ...

 

[spmilligan]

Sorry, not quite clear. The whistle was made by someone with their mouth not an acme thunderer etc. Therefore, I thought it was quite distinctive in its differing tone, although loud enough to confuse/stop most of the players.

 

[OB..]

AIUI, the defence whistled, and it caused their player s to stop, thus allowing the try?

They shot themselves in the foot.

 

[Gareth-Lee Smith]

That's how I saw it, OB. Can't see why an attacking team/supporter would try and stop play.

Then again, can't see why anybody would...

 

[Mike Whittaker]

In that case tempted to allow try, restart with penalty to non offending team with word to captain that next time you will yellow card either the offender, or hiim, depending on whether identification of offender made.

 

[ex-lucy]

i once took a whistle on to the pitch as a player (charity match) ... wont do that again!

 

[QE2wgc]

I played in an over 30s v under 20s two summers ago, we the old boys were killing them in the scrum and if we got a ruck/maul however they had a few good players inc one who went from lvl11 to lvl4 in two weeks....

During the second half quite often we had 18 players on the pitch, and the so and so's still scored.

Ring any bells anyone? ;-)

 

[ex-lucy]

Ring any bells anyone? ;-)

are you saying i was a blind c**t because the ball had bells in it to let me know where it was ?

you know i cant count past 12 w/out taking my boots and sox off ... and i thought you needed all the help you could muster .. legally or illegally.
I never did get the tenner i was promised before the match.

 

[OB..]

I played in an over-30s v u-20s many years ago in which the referee had great difficulty with the scrums. Then he realised we had two hookers.

 

[Dickie E]

Few years ago I had a clown in the 2nd row call out 'engage' after I'd said 'crouch & hold'. No damage done but his team mates & opposition not very happy.

 

[QE2wgc]

Theres a prop at lower level at a club between stevenage and welwyn who tries to call the engagement, after a suitable chat then a free kick then a word with the captain he stopped...

Ex-lucy tell me who offered you the tenner?

Even though the youngsters cheated (they ran with the ball?) it was a good fun afternoon