Passing to referee accident or intentional

[Bunniksider]

I have just picked this up of another forum and would be very interested to know what you all thought. Particularly if you saw it as intentional what would be the sanction (penalty for unsportsmanship?)

In their Air New Zealand Cup opener in Blenheim on the weekend, Taranaki came back from 9-0 down to beat Tasman 21-9.

Sloppy play in the first quarter didn't do them any favours, but in the second half Taranaki found their stride, scoring tries through Jayden Hayward and Shayne Austin.

It was their fly half Ripia who was involved in an interesting bit of play I'd like to share with you.

Trapped in his 22 with no support and under pressure from the opposition, Ripia looked around and saw only one option - to pass to the referee.

While I can't be sure of his intention, it does look like Ripia got out of jail. Only Ripia knows if this was by accident or by stretching the law.

In any event, the look on his face afterwards tells a story, but is it relief or mischief unpunished?

So why not play the clip and judge for yourself.

Clip

The Huddle Forum

 

[Dixie]

The nearest three players to where the ball would have landed sans Referee interference were from Taranaki. I didn't see it as deliberate.

Firstly, excellent refereeing in getting there - from a diagonal run starting on the oppo 10m, he was 4th man there. :clap:

Secondly, having got there he looked to have shot his bolt. I think most of us would have made an effort to get out of the way. :nono:

 

[TheBFG]

Not intentional (IMHO) it looked as though he was trying to pass to #2

 

[Davet]

He wcould win a scrum rather than lose possession - but risky strategy, as Dixie says, most of - seein g the ball heading towards us would take avoiding action, leaving the ball, potentially, in the middle of nowhere and snafflable.

 

[Simon Thomas]

Superb effort to get there by the referee, and it all happened to fast for both the player and referee. Unless you have been out there it is difficult to appreciate just how fast games of this level are played at and the skill levels & instant decision making of the players. He no time to get out of the way. My only criticism is that he was perhaps a little too close to the contact point.

My view is that the defender glimpsed a movement, saw his other players arriving and from training drills made the pass. The fly half's wry smile afterwards perhaps was his realisation he had used a 'get out of jail' card.

 

[nealed]

he was clearly passing to No 2 who would have run onto the ball and got it easily if the ref hadnt got in the way. What was good reffing about that?