France star brilliantly exploits new World Rugby laws with under-handed tactic catching England unawares
France hooker Peato Mauvaka during the 2025 Six Nations.
France hooker Peato Mauvaka smartly exploited World Rugby’s latest law trials with the cheekiest of lineout throws during the Six Nations clash against England on Saturday.
Ahead of the 2025 edition of Rugby’s Greatest Championship, it was confirmed that the global law trials that were in place during the Autumn Nations Series would remain in place for the Six Nations.
The trials are aimed at providing more ball-in-play time and limiting the amount of stoppages in the game.
Law trial
Included in these trials are new set times to form a lineout and scrum (30 seconds) while further protection for the scrum-halves was added to enable cleaner play at the base of rucks, mauls and scrums.
However, the trial that France hooker Mauvaka exploited was the one which allows play to continue even if the lineout throw is not straight provided that the opposition do not contest the throw.
World Rugby states that the rationale is to ‘remove unnecessary additional stoppage’.
The law 18.23 now reads “The ball must: a. be thrown in straight along the mark of touch towards a lineout player;
Sanction: If the non-throwing team does not lift a teammate to compete for the ball, then play shall continue. If the non-throwing team lift a teammate to compete for the ball, then they shall be offered the option of a lineout or scrum. If the lineout is chosen and the ball is again not thrown straight, a scrum is awarded to the team that originally threw in the ball.”
Mauvaka’s cheeky play
During the first half of the Six Nations match, the lineout was already set and Mauvaka, aware of the law change, superbly motioned as if he was lifting the ball behind his head.
But passed the ball underarm directly to number eight Gregory Alldritt with France launching an attack from the ploy. England were unable to react quick enough and did not make an effort to compete making the trick completely legal.
Peato Mauvaka with the sneakiest of lineout throws. 😮#GuinnessM6N #ENGvFRApic.twitter.com/TlYncGqwEY
— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) February 8, 2025
There is also no law preventing the hooker from throwing the ball underarm as Mauvaka did.
Law 18.22 reads: “The player throwing in the ball stands on the mark of touch with both feet outside the field of play. The thrower must not step into the field of play until the ball has been thrown.”
Law 18.23.b adds The ball must: “Reach the five-metre line before it hits the ground or is played.”
While Law 18.24 states “The thrower must not pretend to throw the ball”.
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