Daily Mail Cup finals day

[Padster]

Yesterday was the first finals day I have attended and it was a great experience. The standard of playing and refereeing was excellent.
It was a bit of a hardship having to pop into the members lounge on a regular basis to have some 'refreshment' though.
Did anyone else from here attend and what did they think of the day?

 

[Simon Thomas]

Many congrats to Wellington College - quite an achievement to win both U18 and U15 Finals. Looks like more players in the James Haskell mould coming down the production line.

 

[jeff]

PADSTER, myself and my son were VIP invites of wellington college having refereed both their age groups this season.
it was a very good day.
the only one point i thought strange was the vase final at u15's. in the final seconds of the game the referee penalised the defending team for offside for the scrum half advancing towards the scrum half when the ball was still in the scrum, he told the player to go back which he did, the scrum half hadnt played or attempted to play the ball still in the scrum so hadnt impeeded him the scrum half then was able to play the ball from the scrum without any body near him. has a tackle then took place the referee then blew for the scrum half coming round the scrum. i would have said the penalty was prevented because the scrum half obbeyd the referee's instructions by going straight back onside and not interfeering with the ball or player and has the attacking scrum half hadnt made any attempt to play the ball this shouldnt have been a penalty.?

 

[OB..]

jeff - not having seen the incident, I can only theorise, but it is possible that the referee felt the original advance prevented the opponent playing the ball at that point. He therefore played advantage, but none accrued.

 

[Dixie]

It's back to our old friend Materiality again, isn't it? Jeff's valid point is that while the offence apparently took place, it did not materially affect play so the ref's management of the situation was all that was required. The ref's justification may well have been: The defensive scrum half became offside and thus liable to penalty. I managed it so that the attacking side had an opportunity to gain an advantage, but this failed to materialise when the centres were tackled behind the gain line. Accordingly, I awarded the penalty that the SH had given away.

 

[Padster]

It wasn't just the scrum half who came round thinking it was out, the wing forward from the other side of the scrum came off as well.

 

[dave_clark]

didn't he give the penalty for not binding rather than offside?