An associate emphasised what a wild old game it was, one where the Irish skipper Caelan Doris received a yellow card during the second half of play. Not to mention, Doris was one of Ireland’s standout performers on field that day. However, should it not have been James Ryan, instead of the Irish eighth man, to face the disciplinary action?
The particular rucking method they used, known as the crocodile roll, is not allowed. It’s outlawed in order to safeguard players from injuries. This new regulation is broadly seen as a beneficial change within the sport. The crocodile roll is employed to dislodge low set defenders from the ball at the tackle zone – a challenging feat. This manoeuvre is categorised by World Rugby as “the act of rolling/twisting/pulling a player standing on his feet in the tackle area”.
The method places an extreme strain on the knee joint, sometimes leading to devastating injuries. In the most recent example in 2021, English back row player Jack Willis suffered a severe knee injury in a game against Italy during the Six Nations tournament. Willis’s damage was so critical that television broadcasts chose to omit the repeated visuals of the accident, which happened in Twickenham.
When Doris entered the pack of players, he was in the early stages of performing the prohibited method. Ryan followed Doris into the ruck and took the reins, completing the most perilous part of it by pushing Malcom Marx aside. The South African player wasn’t injured, but the English referee Karl Dickson, and the TMO decided that Doris was the primary offender, regardless of Ryan appearing to do most of the groundwork. They concluded that both players couldn’t be penalised, and Doris, being the initiator, should bear the full blame.
When Doris was forced to exit the field, the concern was whether this move would be disastrous for the Irish, who would struggle to maintain their lead against the increasingly aggressive World Champions. Despite being a man down, they indirectly conceded only two penalties leading to a six-point swing in favour of South Africa. Consequently, the score shifted from 16-12, with Ireland in the lead, to 18-16, leaving the Irish to claw back into the game.
Needless to say, we’re all aware of the ensuing events.