Ireland were crowned Six Nations champions this afternoon, doing enough to secure a 17-13 victory over Scotland at the Aviva Stadium.
It was a nervy game, with the home side not hitting the offensive heights that we have come to expect from them in recent months. The Scots defended resolutely throughout, and with Andy Farrell's men far from their attacking best, it made for a difficult game.
Ireland got there in the end, although their their task might have been made a bit easier were it not for a very questionable refereeing decision in the second half.
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Rugby: Officials make questionable call to disallow Tadhg Furlong try
Ireland thought they had their second try of the game a few minutes into the second half, with Tadhg Furlong touching down after the home side decided to tap and go from a penalty near the Scottish line.
However, after consulting with his assistant, referee Matthew Carley said that the on-field decision was 'no try'. The potential issue with the score was whether the prop had knocked the ball on, with the assistant believing he had.
Initial replays would seem to indicate that Furlong did indeed touch the ball down, but as we saw in the Scotland vs France game earlier in the championship, the TMO can find it difficult to overturn an on-field decision. Still, there seemed to be enough to give the try.
Not only that, but it seemed as though Furlong was on the receiving end of a head shot from Scotland's Zander Fagerson. If the try was not given, then it looked like a clear penalty.
The officials then somehow conspired to miss both the potential try and the high hit, with possession given to the Scots. You can watch the incident below.
No try awarded here for Ireland a lengthy TMO check.
Alan Quinlan and Andrew Trimble both feel it should have been given...#IREvSCO | #GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/06YL1ocEzt— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) March 16, 2024
An odd piece of officiating.
Quite a few of those watching the game were baffled by the call.
So not only do they miss a clear grounding, but they also miss a head shot on Furlong?
What an absolute farce. #IREvSCO— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) March 16, 2024
I don’t hate the decision, because I don’t think Furlong was fully in control of the ball, but how was there no check on the head-to-head? #IREvSCO
— John (@corkspur) March 16, 2024
No separation, that’s bollix to be fair. If it’s dislodged then furlong does not need to be in control, he just needs to get downward pressure #IREvSCO
— Kevin Byrne (@kevinjbyrne) March 16, 2024
Officiating in rugby is certainly an incredibly tough job, but you would have to wonder about decisions such as this one.
This is not the first time that Tadhg Furlong has been harshly treated in recent weeks, having been on the receiving end of a dangerous ruck clear-out against England last week that also went unpunished.
He could certainly count himself unfortunate yet again on this occasion.
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