Leinster find themselves on the less advantageous end of controversial decisions. Nowadays, the result of a rugby match often hinges on the team that benefits from contentious referee rulings. A prime example of this happened just before half-time. In this instance, Jamison Gibson-Park arrives at a breakdown, while Joe McCarthy moves forward, his hand skimming across the ball. The question remains, did he inadvertently move the ball forward? Subsequently, lying amidst a tangle of bodies, flanker Will Connors from Leinster seemingly nudges the ball forward with his boot right as Gibson-Park attempts to collect it. Gibson-Park subsequently moves the ball out to his left, and it finally reaches James Lowe who dashes along the touchline to land what he believes is a try. However, unbeknownst to Lowe, referee Matthew Carley had spotted a knock-on and calls the play back. This ended up as a significant decision that went against Leinster.
Considering their tactics in the early stages of the match, some might wonder if Leinster’s outhalf, Ross Byrne, could have set the score ticking in their favour from the get-go, rather than opting to kick into touch. Leinster possesses a well-orchestrated attacking lineout, and this strategy has often resulted in scores for them. Many times, it is usually hooker Dan Sheehan, who breaks away to land a try. However, against Toulouse’s efficiently coordinated defence, this strategy failed, particularly during their attempts to execute a rolling maul near the goal line. In fact, during the first quarter, despite three or four attempts, they were unsuccessful. In contrast, Toulouse managed to convert every opportunity they had at the Leinster goal.
The combination of success and failure in Frawley’s performance accentuates the intensity of the high-pressure environment.
It’s a well-known fact in football that European finals can be decided by the finest margins, something that was exemplified in the climactic moments of a recent match. In the 78th minute, Ciarán Frawley, a substitute, was called upon to make his first kick of the game, a responsibility previously held by the accurate Ross Byrne of Leinster. With a mere few moments left of the game and Toulouse in the lead at 15-12, cool-headed Frawley successfully kicked between the posts, drawing the game to a tie at 15-15. Only moments later, he positioned himself ready for a potential game-winning drop goal attempt. Assisted by a splendid feed from Jamison Gibson-Park and with the clock reading 79:21, Frawley tried for the winning kick, but it unfortunately swerved wide, making him both a hero and a villain within a breath.
Failure of Leinster to Capitalise on Additional Player
Following the finale, Leinster will critically review the game and attempt to identify why they couldn’t leverage their one-man advantage in the closing ten minutes. James Lowe, sin-binned after his hand intercepted a pass in an action judged by referee Matthew Carley as a deliberate foul, had barely taken his seat when Toulouse retaliated with a try that added ten points to their tally. Matthis Lebel made a wide break and ran down the left flank to score. Yet, when Richie Arnold was shown the red card for a dangerous charge into Cian Healy’s head round the 90th minute mark, all eyes turned to a potential Leinster advantage. Regrettably, that didn’t play out as thought.
Future of TMO with the Shot Clock?
The above situations bring forth the question: Should the Television Match Official (TMO) also be on a shot clock?
During the final match, there were two substantial moments that provided ample time for the spectating audience at home to make a cup of tea. The first instance sprung from the impressive defensive play by Jamison Gibson-Park against the standout player of the match, Antoine Dupont. Gibson-Park, the Leinster scrumhalf, pursued Dupont as he sprinted away, managing to tackle him out of the game. This led to an array of video replays to verify whether Dupont had stepped over the boundary line whilst he was twisting and turning. The confirmation came through that he had. The next occasion came when Josh van der Flier scored a try. Here again, endless reviews were replayed repetitively to ensure that the ball was indeed grounded without any Toulouse player’s hand underneath. Could this warrant the introduction of a timer for TMOs?