Scottish Rugby has called on the sport’s governing body to publicly acknowledge that a game-defining mistake was made in the last seconds of Scotland’s Six Nations loss to France.
In an email to World Rugby, the SRU say the integrity of the tournament was compromised by an apparent U-turn from the officials.
Referee Nic Berry’s initial call was no try and after a long deliberation with the TMO it seemed a match-winning score was to be awarded before it was then decided the images were inconclusive.
With Scotland trailing 20-16, Sam Skinner ploughed through from close range in search of the try the hosts needed at Murrayfield.
Berry’s original view was that the ball had not been grounded. During the review process, TMO Brian MacNeice advised Berry that video replays showed the ball had, indeed, been grounded.
MacNeice then appeared to back-track which sparked a change of direction from Berry, who ruled that there was no conclusive proof after all that Skinner had definitely scored.
The SRU is challenging how that process played out and wants World Rugby to state that an error was made.
“The dialogue between the referee and the TMO made no sense,” said a source close to the situation.
The communication from Murrayfield questions the decision and the message it sends. With the arrival of Netflix and the creation of their fly-on-the-wall series Full Contact, rugby is attempting to expand its traditional fanbase and appeal to new audiences.
The confusion at the end of the game on Saturday may confuse people that the game is trying to reach, explained the source. There is a feeling that rugby is complex and “stupid” in those final moments at Murrayfield.
“The message from the SRU was articulated in the sense that there are concerns about why this happened. There is a need for lessons being learned so that it never happens again. This is not about Scottish Rugby being belligerent. It would be good if there was a statement saying that having had time to reflect and review the video evidence what happened was wrong,” said the source.
As part of standard post-match protocol, Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has written to Joel Jutge, head of referees at World Rugby, and Phil Davies, director of rugby at the governing body.
Townsend felt aggrieved after week one when referee Ben O’Keefee awarded 16 penalties against Scotland and only four against Wales at the Principality.
The coach queried some of O’Keefee’s decision-making, which is normal practice. Coaches nearly always ask for clarification around certain incidents in Test matches.
At the heart of Townsend’s message this week would have been that late controversy, which has been talk of European, if not world, rugby ever since.
The SRU is mindful of not wanting to come across as sore losers but feel duty bound to ask certain questions even if it is deemed unlikely that they get the public acknowledgement that they’re looking for.
