Leicester/Saracens final penalty

[The umpire]

I haven't watched the highlights yet, and if rest of the report is accurate, I may not bother, but there does seem to be some grief at the end.

'But Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall believes the officials robbed his side by giving the penalty to the wrong side.

Saracens destroyed Leicester’s scrum 30 metres from their own line, replacement loosehead Rhys Gill catapulting the Tigers tighthead, Fraser Balmain, upwards.

But the touch judge penalised Gill for not scrummaging squarely.

McCall said: “I thought it was a penalty for us, it’s obvious to most people who have watched it. You are required to stay square, which he [Gill] did. Their tighthead is under pressure and he goes three metres in the air so you have nothing to scrummage against. Most people could see what happened.”'

Isn't lifting your oppo prop into the air a penalty in it's own right?

 

[Browner]

I haven't watched the highlights yet, and if rest of the report is accurate, I may not bother, but there does seem to be some grief at the end.

'But Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall believes the officials robbed his side by giving the penalty to the wrong side.

Saracens destroyed Leicester’s scrum 30 metres from their own line, replacement loosehead Rhys Gill catapulting the Tigers tighthead, Fraser Balmain, upwards.

But the touch judge penalised Gill for not scrummaging squarely.

McCall said: “I thought it was a penalty for us, it’s obvious to most people who have watched it. You are required to stay square, which he [Gill] did. Their tighthead is under pressure and he goes three metres in the air so you have nothing to scrummage against. Most people could see what happened.”'

Isn't lifting your oppo prop into the air a penalty in it's own right?

Yep....
[LAWS

Lifting or forcing an opponent up. A front row player must not lift an opponent in the air, or force an opponent upwards out of the scrum, either when the ball is being thrown in or afterwards. This is dangerous play.][/LAWS]

Im not exagerating when I say that "three meters" is quite a difficult height to achieve.

IME , if a THP goes up its because the LHP has angled his drive inward & underneath him ...OR... the THP lock has driven under the THPs left buttock, its much rarer to see any other cause.

 

[Phil E]

Video available here.

http://www.premiershiprugby.tv/LatestVideos?utm_source=latest&utm_medium=site&utm_campaign=dropdown

But there were a lot of scrum penalties and to watch the final one in isolation may not give you the full picture. Having said that it looks like the LH turns in slightly and then drives up, forcing the TH out of the scrum.

The penalty was called in by the AR.

EDIT......and no. He's not 3 metres in the air!!

 

[TheBFG]

very much a case of "dominate, don't destroy" a very silly PK to give away by the Sarries LH.

 

[winchesterref]

Sarries LH turns and drives under Tigers TH, lifting him from the floor and forcing him upwards out of the scrum. Sarries LH head ends up between the Tigers TH and hooker, so I can't see how MM has any complaints about that one!