JOHN MITCHELL, writing on the Vodacom Rugby Portal, unpacks the mechanics and legalities of the driving maul.

I stated in the SuperSport studio post-match that the Sharks should have been awarded a try from a lineout driving maul in the 61st minute against the Hurricanes in Wellington on Saturday. However, since re-watching the incident several times in slow motion, I’ve changed my mind.

When I first saw the footage, I thought the Sharks had gone through the lane of the front lifter. The big question is whether flanker Etienne Oosthuizen was attached to prop Beast Mtawarira when the maul shifted. If he was, then the try should have been awarded, but if he wasn't, he was providing obstruction for the ball-carrier, Marcell Coetzee.

Read the rest of Mitchell's column