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Springboks fans float conspiracy theory around final French try
By Ian Cameron
Springboks fans are floating a conspiracy theory around France’s final try in their dramatic Autumn Nations Series victory over South Africa in Stade Velodrome in Marseille.
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Fabien Galthie’s men ran out 30-26 winners in a match full of incident, with referee Wayne Barnes handing out a red card apiece in a busy night for the English official.
Yet it was the final French try that has really upset a section of South African rugby fans. Rookie prop Sipili Falatea squeezed over in the 76th minute, with some arguing that there was more than one movement from the foward in doing so.
It's been a busy night for Wayne Barnes but he was confident this wasn't a double movement 👀#FRAvRSA | Credit: @autumnnations pic.twitter.com/bf50ZksxJI
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 12, 2022
Barnes was confident that the try was good, appearing to award it on the spot. It underwent a TMO review none-the-less as France prepared to take the conversion, at which point things got a little weird.
Barnes, who was reffing his 101st Test, lost communication with the TMO for the course of the review. At the end of the issue, Barnes could be heard saying: “Don’t ever do that again”.
Some fans are now suggesting that the French broadcaster had played some unknown role in the failure of the comms.
SA journalist Brendan Nel wrote: “Convenient losing comms with the tmo. Strange.”
Convenient losing comms with the tmo. Strange
— Brenden Nel (@Brendennel) November 12, 2022
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Another account wrote: “Wayne Barnes awarded a double movement try and I think they had to pretend like the communication was lost with the TMO.”
Wayne Barnes awarded a double movement try and I think they had to pretend like the communication was lost with the TMO 😂😂 then claimed that Le Roux played a forward pass, no replay no nothing. What’s rugby? We meet in the word cup. There they don’t lose comms 😂
— 🇷🇺 Vladimir (@ChrisLinfordE) November 12, 2022
“Clearly ball was placed and the push from french support players took the man and ball over the line. Never a try! TMO very conveniently was off comms and could not be heard. But from the sidelines Barnes gets a message try is good bit still no comms from TMO,” wrote another.
Clearly ball was placed and the push from french support players took the man and ball over the line. Never a try! TMO very conveniently was off comms and could not be heard. But from the sidelines Barnes gets a message try is good bit still no comms from TMO
— desigan govender (@Desi0027) November 12, 2022
The France TV is a special thing … cutting comms after that double movement.
— IG: johngoliath (@JohnGoliath82) November 12, 2022
Quick replay of the French try when the TMO "unfortunately" lost comms. pic.twitter.com/KZHV2G4Q0S
— Sportbilly (@sportbillysays) November 12, 2022
Strange coincidence that the TMO comms went missing bang on when a French try was being questioned.
I really hope we don't have this carry on during WC2023
— Patrick Hogan (@phog6189) November 12, 2022
A good lesson to learn for the WC is that the French will try every trick in the book. Whether it's the TV producer hiding camera angles to benefit them or cutting comms with TMO when a crucial decision is on the line.
Got to be prepared/expect those— G-Mac (@GreggMac11) November 12, 2022
How much scrutiny the theory would hold up to appears unclear, not least given the TMO was about to rule the try good.
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Refs are human and will make mistakes. I do think they can do better with real time intervention by TMOs. The NFL seems to do so much better, but they also have bloopers. (And, yes, Rassie is unfortunately fast becoming the loathsome Trump of rugby!)
I’m sorry but the French rugby union has always been surrounded with corruption at the highest level how could one think they couldn’t intervene over something like cutting comms.. their head of World Cup has lost his job the police raided the French rugby union offices this week and they stole a World Cup.. why is this even up for debate? Possibly because of the destain towards Rassie a behaviour.. doesn’t change the facts
Only 3 things in life are certain: Death, Taxes, and The Boks whingeing about the referee when they lose
I think the try was legal. His knees were off the ground before the second push. Also lets remember that the TMO who gave the all clear was not French. As a neutral though the dubious coverage leaves a bad taste. I was struck by how the debatable decision that went SA's way about the penalty for tackled player not releasing was replayed over and over, but the debatable forward pass call on WLR that went France's way wasn't shown once. Every country tends to highlight things that go against them, but they were going further by actively suppressing legitimate coverage, which felt like crossing a line. We want to be proud of rugby as the sport that is fierce but has integrity, and the game playing makes it hard to be able to say that about those in charge of the coverage. I hope with the world cup next year they are as interested in showing the world they are people of integrity as they are in getting the W.
The yellow card was probably the bigger call. France get away with 3 in their red-zone, then bang, one penalty in SA’s red zone and they’re down to 13.
But agree, the try should also have been disallowed also.