by Old West Stand on Sat Feb 10, 2018 4:03 pm
Just watching Ireland’s fourth conversion there, which seemed to take an age - try scored at 34.55, kick struck at 36.33, total time taken 1.38 - reminded me of the finish last night. In the end it didn’t make a difference, but SHC was furious about a restart being ordered after the last try. And rightly so. It was clearly a wrong decision. The law states 90 seconds are allowed for the kick to be taken from the try being dotted down. I think the assumption is 30 seconds to get everyone back and get the tee on (no jokes about Glasgow please), then 60 seconds for the kicker to take the kick.
I just watched it back.
78.46 Bennett touches down
Already only 74 seconds are left on the game clock. There is no time for a restart under the laws if everyone sticks to the script.
79.12 Ref says ‘time off’ to check for a knock on.
Try stands, time comes back on.
SHC is lined up to take the kick. He still has his full 60 seconds, so time should comfortably run out.
TMO says ’33 seconds’ left on the match clock.
For some unaccountable reason the Ref and TMO then agree they will have a restart and the ref tells SHC this even before he takes the kick.
The ref seems to be implying, ‘it doesn’t matter how much time you now waste, we’re going to have a re-start anway’.
Eh???? Poor Sam hadn’t wasted any time. He was nowhere near his time allowed.
If Leinster had scored it would have been a very sore one.