Wayne Barnes addresses controversial Six Nations incidents including the law that needs to go
Former referee Wayne Barnes smiling.
Former Test referee Wayne Barnes has backed the idea of altering the so-called ‘Dupont law’ following a controversial weekend in the Six Nations.
It was named after the great Antoine Dupont because the France scrum-half was the first person to find a loophole in the offside law following a kick.
World Rugby guidelines state that a player can be at least 10 metres from the receiver and stand still, before being put onside when the catcher has run five metres.
As a result, it can stop genuine attacking opportunities and force teams into a spot of kick tennis, which harms the game as a spectacle.
Unhappy supporters
There were boos during Saturday’s Six Nations clash at Murrayfield and Barnes has echoed fellow ex-Test referee Nigel Owens, who believes that it should be changed by the governing body.
“It didn’t look good and with the game crying out for more space, don’t be surprised if this law isn’t changed in the immediate future. I think it should be,” he wrote in his Telegraph column.
While Dupont has been credited with finding the loophole, Barnes has a fascinating theory as to who might really be responsible for the French squad’s knowledge of the laws.
“Jerome Garces, the 2019 Rugby World Cup final referee, now stands shoulder to shoulder with the other assistant coaches in the French coaching box,” he wrote.
“He has brought not only discipline to the French team – they conceded an average of less than six penalties in their Rugby World Cup campaign – but he has also added a unique insight, no more so than to the offside law in open play when teams are kicking to each other.
“In the 68th minute, the French cleared their lines and the ball was fielded first by Kyle Rowe and then by Russell.
“As no French player was within 10 metres of where the ball landed, the laws of the game say that they don’t have to retire, they can hold their position but cannot move towards the ball.
“Not only do the French players not have to retire, when a Scottish player passes or runs five metres with the ball, the French players could advance.
Scotland’s non-try
Barnes also delved into the last-minute incident at Murrayfield where Scotland were controversially denied a try.
The TMO eventually ruled that there was no clear evidence to overrule Nic Berry’s call, with the referee initially stating that he felt the ball had been held up.
“BBC TV commentator Andrew Cotter immediately sums up the decision that the match officials will have to come to if they are to award a try, he explains that they will need ‘conclusive proof’ that the ball was grounded,” the Englishman wrote.
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“‘Extremely tight’ says the TMO on first viewing and it clearly is. It is why he takes his time to work through all the angles that are provided by the broadcaster.
“There will be some who will highlight that while the TMO was working through this difficult decision he said ‘there is the ball on the ground’. But, after reviewing it further, he explains that he needs ‘definitive evidence of the ball on the ground’ to award the try.
“His conclusion that he ‘cannot say for certain’ that is the case means the match officials stick with Nic’s initial decision, who was the person closest to the action after all.
“This incident shows the difficulty of officiating and that sometimes one country will applaud a decision while another will vilify it.”
George Ford’s conversion
Another talking point from the Six Nations weekend was George Ford‘s conversion which was charged down by Wales.
After Ben Earl’s try, Ford lined up to take the kick but, while seeking to run down the clock with the Red Rose having two men in the sin-bin, he decided to take a step to the left.
The Welsh players – as well as referee James Doleman – deemed that it was not part of his kicking stance and that he had started his run-up.
Barnes believed that the law in this instance was very much open to interpretation, but that the playmaker would not make the same mistake again.
“The law says that a team can charge down the kick once the ‘kicker moves in any direction to begin their approach to kick’. Ford clearly moved, but was that part of his preparation or was it part of his approach?” he wrote.
“The law doesn’t spell out what beginning their approach actually means, so there will be split opinions in the referee meeting this week as there were in the stands of Twickenham.
“If I was George, I would not only be speaking to the referee ahead of the Scotland game to ensure history doesn’t repeat itself, but I’d remove that ‘late’ sidestep out of my kicking routine altogether.”
