Was this a Penaty Try?

[AlanT]

Gave my 1st PT this afternoon - was I right?

Attacker tackled a metre from the try line is held by ankles and falls forward over the try line as a result of the tackle. In full control of the ball with both hands. With the ball about to be grounded (about 8in from the ground) the only other defender near kicks the ball out of the attacker's hands and into touch in goal.

Quite a few questions after the match from coaches and spectators (they were on the far touch line from the corner where it happened). No complaints from anyone once they understood what had happened, but a couple of part time refs said they didn't know what they would have done.

The 'kicker' justified his actions on the basis that it was OK to kick a ball from a SH's hands.

Thoughts?

[Jacko]

Spot on - good decision.

[OB..]

Law 22.4
(e) Tackled near the goal-line. If a player is tackled near to the opponents’ goal-line so that this player can immediately reach out and ground the ball on or over the goal-line, a try is scored.
(f) In this situation, defending players who are on their feet may legally prevent the try by pulling the ball from the tackled player’s hands or arms, but must not kick the ball. [My emphasis]

[SimonSmith]

As OB says - no brainer.

[Simon Griffiths]

Good decision - a better one than a certain international ref. I can't remember who it was, but in the 2003 RWC (England v Georgia), Trevor Woodman was tackled and was going to land over the try line and score (as per your description). Then, exactly as you described, a player kicked it out of his hands. The referee, wrongly, took no action.

[OB..]

The referee was Pablo Deluca (Argentina), but I don't recall the incident. I may still have the video. Roughly when was it?

[Simon Griffiths]

When was it during the match? I haven't got a clue really - it was when England were playing left to right on the screen if that helps. Odd mistake for Deluca, usually an excellent referee.