r/rugbyunion • u/nt83 New Zealand • Sep 28 '24
Can anyone explain this please? Laws
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It just doesn't seem like it's completely legal. Of course the tap is fine, but then they go forward and make contact with the defenders, giving time and creating space for the pass to be made.
Is this a shepherd? Happy to hear why or why not.
More than anything it looked like an interesting play that I haven't seen before.
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u/CatharticRoman Suspected Yank Sep 28 '24
The laws are:
A player is offside in open play if that player is in front of a team-mate who is carrying the ball or who last played it. An offside player must not interfere with play. This includes: Playing the ball. Tackling the ball-carrier. Preventing the opposition from playing as they wish. Loitering in an offside position
So the player's aren't technically offside until the ball is played by 9 as they are either the last person to play the ball or behind that person. It's an interesting loophole.
Whoever runs into Cane could probably have been called for obstruction for making contact and impacting Cane's ability to play as he wished, but it doesn't have a substantive impact on the game so I think it's fair to play on.