Rugby union can sometimes be very confusing. Case in point, this try scored by a Georgian centre Davit Kacharava playing in the Russian Premier League.
Kacharava used his knowledge of the most bizarre rugby law to his advantage to score one of the most controversial tries of all time, which sparked debate among our fans on Roar Rugby’s Facebook page.
So what exactly happened here and what are the laws that support the referee’s decision.
First of all, law 11.1 states: ‘Offside in general play (a) – ‘A player can’t be offside in the in-goal.’ This means the in-goal area is fair game.
Now, what constitutes a try? Law 22.3 states that a try can be awarded when the ball is grounded by an attacking player. For example: (a) Try. When an attacking player who is onside is first to ground the ball in the opponents’ in-goal, the player scores a try.
This applies whether an attacking or a defending player is responsible for the ball being in the in-goal.
However, the most confusing thing about rugby is Law 22.6, which states that ‘A scrum, ruck or maul can take place only in the field of play. As soon as a scrum, ruck or maul is pushed across the goal line, a player may legally ground the ball.This results in a touchdown or try.’
So offside’s are out of the question, giving Kacharava the right to go around the ‘ruck’, steal the ball and put it down for five points.
Objective
Guest
Umm, your law quote is wrong. A player can be offside in-goal. http://laws.worldrugby.org/?law=11
Gee
Guest
If anyone can remember, Ardie Savea scored a very similar try just a few months ago. Try stands given the defending player has got the ball off the ground as you can clearly see.
Unanimous
Guest
That would make it the same as Aussie Rules from around 1880. Don't really see the point.
Archy
Guest
"A player can't be offside in the in-goal". Seems odd. Why would you not leave a player loitering in the opposition's in-goal and kick it to him at the first chance? So I looked up Law 11.1 and found: " A player can be offside in the in-goal".
Judge Smails
Guest
Offsides should be dumped altogether and the game would be so much better.
ClarkeG
Guest
"His hand is on the ball, over the line " - and the ball is on the ground I am assuming you mean. In which case the ball has been grounded by the defending team and thus play would restart with a scrum feed to the attacking team.
Smiggle Jiggle
Roar Guru
If you look, the defending player is holding the ball out, for his scrumhalf to clear. His hand is on the ball, over the line.
ClarkeG
Guest
It is hard to determine the important points from the coverage Geoff. Is the ball still in a ruck in the field of play? If yes then the player who scored the try would be offside. - your point 1. Is the ball in goal? If it is then has a defending player grounded the ball first? - your point 2. If the ball is in goal then did the attacking player ground it first? I did see the ball grounded by the defending player at one point but I could not be sure the ball was in goal at that point. For this try to be awarded the referee had to be satisfied the ball was in goal and firstly grounded by the attacking player. Message to defending players - If you see the ball in your in goal area either get it out of there or ground it before the attacking team do.
ClarkeG
Guest
That would certainly be one question the referee would have needed to ask himself.
ClarkeG
Guest
Yes it is not confusing or bizarre.
Lindsay Amner
Roar Guru
You're right scrums used to be set wherever the infringement occurred, no matter how close that was to the try line. I recall Dave Loveridge (I think) diving over a scrum and touching the ball under the opposing No8's feet for a try in an All Black test many years ago.
JohnB
Guest
I have an idea that if you are standing in touch but the ball is in goal, you can touch it down and that will be a try. Almost happened in I think a Waratahs game a few years back. If that's right, a fair contender for most confusing. I could be wrong, but in the past I think there could be scrums set closer to the tryline than 5m (which is the closest now). I can't recall ever seeing a try scored by the attacking team touching down a ball still in the scrum but over the line, but as a defending player in the scrum I've touched the ball down to avoid that happening.
Geoff Parkes
Expert
The law is clear and always has been, but I'm calling b/s on the try. It's hard to see where the line is, but regardless, either 1. the ruck (and the ball) is still in the field of play, in which case the player coming around is offside, or 2. the ruck (and the ball) are in goal, in which case the defending player has clearly grounded the ball before the attacking player forces it, for a 5m scrum, attacking feed Either way, this can't be a fair try. Maybe the referee got a bit keen and excited to show that he knows how the offside law works?
Lindommer
Guest
In this instance did the defending team ground the ball first?
Gav
Guest
So it's actually not that confusing -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.