ADVERTISEMENT
RugbyDump
REGISTER
LOGIN
ADVERTISEMENT
RugbyDump
Saturday Aug 22, 2020

Officials confident they got it right after bizarre double touch down

Fighting over a loose ball over your own line is quite a normal aspect of rugby, but two players simultaneously touching down is something rare, as well as a TMO’s nightmare.

ADVERTISEMENT

That’s exactly what happened though when Welsh international wingers Josh Adams and Steff Evans went toe-to-toe in the first Pro14 match in Wales for nearly six months as the Scarlets took on Cardiff Blues.

Evans was the instigator of a great move down the line for the Scarlets, chipping ahead in search of the line.

Adams covered as the last ditch defence and incredibly, both players touched the ball down at almost exactly the same time.

Assistant referee Ben Whitehouse was confident Evans had sufficient grounding for the try, but instructed Nigel Owens to go to the Television Match Official to make sure.

What then appeared was that Adams also contacted the ball, causing some confusion to both the commentary team of Premier Sports and the officials on the field.

ADVERTISEMENT

Under the World Rugby Law 2(a): A try is scored when an attacking player: 2.Is first to ground the ball in the opponents’ in-goal.

What the law doesn’t clarify however is whether two players can touch the ball down at the same time. Determining that Evans touched the ball down first must surely come down to milli-seconds and almost impossible to the naked eye.

The officials got around it by the wording of the TMO request, asking if there was any reason to disallow the try. Perhaps some precedent has been set.

The Scarlets comfortably came out on top in the match, winning 32-12 with the bonus point.

Related Articles

  • 44 WEEKS AGO

    WATCH: Brilliant footage shows old school...

  • 44 WEEKS AGO

    Crazy scenes as player deliberately kicks...

  • 46 WEEKS AGO

    Jokester has field day with Chris Latham's...



ADVERTISEMENT

Great Tries

  • 2 DAYS AGO

    The latest member of the Tuilagi Rugby dynasty dominates in the Top 14 promotion play-off

  • 1 WEEK AGO

    Springbok winger with the most athletic non-try of the season

  • 2 WEEKS AGO

    Jack Crowley drops the ball on dime for brilliant Munster try in URC Final

  • 2 WEEKS AGO

    WATCH: World class offload from James O’Connor Leads To Long Range Reds Try

  • 3 WEEKS AGO

    Leinster up and running with two incredible tries inside the first five minutes

View All

Big Hits & Dirty Play

  • 4 DAYS AGO

    Marcos Kremer shown red card for reckless shot on Finn Russell

  • 1 WEEK AGO

    Heroic tackle from Spanish 7s player goes viral

  • 1 WEEK AGO

    No sanction handed down by SANZAAR for tackle that left Reds player with a fractured neck

  • 2 WEEKS AGO

    Watch: Cheslin Kolbe Dominates Sebastian Cancelliere with back-to-back big tackles

  • 3 WEEKS AGO

    Ben Curry's World Cup hopes dashed as he becomes the latest victim of the crocodile roll

View All

See It To Believe It

  • 1 WEEK AGO

    Barbarians Vs World XV highlights

  • 9 WEEKS AGO

    Silly Skill From Toulouse Fullback Highlights French Confidence

  • 16 WEEKS AGO

    Ardie Savea Moment Of Magic In Super Rugby Aotearoa

  • 16 WEEKS AGO

    'Armchair athletes' berate Arundell's seriously impressive bench press

  • 17 WEEKS AGO

    Worcester Warriors - The End

View All

Funnies

  • 13 HOURS AGO

    Watch: Savagely cruel bounce see’s Canada U20 concede brutal try

  • 6 DAYS AGO

    Mack Hansen gets Andy Farrell’s face tattooed on leg

  • 1 WEEK AGO

    "Hey Manie oh ah I wanna know if I can block that kick" – Munster's hilarious new song

  • 1 WEEK AGO

    Munster Rugby loving life in Cape Town Following URC Final Victory

  • 3 WEEKS AGO

    WATCH: La Rochelle Players Gate Crash O’Gara Interview

View All

Amateur

  • 21 WEEKS AGO

    You Won’t See Many Better Than This Silky-Smooth Try From Llandovery RFC

  • 21 WEEKS AGO

    Incredible Scenes As Caldy RFC Hand Ealing First Championship Defeat Of The Season

  • 44 WEEKS AGO

    Dubious Score Decides Result Of Rugby's Biggest Schools Fixture

  • 44 WEEKS AGO

    Incredible Scenes At School Boys Rugby Match

  • 45 WEEKS AGO

    The Next Dominant Backrow?

View All

Player Features

  • 1 DAY AGO

    Legendary playmaker announces new move

  • 5 DAYS AGO

    Horrific footage has emerged of Mohamed Haouas attack on wife

  • 6 DAYS AGO

    Mack Hansen gets Andy Farrell’s face tattooed on leg

  • 1 WEEK AGO

    French international receives prison sentence for attack on wife

  • 2 WEEKS AGO

    John Afoa breaks record on return to Super Rugby

View All