Five former Springboks on whether the Sharks should have been awarded a penalty try against the Stormers.
Stefan Terblanche (former Bok wing)
‘If that try was awarded to the Stormers and I was a Sharks fan, I would have been very upset. The Stormers were very unlucky. It didn’t look to me like Siya Kolisi made a clear attempt to kick the ball out of Cobus Reinach's hand. It was a really tough call but I think the TMO [Marius Jonker] got it wrong.'
Joel Stransky (former Bok flyhalf)
‘I don’t think it was a penalty try. There's a difference between trying to plant your foot and kicking the ball out of someone’s hand, so I think it was a shocking decision. We’re all very quick to criticise players when they make bad decisions, but when a TMO gets it as wrong as that it’s a disgrace. I have absolutely no doubt that Siya Kolisi had no intention to kick the ball out of Cobus Reinach's hand, he was trying to get his body in a better position to defend. The law needs to take intent into account. If the intent is there, it should be punishable and if the intent is not there it should not be punishable.’
Kobus Wiese (former Bok lock)
'It's simple: If a player reaches for the line as Reinach did, it is quite clear that he definitely would have scored a try if Kolisi hadn't kicked the ball out of his hand. The only two ways you are allowed to prevent a try from being scored is by physically ripping the ball out of his hands with your own hands, or by lying underneath it so that the ball comes down on your body. Those are the only ways you can do it. People are thinking emotionally about it now, saying there was no intent. That is irrelevant. Nowhere in the law does it use the words “intent” or “deliberate”. All it says is that you cannot kick the ball out of somebody's hand. A kick is considered to be from anywhere between your knee to the front of your foot, according to the law. Intentional or not, that is irrelevant. I feel sorry for Siya, because anybody else would have done the same to prevent the try, but you're not allowed to. That's the simplicity of the law, so it was absolutely the right decision.'
Ollie le Roux (former Bok prop)
‘It’s not really a question, because it’s already been awarded. It’s just a non-event. I think it was a tough call for a penalty try, but I don’t actually think it had such a big influence on the game. I think the Sharks would still have won. The Stormers definitely missed Robert du Preez, Kurt Coleman isn’t good enough at 10. The penalty try mustn’t now become a big deal.'
Mark Andrews (former Bok lock)
'I know that you may not kick the ball out of a player's hands if he's going to score a try and that if you do, it's a penalty try. I'm not sure if the law states that there has to be intent, or it just happens. In other words, it's like a high tackle. If he didn't have the intent to tackle a guy high, does he still get a card? If he does, then I think the same rule has to apply. I don't know if intent is part of the rule. But if the rule states that you may not kick the ball out of a player's hands when he goes to score a try, in other words, would a try have been scored if you hadn't kicked the ball out of his hands, well, then you have to follow the letter of the law which says it should have been a penalty try. There clearly wasn't intent. I don't think Kolisi intended to kick it out of his hands, I think he was just trying to make a tackle, but he dislodged the ball with his foot. So, I would have given the penalty try if that's what the rule states.'
