At the 34th minute of the NZ-AU match, McCaw catches the restart well outside NZ's 22, is wrapped up and driven back and as he's brought to ground he reaches over the 22 line to lay the ball down. I think this captures the situation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nbxd5DVzXEo&feature=player_detailpage#t=2495.
NZ kicks the ball out on the full, and CJ gives them the gain in ground. Why?
[LAWS]19.1 THROW-IN
NO GAIN IN GROUND
(b) When a team causes the ball to be put into their own 22. When a defending player plays
the ball from outside the 22 and it goes into that player’s 22 or in-goal area without
touching an opposition player and then that player or another player from that team kicks
the ball directly into touch
before it touches an opposition player, or
a tackle takes place or a
ruck or maul is formed, there is no gain in ground. This applies when a defending player
moves back behind the 22 metre line to take a quick throw-in and then the ball is kicked
directly into touch[/LAWS]
Its where the ball is/was that counts, not where the body of the player was.
Was the ball in the 22m at the moment the tackle was effected?
Was a ruck formed subsequent to the tackle being effected?
You could argue that McCaw's knee touched the ground before the ball crossed the 22m, then when he placed the ball, he's carried it back.
You could also argue that a ruck formed subsequent to that (the presence of the Gold player with the headband - Moore? - makes it so), therefore the "no gain" restriction has expired
Its very much down to the referee's judgement. He said the tackle was completed inside. I think he's wrong on that, but the subsequent ruck makes his decision right even if it might have been for the wrong reason.
You could argue this both ways.
