No one was suggesting that the Queensland Reds were dudded out of a win but two ex-Wallabies locks questioned the legality of a crucial try to Crusaders veteran Willi Heinz on Friday night.
The defending champion Crusaders chalked up a workmanlike 25-12 win over the Reds, who have not beaten the Super Rugby powerhouse since the 2011 final at Suncorp Stadium.
The 36-year-old Heinz showed all of his canny experience by promoting the ball forward a few inches to find the tryline in the second half to take the Crusaders lead out to 22-7 (watch above).
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The halfback had protection from the Crusaders bodies strewn in the ruck and there was initially confusion as to what had happened, and who had been awarded the try.
“It’s a bit of curiosity on this one, promoting the ball forward through the back of a ruck,” Justin Harrison said on Stan Sport.
“We just think that there could be a possibility of an obstruction rule or that you have to clear it from the ruck before you’re able to then promote it back into the play because that’s an interesting ruling, isn’t it?”
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James Horwill, who captained the Reds in that famous 2011 final, then gave his two cents.
“You look at it from a fairness point of view. There’s nothing actually the Reds can do legally to stop that happening,” Horwill said.
“So, is there a way that that should be allowed? I’m not sure.
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“It’s good game management from Willi Heinz, who I thought when he came on was really good, you know, understands the laws of the game but, you know, the fairness and is it something that they might look at it from the referees?”
Harrison then continued his examination.
“Well, we’ve seen it before when players have taken the ball back in there and not grounded it properly and then an opposing player has reached over and dotted it down,” Harrison said.
“We’re not talking about that. We’re talking about ball is held with someone else. He’s on the ground, no longer able to promote it in either direction. Then someone comes from behind, joins the ruck and then promotes it through the very same ruck. It’s going to be one that the judicial system I’m sure are going to look at.”
The Crusaders are now third with a 4-2 record and the Reds are seventh at 2-4.
“We’re just not respecting the ball. We’re stuck in a bit of a cycle at the moment and I don’t know what to say,” Reds co-captain Tate McDermott told Stan Sport.
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