Top 14 – “We can clearly see that the feet are on the ground”, Laurent Cardona deciphers the Bordeaux-Bagels – Toulouse arbitration

Nine tries, 59 points scored: The clash between UBB and Stade Toulouse kept all its promise in terms of play. After this amazing match, the aggression of the two teams is not the only topic of discussion among oval balloon fans. . The role of refereeing and more specifically the video referee questions.

Laurent Cardona, a former international referee, sheds light on two controversial situations. First, Paul Costes’ yellow card for a voluntary pass on a interception attempt by Damian Penaud increases the possibility of a penalty attempt. After that, Pierre Bochaton scored the winning try in the 70th minute of the game.

“Video referee forces Adrian Marbot’s arm”

In the 35th minute of the game, Antoine Dupont sent a jump pass to Paul Costes. A well-anticipated floating pass by Damien Penaud who attempted an interception forty meters from the Toulouse goal. For his part, Toulouse’s young three-quarter center is allowed, guilty of a voluntary move to put an end to this dire situation. A video arbitration follows to determine the circumstances of the action. The field referee, Adrian Marbot, awards a penalty try. Philippe Bonhour, video referee, cut short and “Force Adrian Marbot’s Hand”, according to Laurent Cardona. The decision will ultimately be a simple yellow card.

Laurent Cardona returns to this exchange: “It was clearly the video referee who encouraged the referee not to attempt a penalty, but if the field referee wanted to take control, he had full power to do so. Adrian Marbot said he accepted the video referee’s insistence, as he, in the words of Philippe Bonhour Realized it was the right decision.”.

The distance (40 meters) over which this action takes place, which gives rise to the debate, is at the heart of the arbitration decision. “In rule, there is no concept of distance with respect to penalty attempts”Laurent Cardona explains.

World Rugby Penalty Try Rule: “If the opposing team commits foul play that prevents a try a penalty try is likely to be awarded between the goal posts (…)”

the word “maybe“, present in the Penalty Try Rule (available on the World Rugby website), “Changes and interprets everything in the referee’s decision”. An interpretation that is then based on all data from the action, including distance. Two factors create too many areas of uncertainty to be able to try a penalty, according to the former referee, if Paul Costes’s anti-play act is proven and Toulouse’s defenders are beaten: “Would Damien Penaud really have managed to catch the ball? We can assume yes, but there is already the first doubt. Then, anything and everything can happen more than forty meters away. The refereeing body usually, when we have more precise distances, There is too much uncertainty to try a penalty. The debate ‘wouldn’t have happened’ if we weren’t ten meters from the goal line.

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informal exchange

Pierre Bochaton freed the approximately 42,000 UBB supporters present at Metmut Atlantic with a winning attempt. After a brilliant sequence of passes, the third line resisted Pita Ahki’s return by flirting with the touchline, thus enhancing an already very skilful individual performance. A touchline less than a centimeter away can be narrowly avoided. However, Adrien Marbot, the field referee, awards the try without direct use of video. Enough to make Toulouse supporters cringe, yet the TMO played a role in the arbitration decision.

“Even if we don’t officially hear the referees discussing, there is an exchange between the referee, the linesman and the TMO. There is an informal exchange during which the video referee clearly tells Adrian Marbot that the images he has seen do not show one of his legs. is in contact. When we look at the back and front shot images, we can clearly see that the feet are on the ground. It’s subtle but it’s obvious.”

Laurent Cardona explains before continuing: “The lineman is very well placed and has the attitude we ask of a lineman”.

Hence the video referees, Philippe Bonhour, Adrien Marbot, played their role perfectly during the match by allowing the field referees to make the right decisions.