World Rugby admit Wales try at Twickenham should have counted despite Eddie Jones' pleas
EDDIE JONES might wish that World Rugby had kept their noses out of ‘Trygate’, but the game’s rulers have form in hanging their officials out to dry.
Television Match Official Glenn Newman was the victim this time as the game’s rulers said he had dropped a clanger by not awarding Gareth Anscombe a try for Wales in the 23rd minute of their 12-6 defeat to England on Saturday.
World Rugby confirmed they had told Wales they should have been given the score even though Jones insists the matter should be consigned to history.
At the 2015 World Cup, they dumped referee Craig Joubert in it when they said he had made an error in Scotland’s 35-34 quarter-final loss to Australia.
They ruled that Joubert, who sprinted off the pitch at the end of the match, should have awarded a scrum to Australia instead of the penalty that knocked Scotland out of the tournament.
This time they have blamed New Zealander Newman, who was not due to officiate in any more Six Nations games, for failing to award Wales a score.
Their statement read: “World Rugby has clarified to the Wales team management as part of the usual review process with teams that the TMO made an error in the application of law during the England versus Wales match at Twickenham.
“In accordance with law 21.1b Wales should have been awarded a try as the Wales player grounded the ball.”
Wales assistant coach Rob Howley said: “It was good to have dialogue with World Rugby. Alain Rolland [match officials manager] confirmed the TMO had made a mistake. It has happened – it is disappointing that happens in professional sport.”
Jones, who was at pains to point out that World Rugby had done this before, got on with his day job on Tuesday as England hosted Georgia in a training run at a West London school.
Anthony Watson and Owen Farrell, who sat out the session with unspecified leg injuries, are expected to be fit to face Scotland a week on Saturday but Exeter No8 Sam Simmonds will miss the game, and the one with France a week later, with shoulder trouble.
Jones also revealed that Elliot Daly had suffered another calf injury which is why he was left out of the current camp, which kicked off yesterday with a live scrummaging session against the heavyweight Lelos pack.
Georgia gave England’s forwards a thorough work-out and had the upper hand in the opening exchanges.
“Georgia were just the sort of scrum we needed to scrum against – strong, scrummed in a different way,” said Jones. “They had the superiority early on and we came back well.
“They scrum for a living and our guys learnt a number of different things. They found different ways to exert pressure and with the new laws it is finding new ways of exerting pressure without moving their feet. Georgia are very good at that."
Meanwhile, France coach Jacques Brunel has axed eight players following allegations of a sexual assault – later dropped – in Edinburgh on Sunday night after France’s 32-26 defeat to Scotland.
Alexandre Lapandry, Arthur Iturria, Anthony Belleau, Felix Lambey, Jonathan Danty, Remi Lamerat, Louis Picamoles and Teddy Thomas have all been chopped from the squad for the clash with Italy on Friday week.
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The French Federation said the players had acted inappropriately and the investigation led to their plane home being delayed on Monday.
But Police Scotland said: “Following an initial report of sexual assault in Edinburgh city centre during the early hours of Monday 12 February, police conducted various lines of inquiry, including speaking to a number of potential witnesses. These inquiries have established that no crime has been committed.”
Jonathan Davies, Gareth Davies and Jake Ball have all signed National Dual Contracts tying them to the Scarlets and keeping them in Wales, while Northampton have signed Australia’s Fiji-born wing Taqele Naiyaravoro for the start of next season.