Law Discussion: Should the All Blacks’ Opening Try Have Stood and Did Aphelele Fassi Deserve a Card?
The recent Rugby Championship clash between the Springboks and All Blacks at Ellis Park gave fans a thrilling and controversial encounter, especially during the early stages of the game. Two key decisions from referee Andrew Brace stirred up major debate: Aphelele Fassi’s yellow card and Codie Taylor’s opening try. Let’s break down the two hot topics.
In the sixth minute of the game, the All Blacks were pressing hard on South Africa's try line when Aphelele Fassi got involved in a controversial play. After making a strong tackle on Sam Cane, Fassi quickly got back to his feet and attempted to knock the ball from Cane’s arms. Initially, Brace ruled it a knock-on in favor of the Springboks, but after reviewing the play, the referee changed his call to offside and issued Fassi a yellow card for what he considered cynical play.
According to Law 14.5 of the World Rugby laws, Fassi was required to release the tackled player and get back to his feet before contesting the ball. While he adhered to most of these requirements, the violation occurred when he did not approach the ball from behind the offside line, a technicality that sealed his fate.
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