In Edinburgh
This is a controversial decision. While the regulation time of the Scotland-France match is over, the XV du Chardon pushes to snatch victory. After several periods of play, Sam Skinner defies the defensive curtain of the Blues and collapses in the in-goal, despite Sébastien Taofifenua, Yoram Moefana and Posolo Tuilagi who come to oppose. Did the Scotsman really flatten the ball in the in-goal? Referee Nic Berry does not initially grant the try and requests video refereeing. After long minutes, the Australian referee finally refused the try. “My decision on the pitch was that there was no try, the ball was held in the air,” he comments live. We looked at the action from all possible angles, there is no proof that the try was scored, therefore no try. 16-20 victory for the Blues.
A decision which inevitably displeased the Scots. As the fly-half and co-captain of the Chardon XV, Finn Russell, confided: “France came away with the victory this (Saturday) evening, but for me, there was a try at the end. It’s not up to me to make this decision, it’s up to the referee, it’s his job.” And the former Racing 92 fly half tempers: “We can’t let the referee decide the outcome of a match, it’s up to us to play better and make these matches victories.”
For his part, Fabien Galthié explained that, on this last action, “the field referee is very well placed. He doesn’t say there is no test. But we are in Edinburgh and there is crazy pressure on him so he asks for video refereeing. We know that anything can happen, we’re used to it, but he confirmed his decision.” For his captain Grégory Alldritt, “the images are quite clear from the start and I don’t see how another decision can be made”. And Posolo Tuilagi, who blocked the last Scottish attack, added: “I put my hand under the ball so I knew there was no try.”
Still, the frustration is great for the XV du Chardon. Scotland coach Gregor Townsend told BBC One: “We were celebrating (the victory) in the coaches’ box. You could hear the conversation between the TMO (video referee) and the referee, who would say “the ball was at the foot, then the ball was on the ground”, then he would change his mind and say “stick to the decision made in the field”. I don’t know what we can say… We felt like we had won the match. We saw the ball on the goal line.”
The Scottish technician nevertheless wants to be a philosopher. “From a coach’s point of view, you have to win the match and not put it in the hands of the TMOs and the referees, and that’s what we are going to work on,” says Townsend. We had control of the match and we had it most of the time in difficult conditions. We had to play differently and I’m really disappointed that we didn’t win the game.” Townsend feels his team weren’t too troubled by France for most of the match. “The ball was wet, it “There were a few penalties which were not seen. France decided to adopt this tactic of long kicks which is a scourge for the game, but it did not put us under pressure.” Scotland, who won 27-26 in Cardiff against Wales on their debut in the competition, will host England at Murrayfield on February 24. “England is our most important match of the season,” insists Townsend.
