A couple of points here based on the replays I have seen which are not clear (hopefully someone has all angles video???)
1. Ardie Savea, go to the top of the class for knowing the law
Agree. A real heads up play from him
2. It is not clear if
(a) the defender has hands on the ball when it touches the ground in-goal
(b) the defender lets go of the ball before it touches the ground to avoid a 5m attacking scrum
(c) Savea pounces when the ball is over the goal line but still off the ground
3. Was Savea onside at the ruck before the ball crosses the goal line? Looks like he wasn't.
Some questions, and ones like this pop up frequently in relation to stuff that happens close to the goal-line
If the tackle was in goal (where there can't be a tackle) and the ball is "muscled" forward over the goal line so that it only just in the FoP....
1. Does it become a tackle?
2. If (a) player(s) on their feet in the FoP is/are not matched by an opponent on their feet in the in-goal, is it a ruck?
This is why I referred to is as a
"ruck like thing". I'm not convinced it was a ruck in the Law sense of the term.
4. Regardless of Savea probably being offside, rebels prop #3 cleans out gold #4 illegally by entering from the side (right alongside The Hoff)
Agree, so if what you say above about Savea being offside is correct, then PK anyway.
Here's the action for anyone who hasn't seen it (if the link doesn't take you directly to it, it starts at 1:40 in the YT time)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=j83xph-a248#t=100