Wales vs Ireland - 14/03/2015 14:30

[JB1973]

hindsight is always 20/20 but would it have been an option to drop a goal when attack after attack was failing?

[leinsterforever]

I have two questions about law technicalities:

1. With the clock at 20:22 POM gets penalised for pulling down a maul despite the fact that he's the only Irish player in the maul. I thought it was legal to pull down the maul if you're the only player from your side in the maul. Is it that POM was in the maul before, with other Irish players, and has to detach and go in again on his own if he wants to pull it down?

2. For the penalty where Ireland went up the line and had backs in the line-out they had another penalty advantage from earlier in that phase which was right in front of the posts. My question is are you allowed to go back for an easier penalty if you get a subsequent penalty in a more difficult position? Surely you are

[jezzer]

I have two questions about law technicalities:

1. With the clock at 20:22 POM gets penalised for pulling down a maul despite the fact that he's the only Irish player in the maul. I thought it was legal to pull down the maul if you're the only player from your side in the maul. Is it that POM was in the maul before, with other Irish players, and has to detach and go in again on his own if he wants to pull it down?

2. For the penalty where Ireland went up the line and had backs in the line-out they had another penalty advantage from earlier in that phase which was right in front of the posts. My question is are you allowed to go back for an easier penalty if you get a subsequent penalty in a more difficult position? Surely you are

I'm not a ref, but I think I can answer these two (stand to be corrected tho)

1) No matter whether you're the only guy in or not, you can't ever pull a formed maul down. A maul is defined as formed if it has one player from each tem plus the ball carrier. If the oppo forms a maul and you don't engage, it's not a maul within the laws of the game. A defending player can then tackle the ball carrier - even if he's at the back of the "non-maul". If 5 defenders go in and all 5 leave the maul again, it doesn't stop being a maul and the attacking team can continue. Therefore, POM was in the wrong.

2) The ref should go back and award the easier penalty, if he hasn't called or decided for himself "advantage over". The fact is the awarded team didn't gain any advantage, so it should go back to the easier kick.

[Dave Cahill]

1) No matter whether you're the only guy in or not, you can't ever pull a formed maul down. A maul is defined as formed if it has one player from each tem plus the ball carrier. If the oppo forms a maul and you don't engage, it's not a maul within the laws of the game. A defending player can then tackle the ball carrier - even if he's at the back of the "non-maul". If 5 defenders go in and all 5 leave the maul again, it doesn't stop being a maul and the attacking team can continue. Therefore, POM was in the wrong.

You can tackle the ball carrier however, and if that collapses the maul, then so be it. However you have to get to the ball carrier legally and its exceptionally unusual for the player with the ball to be accessible

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Not a problem getting to the ball carrier if you're Nathan Hines, he was an artist.

POC used to be great at it and Toner is pretty good now too.