The Offload: URC’s baffling decision to put TMO in firing line

Sometimes it is hard to fathom why decisions are made when there is a significant scope to score an own goal, so to speak, a thought that occurred on learning that Marius Jonker was appointed the television match official for the Sharks United Rugby Championship (URC) game against Leinster in Durban.

Jonker’s 22-year-old son Rynhardt -– he did not play against the Irish province – is a promising player at the Sharks so while that relationship would not preclude the former referee from being able to competently discharge his TMO duties, it does encourage a more forensic examination of all his decisions. Why would the URC put him in a firing line, so to speak?

There were several moments which Jonker might like to have again following the Leinster match but the one that stands out was his decision to intervene following replacement scrumhalf Cormac Foley’s brilliant last-ditch tackle on Aphelele Fassi that forced the Shark’s fullback to put a foot in touch.

The assistant referee put up his flag having made the correct call. Jonker intervened and so began a five-minute process with the South African trying to convince referee Nika Amashukeli that Fassi was "definitely not in touch." As the 47,000 still shots of the incident on social media have shown, Fassi's foot was grounded over the touchline, so he was in touch, before he offloaded to a teammate.

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Jonker was blessed that a forward pass was subsequently called, and a potential try ruled out having convinced the 27-year-old Georgian referee that Fassi was “definitely not in touch.”

Speaking of definite items, the TMO might have been better served intervening when Leinster replacement tighthead prop Michael Ala’alatoa was stopped illegally by a player who led with his head and made contact with his opponent’s noggin. Not that this young Leinster team can have any complaints though as they had the opportunity to nick a win in what was a promising performance given the context.

It's less than a month since Ulster's Callum Reid scored what would have been a match-winning try against the Stormers but it was chalked off following in the intervention of South African TMO Quinton Immelman. URC head of referees Tappe Henning said the decision was incorrect not to award the try.

NUMBER

15,836: The attendance at Welford Road for England's 69-0 win over Ireland in the Women's Six Nations Championship match.

QUOTE

"Kendo goes about his business quietly and he is putting in extremely good performances going back to South Africa against the Bulls and the Lions." Munster head coach Johann van Graan referring to Alex Kendellen, man-of-the-match in the win over Ulster.

Lowry’s best position still unsure

Michael Lowry is a very talented rugby player and a joy to watch but his career in terms of position, may have or soon will, reach a tipping point. The 23-year-old Ulster player has been brilliant at fullback for Ulster, filling in superbly in the absence of the long-term injury victims Will Addison and Jacob Stockdale.

His preferred position, the one that he grew up playing, is outhalf but he has started there just once for Ulster this season and that was very apparent last Friday night in Belfast when wearing the 10 jersey against Munster in the absence of Billy Burns.

Lowry understandably lacked the match sharpness that is honed by playing in that position. He tried to play flat to the gain-line but his natural effervescence and willingness to challenge defenders was missing, instead content to provide a passing fulcrum; even that was a little off kilter and he hit a lot of inside shoulders forcing the receiver to check.

It was no coincidence that Ulster looked far more threatening when Ian Madigan came on at outhalf with Lowry shifting to fullback. Ulster head coach Dan McFarland has a decision to make looking to next season. If Lowry is considered an outhalf then he's got to be given plenty of time in that position to hone his craft.

There is no substitute for game play to sharpen the instincts and management skills. Contrast Lowry's impact with that of Munster's Joey Carbery, who, injury free and enjoying a run of matches, is looking more and more like the outstanding player he was when he first broke through.

Try-scoring hookers

A couple of Irish hookers have become try-scoring phenomenons this season. Dylan Donnellan, who we have already written about in this column, scored his 18th try this season during Clontarf's 29-13 All Ireland League semi-final win over Cork Constitution at Castle Avenue. They will now face Terenure College in next Sunday's Division 1A final.

It's a remarkable achievement for the 28-year-old former age-grade international who has previously played professional rugby with Biarritz Olympique and Yorkshire Carnegie.

Eoghan Clarke, who played pretty much every position in the pack while at school in CBC Monkstown and is a former Ireland underage international, left the Munster academy last April for Jersey Reds in the English Championship.

The 23-year-old has made a significant impression. He scored 17 tries, the joint highest in the Championship and was shortlisted for the league’s team of the year as were a couple of other former Munster boys in the tight five in prop Joey Conway and secondrow Sean O’Connor.