Connacht's dramatic win over Wasps yesterday should not have happened as it did, according to European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) officials.
Late on with the home side trailing 18-13, match referee Gerome Garces had to be replaced after injuring his leg and assistant Mathieu Raynal took his place.
Connacht were awarded a penalty in the dying seconds of the game and captain John Muldoon asked if they could go to the corner and take a line-out.
Raynal advised that they could not. Muldoon argued that the new trial rule to allow a line-out to be taken from a penalty after the 80 minute mark was in play. Raynal agreed and the game played out as it did.
Connacht's Naulia Dawai scores a late try
Image: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy
The new trial rule Muldoon was referring to isn't coming into the game until next year.
EPCR confirmed in a statement that Raynal was wrong saying: “The assistant referee awarded a penalty to Connacht after time had elapsed. Connacht kicked the ball into touch and from the resultant lineout, scored a converted try to win the game 20-18. However, as time had elapsed, Connacht should not have been permitted to take a lineout throw-in once the ball had been kicked into touch, as stipulated in Law 5.7 (e) of World Rugby’s Laws of the Game.”
There is nothing to say Connacht wouldn't have scored from the position they were in either but it appears the game shouldn't have ended as it did.
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