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I'm kind of with you on the second try. It goes in the 'lucky/unlucky' box like one of those short leg catches in cricket when the batsman hits it into his own foot or whatever. But it's probably a 50/50 call, given current interpretation and recent application - and you see them given as knocks on at all levels.
I have more of a problem with the third try when he inexplicably made the penalty mark about 5 yards in front of the offence (I accept he can't make the mark under the ruck!), behind the England forwards and the scrum half tapped from there (nothing wrong with tapping from the mark). But England were switched off and should still have stopped it - Daly hopeless here. But decisions are made and you abide by them.
George passed the ball forward for the Watson try (hell of a finish though - through 3 players). So swings and roundabouts...
Fair result, as I have already said. But some criticism of the officials for that first try is also fair and justified also (done the right way). That said, some of the usual vitriol and goading I have seen in the usual places (the tribal cesspit that is tw@tter) has been ridiculous.
I completely forgot about the fantasy teams until about 14:10 yesterday. And my quick rushing in of all personnel from Ireland and Italy fell flat when I forgot to check the team sheets (Connor Murray FFS...).
Faletau imperious. Never seen him have a bad game.
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c00ps
@Pasty_Spumante
Terrible 'performance' by England and dodgy decisions by the ref but several more by England and their penalty count was atrocious. England seem to have a brattishness that is not doing them any favours at the minute - they don't seem to have to self-control to clear their mind of the feeling of being disadvantaged (whether they are or not) and focus completely on their own game; they need to be able to answer to themselves and not just not be affected by frustration toward the ref, but not feel any frustration towards the ref, if that makes sense. As fr the 2 controversial decisions my view is this:
Try 1 was absolutely horrendous refereeing. He asked him to speak to his players and change behaviour and signalled time off. It is absolutely incumbent on the referee to then ensure both teams are set and prepared before he says time-on. It was made worse by the referee responding to Farrell's protestations by saying "I gave you enough time" - no, you didn't specify any time whatsoever you plank - despicable!
Try 2 - for me it's a clear try. The term "lost control" that we commonly hear is a rugby league term that is adopted by union fans and pundits but actually doesn't apply. The ball went directly from hand to leg/foot (without interruption by another player of the ground thus is essentially a kick; at no point did a knock on occur IMO. Before you say "what's to stop a player running, throwing the ball over a defenders head and catching it again then?" the answer would be that such an act is punishable and can be penalised by 'unsporting behaviour'.
Goodbye Eddie