LeRouxIsPHat wrote:A commentator mentioned recently that that isn't actually a rule. We've all assumed it was but the ref can still call it back once it's been taken.
In the Sale v La Rochelle match last month they took the conversion really quick and the ref said he had got a call from the TMO that they were looking at something prior to the conversion being kicked so it did not count. That explanation came after a lot of hullabaloo and confusion for everyone none more so then from the BT commentators (Austin Healy was one).
The try was chalked off for a forward pass by MacGinty (it was well forward) but the whole thing was still left a bit ambiguous about if there was ever a defined rule/if it had changed/ if the ref had done a Nige on it and called an audible that does not actually exist. Does anyone actually know what the protocol is? Has it been changed? Is there now discretion? Was there always discretion?
Not disputing what you heard from the commentator would just love some clarity for myself.
"Horrocks went one way, Taylor the other and I was left holding the bloody hyphen!"
The commentator definitely said about people being mistaken before but I agree about taking that with a pinch a salt because it doesn't seem 100% right to me either.
There was always discretion but commentators & players acted as if the next 'phase' of play negated all that went before. Not true now and never was. Referee cannot refer something after the game has re-started but in theory, the TMO can refer anything that has come to light.
TMO protocol says that if the ref awards the try on the pitch, then any of the match officials, including the TMO, have until the conversion is taken to intervene if they believe the team scoring the try has infringed.
If the ref doesn't award the try on the pitch, but instead calls time out and goes to the TMO to check if a try has been scored, then there can be no conversion as the try hasn't been awarded.
The old three questions, "Try yes or no", "Is there any reason why I cannot award a try" and "But for the act of foul play, probably try or no try" have been superceded by "My onfield decision is Try/No Try, but can you check..."
