Law discussion: A different ball
The Bulls played the Lions last Saturday and lost. Pierre Spies, their captain, complained about the refereeing of the end-game.
With just under three minutes to play the referee penalised Jaco Kriel for a late tackle. Jacques-Louis Potgieter goaled and the Bulls led 18-15 with a minute and a half to play. (Taking the kick had taken in one minute 15 seconds)
The Lions kicked off quickly and the Bulls failed to control the ball. Howard Mnisi grabbed the ball and raced ahead. He was tackled but Harold Vorster carried it on. He was tackled, a ruck formed and the referee penalised Morné Mellett for being off-side. It was an easily kickable penalty which would have drawn the game if successful, but Francois de Klerk tapped and gave to hooker Armand van der Merwe who made his way through defenders to score the try that won the match.
Spies and JJ Engelbrecht claimed that they were played in the air at the kick-off. Then Spies complained that the Lions had knocked on. The referee consulted the TMO, and they agreed that there had been no infringement, not playing Bulls in the air and not a knock-on.
After the match Spies complained that a different ball was used for the kick-off and that this had caught his team unawares.
The television broadcast of the kick-off is not helpful as the cameras concentrated on off-field reaction amongst delighted Bulls people. But the Bulls must have been aware that the Lions would kick off as quickly as possible and they had time, while their one man was taking the kick, to get organised as the only problem would have been a ball rebounding from the upright. They had more time to get into position than the Lions did who had fuirther to run.
It is, of course, allowable that a different ball be used. Imagine the annoyance of having to wait for the original ball to be retrieved at every penalty kick and every conversion attempt.
But the law has regulations regarding the use of a different ball.
Law 2.6 SPARE BALLS
Spare balls may be available during a match, but a team must not gain or attempt to gain an unfair advantage by using them or changing them.
On the kic-koff the law has a regulation regarding the receiving team, in this case the Bulls.
Law 13.4 POSITION OF THE OPPOSING TEAM AT A KICK-OFF
All the opposing team must stand on or behind the 10-metre line. If they are in front of that line or if they charge before the ball is kicked, it is kicked-off again.
In the referee's judgement, all 15 Bulls' players were well beyond their own 10-metre line. This includes Jacques-Louis Potgieter who had taken the kick and was least likely to be back in place. The Bulls had players to receive the shallow kickoff by Marnitz Boshoff - JJ Engelbrecht with Spies and Deon Stegmann in support.