What are you talking about? If it's only for an in goal decision then he'd completely be ignoring the foul play out of goal - which is obviously what the referee was most concerned about. Try or no try simply means 'should I award a try?'. The fact that Habana was one of the covering defenders is completely irrelevant, if the Rebels player hadn't been held back he would've got to the ball first, Habana only barely beats him as it is. The only arguments against giving the try is the Higginbotham slap down. There was no cherry picking from the TMO, what a stupid comment.
No try or no try means he have no clue the try have been scored. The TMO still have a protocol and it can't out of it.
1. Decisions relating to in-goal
1.1. The TMO may be used when the Referee requires confirmation with regard to the scoring of a try. The TMO may also be consulted as to the success or otherwise of kicks at goal.
1.2 The Referee will blow time out and make the “time out†T signal.
1.3 The Referee will make a “square box†signal with his hands and at the same time inform the TMO through the two way communication that he will require his advice.
1.4 The Referee will then ask the TMO one of three questions:
1) Is it a try â€" yes or no?
2) Can you give me a reason why I cannot award a try?
3) But for the act of foul play â€" probable try or no try? 1.5 The TMO will then liaise with the TV Director and look at all available footage in order to gather enough information in order to provide informed advice.
1.6 The broadcaster must provide all the angles requested by the TMO.
1.7 When the TMO has concluded his analysis he will provide the match referee with his advice and recommendations. The Referee should repeat the TMO’s recommendation to ensure that he is absolutely satisfied that he has heard what has been recommended.
1.8 The TMO will then advise the Referee as to when he may go ahead and signal his decision.
(This process is essential in order to allow time for TV to focus their cameras on the Referee for his decision).
1.9 The Referee will then communicate his decision in the correct manner. Play will then continue and the time clock restarted.
1.10 Where large on-ground video screens are available the TV Director may also communicate the decision.
1.11 In the absence of a video screen some grounds may use Red and Green lights to advise the crowd.
1.12 The important and primary method of communication still rests firmly with the Referee who will indicate in the normal way after receiving the TMO’s advice.
Additional jurisdiction protocol .
1. Potential infringement by the team touching the ball down in opposition in-goal
1.1. If after a team in possession of the ball has touched the ball down in their opponents in goal area and any of the match officials have a view that there was a potential infringement, of any nature, before the ball was carried into in-goal by the team that touched the ball down, they may suggest that the referee refers the matter to the TMO for review.
1.2. If the referee agrees to refer the matter to the TMO he will indicate what the potential offence was and where it took place. Potential infringements which must be CLEAR and OBVIOUS are as follows:
Knock-on
Forward pass
Player in touch
Off-side
Obstruction
Tackling a player without the ball
Foul play
Double movement in act of scoring
Referee judgement calls for all other decisions in the game are not included in the protocol and may not be referred to the TMO.
In reviewing the potential offence the TMO must use the criterion on each occasion that the infringement must be clear and obvious if he is to advise the referee not to award a try. If there is any doubt as to whether an offence has occurred or not the TMO must advise that an offence has not occurred.
For forward passes the TMO must not adjudicate on the flight of the ball but on the action of the player who passed the ball, i.e. were the player’s hands passing the ball back to that player’s own goal line.
The most important past of this protocol and to understand it is the question asked by the referee. A TMO can't go out of his protocol. Now this states the following questions asked. And they numbered it for us for a reason.
1) Is it a try â€" yes or no?
This is when the referee have no clue whether a try have been scored or not.
2) Can you give me a reason why I cannot award a try?
This relates to when a referee sees the grounding but want to know if the ATTACKING team may have committed a offense.
3) But for the act of foul play â€" probable try or no try?
This relates to foul play and concerning a penalty try. This is for foul play that may have committed where there was no grounding and the referee wanted to know if not from the foul play a try would have been scored. This is what happened in the match and what SAReferees explains.
But they left out the most important thing in their explenation. That is what was the question the referee asked? The referee asked the TMO
Please provide assistance Try or no try?. I repeat Try or no try.
Now we got look at what try or no try says? No try and no try you will notice above is under 1 which clearly states as
1. Decisions relating to in-goal
So he did not know if the attackers or defenders have dotted it down. That is why he said look at everything because if the TMO have looked who dotted it down then he would have to look at knock on as well. If Phibbs dotted it down then Higginsbottom knock CAN be called by the TMO and pointed out the referee. He did not and just looked at the piece of foul play and gave a different answer than what the question was.
To
Is it a try â€" yes or no he answered
probable try or no try? The question was for in goal first and he jumped straight to before Higginbottoms knock ignored it and one quick view of the foul play he gave the decision.
Now he saw everything happening in real time and don't know if he got excited or are a Rebels fan or blind or deaf, dumb or whatever but he ignored the in goal decision and pointed the foul play out.
Now if he was clever enough to know he can't look at the knock because he believes they did not dot it down without looking but he was dumb enough to give a answer to a totally different question?
As you can see each question is numbered and for good reason because the number next to it defines the criteria and what he can look at.
So 2nd question
2) Can you give me a reason why I cannot award a try?
relates to no. 2
2. Potential infringement by the team touching the ball down in opposition in-goal
2.1. If after a team in possession of the ball has touched the ball down in their opponents in goal area and any of the match officials have a view that there was a potential infringement, of any nature, before the ball was carried into in-goal by the team that touched the ball down, they may suggest that the referee refers the matter to the TMO for review.
2.2 The potential infringement must have occurred between the last restart of play (set piece, penalty/free-kick, kick-off or restart) and the touch down but not further back in play than two previous rucks and/or mauls
2.3 If the referee agrees to refer the matter to the TMO he will indicate what the potential offence was and where it took place. Potential infringements which must be CLEAR and OBVIOUS are as follows:
• Knock-on
• Forward pass
• Player in touch
• Off-side
• Obstruction
• Tackling a player without the ball
• Foul play
• Double movement in act of scoring
2.4 Referee judgement decisions for all other aspects of the game are not included in the protocol and may not be referred to the TMO.
2.5 In reviewing the potential offence the TMO must use the criterion, on each occasion, that the infringement must be clear and obvious if he is to advise the referee not to award a try. If there is any doubt as to whether an offence has occurred or not the TMO must advise that an offence has not occurred.
2.6 For forward passes the TMO must not adjudicate on the flight of the ball but on the action of the player who passed the ball i.e. were the players hands passing the ball back to that player’s own goal line.
2.7 If there has been an infringement, the TMO will advise the referee of the exact nature of the infringement, the recommended sanction and/or where play will next restart.
2.8 The TMO may mention issues viewed in addition to those requested by the referee if it is appropriate to the situation under review.
and no 3
3) But for the act of foul play â€" probable try or no try?
relates to this part.
3. Potential infringement by the defending team preventing a try from being scored.
3.1. If the match officials have a view that there was a potential infringement in the field of play by the defending team that may have prevented a try being scored they may suggest that the referee refers the matter to the TMO for review.
3.2 The potential infringement must have occurred between the last restart of play (set piece, penalty/free-kick, kick-off or restart) and the touch down but not further back in play than two previous rucks and/or mauls
3.3 If the referee agrees to refer the matter to the TMO he will indicate what the potential offence was and where it took place. The offences will normally be an act of foul play such as obstruction or playing a player without the ball.
3.4 In reviewing the potential offence the TMO must use the criterion on each occasion that the infringement must be clear and obvious and that but for the infringement a try would probably have been scored if he is to advise the referee to award a penalty try. If there is any doubt that a try would be scored the TMO must advise the award of an appropriate sanction in accordance with Law.
3.5 The TMO may mention issues viewed in addition to those requested by the referee if it is appropriate to the situation under review.
So you see now how cleverly it was stepped around and cherry picked by providing half the details to make it appear right. The referee did not ask which relates to no 3 but no 1. The TMO went and applied no 3 to skip the knock on