The Junior Springboks have uncovered another quirk in rugby’s laws, using it to great effect during a recent World Rugby U20 Championship match.
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On their way to reaching the final, South Africa claimed a hard fought 33-5 win over Georgia in the second round, but the hosts pushed the defending champions throughout the contest.
Fly-half Luan Giliomee produced a moment of individual brilliance when he took a quick tap and scored the Junior Boks’ fourth try. He added the conversion to extend the lead to 26-5 with 20 minutes remaining.
While quick taps leading to tries are nothing new, the way Giliomee executed this one highlighted an interesting gap in the laws.
Standing near the five metre line after earning a penalty, Giliomee shaped as though he was about to kick for touch. Instead, he sold the dummy, took a quick tap, and caught the Georgia defence completely off guard.
Under the laws, a player only has to inform the referee what they are going to do, and if they intend to take a scrum or kick at goal, then they must then follow through with that decision.
However, if a player appears to be taking a quick tap or kicking for touch, there is no requirement to stick with that option, making a change of plan perfectly legal.
That proved decisive in this case. Georgia’s defenders were expecting the kick to touch, leaving Giliomee with a clear path to the try line from close range.
It is not the first time South African teams have taken advantage of the law book. The Springboks famously reshaped the role of the replacements bench by opting for a six-two split of forwards and backs instead of the more traditional five-three combination.
They have also looked for creative ways to force scrums. Against Italy last year, South Africa deliberately conceded a scrum from the opening kickoff as a tactical statement.
The same match also produced another innovation. During open play, the Springboks lifted a teammate in a lineout-style move to form a maul, a tactic that helped create one of their tries.
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