Former Test referee Nigel Owens has admitted that the officials were left with a difficult call after Luke Jacobson took Jasper Wiese without the ball during the opening Springboks v All Blacks Test.
After Pieter-Steph du Toit had been tackled, the New Zealand back-rower was the closest player on his feet to the ruck.
However, with the South Africa number eight stationed nearby but in front of the ball, Jacobson immediately counter-rucked by hitting into the back of the exposed Wiese.
That resulted in the All Blacks loose forward then clattering into Cobus Reinach, who had been looking to move the ball away from the breakdown, and the scrum-half knocking on.
Referee rejects TMO advice
TMO Mike Adamson told referee Matthew Carley to have a look at the incident, but the on-field official determined that Wiese was part of the ruck and no offence had occurred.
“That is the grey because what we tend to talk about as referees is a coffee table, so any player in a ruck situation that is within that coffee table, even though they haven’t got the ball, they’re allowed to clear them out – that is what the rucking law allows,” Owens said on World Rugby’s Whistle Watch.
“What you’re not allowed to do is take somebody out who’s not in that zone, so if something is too far or outside that zone, you’re not allowed to take them out because you’re basically taking the player without the ball and that’s deemed to be foul play and a penalty.”
Ardie Savea ‘very lucky’ as Nigel Owens weighs into controversial Springboks v All Blacks incident
As is often stated, rugby has laws not rules and it is up to the referee’s interpretation as to whether they have been broken.
Owens therefore states the All Blacks could have been penalised for Jacobson’s counter-ruck on Wiese but, equally, Carley was within his rights not to punish the tourists.
‘In that grey zone’
“This is a tricky one, it’s in that zone where for some it could be outside, for others it’s just inside, so what he does is clear a player who’s not in that zone, he’s right on the edge of it. The referee feels that’s okay,” he said.
“Anything the referee feels is dangerous then the referee would act on it, but it’s in that grey zone.
“On occasions, you may well see that getting penalised if the referee feels it’s outside that zone, on this occasion they felt it wasn’t and they played on.”
That intervention from the visitors ultimately proved to be crucial, too, with the Springboks looking dangerous inside the opposition 22.
Had South Africa scored, it could have reduced the deficit to three points and set up a thrilling finale, but Jacobson’s actions helped the All Blacks claim a 33-16 triumph at Ellis Park.