An obscure law was used to award France and Bordeaux star Damian Penaud a try against Exeter Chiefs in the Investec Champions Cup this weekend.
21-year-old Louis Bielle-Biarrey has been in sensational form lately and set social media abuzz again on Saturday when he came off the bench in the first half and put in another lively shift.
He scored two tries and set up another at Sandy Park as Bordeaux thrashed Exeter Chiefs 69-17.
Bielle-Biarrey’s electric pace was on full display against Exeter as he rounded the defence to score his first try and did well to stick with Matthieu Jalibert to get on the end of his second.
Small caveat in the lawHowever, it’s his try assist for Penaud that has garnered the most attention with a small caveat in the lawbook paying dividends.
The attack started deep in the Bordeaux half with Jalibert spreading the ball out to Penaud who linked up with his fellow Les Bleus winger. The pocket rocket then put boot to ball with the Exeter defence closing in on him.
Bielle-Biarrey crucially rounded Exeter full-back Tom Wyatt by going out of the field of play over the touchline as he tore after his own kick.
Then, with his one foot on the touchline, he nudged the ball on with his other boot as Chiefs winger Paul Brown-Bampoe closed in, to give Penaud a chance to dive on the loose ball which he did.
The tight margins of what had just unfolded meant that the officials were always going to have another look to check the legality of the try and that’s precisely what referee Ben Whitehouse and his team did.
Whitehouse made the decision of an on-field try meaning that his TMO Aled Griffiths would need to find clear evidence to overrule his decision.
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Louis Bielle-Biarrey is a freak. #InvestecChampionsCuppic.twitter.com/tJoLUyZjPL
— Tight Five Rugby (@TightFive_Rugby) January 11, 2025
However, the Welsh official had got the call spot on before it even went to the review and asked the right questions with a sharp knowledge of the caveat.
“Is he in touch? Was the try scorer in front of the player who last played it and I have a grounding so on-field try,” Whitehouse said.
After just two angles, Whitehouse had seen enough to offer an explanation for the ‘really tight’ call.
“The ball hasn’t crossed the plane of touch, is that correct,” he double-checked and he was right.
“This sounds ridiculous but he is allowed to stand on the line and kick the ball if the ball does not cross the plane of touch and it is still in field.
“The player who then scores the try is behind the kicker so the try is good.”
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TechnicalitiesUnfortunately for the Exeter fans, Whitehouse was not mic’d up for the crowd to hear as their jeers echoed around the ground when he awarded the score but the decision was spot-on.
World Rugby law 18.1 reads: “The ball is in touch or touch-in-goal when:
b. A player, who is already touching the touchline, touch-in-goal line or anything beyond, catches or holds the ball.
i. If the ball has reached the plane of touch when it is caught, the catcher is not deemed to have taken the ball into touch.
ii. If the ball has not reached the plane of touch when it is caught or picked up, the catcher is deemed to have taken the ball into touch, regardless of whether the ball was in motion or stationary.”
Law 18.2 adds: “The ball is not in touch or touch-in-goal if:
a. Between the mark of touch and the thrower’s own goal line; and
b. Parallel to or towards the thrower’s own goal line; and
c. So that it reaches the five-metre line before it touches the ground or hits a player; and
d. A player, who is in touch, kicks or knocks the ball, but does not hold it, provided it has not reached the plane of touch.”
Correct callIn this case, the ball did not cross the plane of touch and Bielle-Biarrey never took possession of the ball.
The law that is particularly relevant in this case is 18.2.d: “A player, who is in touch, kicks or knocks the ball, but does not hold it, provided it has not reached the plane of touch.”
He did not ‘hold’ the ball and it did not ‘reach the plane of touch’ and the try rightfully stood.
It was an incredibly rare occurrence and one has to tip the hat to Whitehouse and his team for getting the decision spot on and he explained the tight call well to Exeter captain Dafydd Jenkins.
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2025-01-13T15:39:57Z