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It should have been a penalty - Ex Lions admit All Blacks were hard done by

Romain Poite /Getty

Former British and Irish Lions Martyn Williams and Matt Dawson both felt Romain Poite’s decision to downgrade a potentially series-winning penalty for New Zealand was the wrong one.

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Owen Farrell had just brought the Lions level at 15-15 with less than two minutes remaining when, from the restart, Liam Williams knocked on in the direction of an offside Ken Owens, who caught and then released the ball as he realised his error.

Referee Poite initially awarded a penalty to the All Blacks in eminently kickable territory but touring captain Sam Warburton asked him to check with the TMO for accidental offside and, following consultation of the replays, the official changed his decision to a free-kick, to the chagrin of home skipper Kieran Read.

New Zealand could not score from the ensuing phases as the Lions held on for a draw, but Williams and Dawson both felt the wrong call had been made.

“It should have been a penalty to the All Blacks at the death. Romain Poite has done the Lions a huge favour there,” said Williams – twice a tourist with the Lions – on BBC Radio 5 Live.

“Whether he’s bottled it, only he knows. You very rarely see a referee change his decision. We’ve got the rub of the green but it would have been so tough to see either of those teams lose tonight.

“We’ll be talking about this for about 100 years. It was an unbelievable Test match but if the All Blacks had had a goal kicker in the last two Tests, they would have won.”

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“Ken Owens was in front of Liam Williams, he had plenty of time to skirt out the way and not touch the ball,” added Dawson, who was selected in three successive Lions parties between 1997 and 2005.

“He went to play the ball, then took his hands away. That was a sign he’d made a massive error, that was a penalty.”

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J
JW 3 minutes ago
England player ratings vs South Africa | 2024 Autumn Nations Series

As has been the way all year, and for all England's play I can remember. I missed a lot of the better years under Eddie though.


Lets have a look at the LQB for the last few games... 41% under 3 sec compared to 56% last week, 47% in the game you felt England best in against NZ, and 56 against Ireland.


That was my impression as well. Dunno if that is a lack of good counterattack ball from the D, forward dominance (Post Contact Meters stats reversed yesterday compared to that fast Ireland game), or some Borthwick scheme, but I think that has been highlighted as Englands best point of difference this year with their attack, more particularly how they target using it in certain areas. So depending on how you look at it, not necessarily the individual players.


You seem to be falling into the same trap as NZs supporters when it comes to Damien McKenzie. That play you highlight Slade in wasn't one of those LQB situations from memory, that was all on the brilliance of Smith. Sure, Slade did his job in that situation, but Smith far exceeded his (though I understand it was a move Sleightholme was calling for). But yeah, it's not always going to be on a platter from your 10 and NZ have been missing that Slade line, in your example, more often than not too. When you go back to Furbank and Feyi-Waboso returns you'll have that threat again. Just need to generate that ball, wait for some of these next Gen forwards to come through etc, the props and injured 6 coming back to the bench. I don't think you can put Earl back to 7, unless he spends the next two years speeding up (which might be good for him because he's getting beat by speed like he's not used to not having his own speed to react anymore).

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