The past Saturday turned out to be an absolute delight, quite unexpected, and left many in awe and excitement. None, except a few, could have predicted the thrilling and action-packed games that revived this year’s championship. Even with the effortless victories of Ireland, the championship was losing its charm as the competition seemed sparse. However, the upcoming weekend is potentially full of astounding opportunities with teams fighting tooth and nail for the best possible rank.
Italy and England shook the championship with well-deserved victories and brought it back to life. As said by the well-respected Tony O’Reilly, an old-time player from Ireland and the Lions, “Rugby not just instructs you to celebrate victories, but also to graciously accept defeat.” Andy Farrell, in a post-match interview echoed similar sentiments, showing a generous spirit.
Despite the constant criticism, England’s coach Steve Borthwick persisted, vividly putting into action Winston Churchill’s famous quote, “if you’re walking through hell, keep going”. This resilient approach may have finally shown fruitful outcomes. Various exciting incidents shaped the match, one of which was Tadhg Furlong’s reaction mirroring being hit by an Exocet missile.
Match referee, Nika Amashukeli, was prominent throughout the game, inviting diverse opinions. Courtesy and sharpness define his interaction with the players. Nevertheless, his credibility seems to have gone unscathed post the game. Fortunately, no referee mistake resulted in altering the match’s result.
Contrastingly, Angus Gardner, the Australian referee in Rome, seemed to possess a rather verbose style, which although did not take away from his capable refereeing, he ought to realise that spectators are interested more in the game than his commentary. This contrasted distinctly with Amashukeli’s approach.
Post-match discussions at Twickenham will highly likely focus on incidents around the tries. Fans will remember a disallowed try from England due to a potential forward pass by George Furbank, just before Ollie Lawrence’s try, which held the ground as an accurate decision, despite minor contact.
The ball’s faint touch to Jamison Gibson-Park’s handpost being nudged by Maro Otoje, with Hugo Keenan soon to score a try, was barely evident – more a slight knock-on. The decision came late, probably flagged by another official. The accuracy of the call hints at an extraordinarily keen vision or simple good fortune. Initial impression suggested more of an obvious backward rip by Otoje, which would have meant continuum of the game.
The probability of an on-field foot after Furbank’s score was also under the lens. Upon scrutinising, one could see the ball exiting Tommy Freeman’s hand while his foot contacted the boundary line; it’s honestly challenging to determine which happened first. Regardless, since it extended more than two game phases before the score, it was beyond review.
Although Angus Gardner’s refereeing wasn’t subpar by any means, he needs to understand that spectators are not there to hear him go on about the game.
This situation questions the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) policy. When the call declares the ball “in touch,” it’s considered out of play or “dead,” and anything following should ideally be negated since the game hasn’t genuinely resumed. This might necessitate an amendment to the protocol.
Then there arrived Ben Earl’s try, following a relentless pressure by England. In the prelude, upon being tackled, Henry Slade dropped the ball. While still on the floor, he flipped it to continue the game – which strictly should be a penalty since Slade hadn’t got back on his feet. The rule usually makes sense, but here it didn’t resonate, hence Amashukelli allowed play to continue. It remains uncertain whether the referee was cognizant of the scenario.
There has been a significant amount of discussion regarding Tadgh Furlong getting knocked out of a ruck. His reaction suggested he’d been stricken by an Exocet missile, although it remains uncertain if this is accurate. Yet, he was back on his feet swiftly, didn’t require a Head Injury Assessment (HIA), and none of his Irish teammates lodged any complaints. The Television Match Official (TMO) also didn’t feel the need to step in. That said, these are not sufficient reasons to dismiss potential foul play, though it isn’t entirely evident to me that there was a severe shoulder blow to the head by Ellis Genge.
The breakneck speed of the blitz defence posed certain challenges for Amashukeli’s assistants. It’s not unusual to be misled by the fast-moving defensive lines, but offside decisions, as with every other call, must not be based on conjecture or presumptions. The referee is obligated to act based on the information provided, which means these decisions must be absolutely accurate. However, on this particular encounter, some calls were not precise.