Am I the only one who would have awarded a penalty try for this bit of work from Bundee Aki? I might well be, but then sometimes it is the whole platoon that is out of step and the one guy who has the timing right.
Here is the clip
Lets look at the law:
[LAWS]14.2 Players on their feet
(a) Falling over the player on the ground with the ball. A player must not intentionally fall on or over a player with the ball who is lying on the ground.
Sanction: Penalty kick
[/LAWS]
Or, if you think it was a tackle:
[LAWS]15.6 Other players
(a)
After a tackle, all other players must be on their feet when they play the ball. Players are on their feet if no other part of their body is supported by the ground or players on the ground.
Sanction: Penalty kick
Exception: Ball goes into the in-goal. After a tackle near the goal line, if the ball has been released and has gone into the in-goal any player, including a player on the ground, may ground the ball.
[/LAWS]
The TMO could clearly see that the ball was not over the line when Aki went off his feet.
[LAWS]15.6 Other players
...
(d)
At a tackle or near to a tackle, other players who play the ball must do so from behind the ball and from directly behind the tackled player or the tackler closest to those players’ goal line.
Sanction: Penalty kick
[/LAWS]
Again, he entered the tackle (if there was one) prior to the ball crossing the line.
[LAWS]22.4 Other ways to score a try
...
(e) Tackled near the goal line. If a player is tackled near to the opponents’ goal line so that this player can immediately reach out and ground the ball on or over the goal line, a try is scored.
(f)
In this situation, defending players who are on their feet may legally prevent the try by pulling the ball from the tackled player’s hands or arms, but must not kick the ball.
[/LAWS]
I put it to the forumites that the action of Aki was illegal and prevented a possible try. I acknowledge that this is a frequent occurrence and is never pulled up, but I cannot see why not. Is it time to amend the laws to what everybody plays (ie, "if a player is in the field of play and reaches to ground a ball in the in-goal any player may play the ball regardless of whether they are on feet or not").
And if you think I am bonkers then feel free to say so; I am a big boy. This is something that has annoyed me for a while.
Here is the clip
Lets look at the law:
[LAWS]14.2 Players on their feet
(a) Falling over the player on the ground with the ball. A player must not intentionally fall on or over a player with the ball who is lying on the ground.
Sanction: Penalty kick
[/LAWS]
Or, if you think it was a tackle:
[LAWS]15.6 Other players
(a)
After a tackle, all other players must be on their feet when they play the ball. Players are on their feet if no other part of their body is supported by the ground or players on the ground.
Sanction: Penalty kick
Exception: Ball goes into the in-goal. After a tackle near the goal line, if the ball has been released and has gone into the in-goal any player, including a player on the ground, may ground the ball.
[/LAWS]
The TMO could clearly see that the ball was not over the line when Aki went off his feet.
[LAWS]15.6 Other players
...
(d)
At a tackle or near to a tackle, other players who play the ball must do so from behind the ball and from directly behind the tackled player or the tackler closest to those players’ goal line.
Sanction: Penalty kick
[/LAWS]
Again, he entered the tackle (if there was one) prior to the ball crossing the line.
[LAWS]22.4 Other ways to score a try
...
(e) Tackled near the goal line. If a player is tackled near to the opponents’ goal line so that this player can immediately reach out and ground the ball on or over the goal line, a try is scored.
(f)
In this situation, defending players who are on their feet may legally prevent the try by pulling the ball from the tackled player’s hands or arms, but must not kick the ball.
[/LAWS]
I put it to the forumites that the action of Aki was illegal and prevented a possible try. I acknowledge that this is a frequent occurrence and is never pulled up, but I cannot see why not. Is it time to amend the laws to what everybody plays (ie, "if a player is in the field of play and reaches to ground a ball in the in-goal any player may play the ball regardless of whether they are on feet or not").
And if you think I am bonkers then feel free to say so; I am a big boy. This is something that has annoyed me for a while.