{"id":293751,"date":"2023-10-20T17:09:32","date_gmt":"2023-10-20T17:09:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/?p=293751"},"modified":"2023-10-20T17:09:32","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T17:09:32","slug":"nigel-owens-gives-his-take-on-controversial-south-africa-incident-at-world-cup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/rugby-league\/nigel-owens-gives-his-take-on-controversial-south-africa-incident-at-world-cup\/","title":{"rendered":"Nigel Owens gives his take on controversial South Africa incident at World Cup"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Legendary rugby referee Nigel Owens feels Eben Etzebeth was “very, very lucky” to not be penalised for his try-saving intervention in South Africa’s dramatic win over France last week. France looked on their way to extending their 7-0 lead when Etzebeth made a risky attempt at an intercept and he managed to knock the ball down.<\/p>\n

The match officials ruled that the ball had gone backwards so the Springbok star avoided being penalised for a knock-on. That was one of several decisions the French team were furious about after the match and Owens can understand their frustration.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe haven\u2019t put this one under the deliberate knock-on category because although Etzebeth\u2019s actions in that great game in Paris between France and South Africa, he is very, very lucky because he goes with one hand out,\u201d Owens explained on World Rugby\u2019s Whistle Watch. \u201cThere\u2019s no way now he\u2019s going to catch this ball, so what he tries to do is knock the ball backwards, which is legal, as long as you knock the ball backwards.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf he\u2019d have made contact with that ball and that ball had gone forward, then it would have been a deliberate knock-on and a pretty certain yellow card as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

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He added: \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of debate about this; some of you are saying, \u2018Well, I think it\u2019s gone forward,\u2019 and some of you saying, \u2018No, I think it\u2019s gone backwards\u2019. And it really is a very, very difficult one; it\u2019s impossible to see 100 per cent, to put your house on it, has it forward or has it gone back.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo the referee looks at this, and I have to say, I tend to agree with the referee here because it\u2019s very difficult to say that it\u2019s gone forward or gone back so the referee\u2019s view, and the TMO\u2019s view, is that the ball went backwards or certainly didn\u2019t go clearly forward and therefore we have a play on. But remember, he\u2019s very, very lucky if that goes forward, it\u2019s a pretty certain penalty and yellow card.\u201d<\/p>\n

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