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Thu 21 May 2015 | 12:15
Canadian Taylor Paris scores try from 105m out in PRO D2 Semi Final

14
Comments

Canadian former Sevens star, Taylor Paris, scored a sensational counter-attacking try for Agen from all of 105m out in the French second division, PRO D2, semi final at the weekend. It was what is sometimes called a 14-point turnaround, and proved vital in the end.

Paris scored twice in what was an amazing game of rugby that ended 32-32 after extra time and 100 minutes of rugby. Agen progressed due to scoring more tries on the day.

A few minutes after halftime Perpignan were hot on attack and came within inches of scoring, but the ball was turned over so Agen swung it wide behind their own tryline. Paris did the rest, beating one defender on the outside to sprint over 100m to score a thrilling try. 

Agen went through to the final as they scored 4 tries against Perpignan's 3. Agen will face Stade Montois in the PRO D2 final this coming Sunday.

You can view a quick highlights report from the match on page two

video credits: gorpitsen junior and France 3 Aquitaine 

Posted By: Grant Constable

14 Comments

  • 3:32 AM 25/05/2015

    Hater

  • cheyanqui
    5:44 PM 24/05/2015

    but alas, rugby union is becoming more inequitable for the defending team. it's all in the interest of "making the game more marketable.

    Rugby league and american gridiron make the contest for the ball at the breakdown non-existent. Personally, I hate it as a US-based person, and I struggle to watch them.

  • cheyanqui
    5:41 PM 24/05/2015

    generally in-goal has its own set of applications. If the ball is held up in-goal, there is not much time for the attacking or defending team to produce the ball.

    Thus, I would have expected this to have been whistled as held up, 5m attacking scrum.

    But had the referee blown the whistle, we would have been cheating of a typical French league try.

    As a USAP fan, it sucks, but the rugby world is better for it!

  • benny
    11:04 AM 24/05/2015

    I assume the ball was over the goal line so ruck is over and it's ok for the player to strip the ball on the ground. And if not, I'm so glad the TMO didn't go back 105m and ruin a perfectly good try. The Hurricanes also scored one of the tries of the year the other day, only for a marginal forward pass to ruin it.

  • undivided
    2:37 PM 23/05/2015

    I actually had the privilege to play against Taylor Paris in the Ontario under 20s league. Phenomenal player. We had a really good team that year. He cut us apart haha. Good to see his professional career going well!

  • drg
    8:28 AM 22/05/2015

    Well well well, how's 'aboot' that magnifique try!!! Blinding pace!

    As for the turn over, I think it's fine in the sense that it was over the try line and you're allowed to attack the ball as Browner has said (if I read that correctly), it would be impossible to defend if you weren't allowed to hold up the ball/player.

    I'm not sure if it's a grey area, or if it is actually in the law books, but players holding the ball carrier and/or the ball over the try line is quite a common occurrence. I suppose the only alternative to the ball being ripped like this, would be for the referee to blow quickly and say that the ball was held up - scrum 5, but I'd say the turnover was very quick.

  • browner
    11:46 PM 21/05/2015

    If they werent, then it would be near on impossible to ever defend against someone near /on the try line who was trying to ground the ball.
    Not allowing the opportunity to defend is inequitable.

  • reality
    10:04 PM 21/05/2015

    Good try - great commentating!

  • stroudos
    3:26 PM 21/05/2015

    I think tphislslitphpsis correct on both counts, but the more important one is in his first paragraph: technically a "tackle" has not taken place, ie ball-carrier held and brought to ground. The defender ripped the ball rather than tackled the carrier. You can sort of see this around the 2:00 mark.

    The "in-goal" argument I think is also valid, since for the tackle law to apply, "a tackle can only take place in the field of play" - law 15.1. Basically my understanding is once you're in the in-goal area all bets are off!

  • mise
    2:54 PM 21/05/2015

    Great to see such a crowd for a D2 match - albeit an important one - shows the depth of the French leagues and player base.

  • tphillipsstl
    2:47 PM 21/05/2015

    I think the steal is ok. It looked like the defender had his hands on the ball and the the attacker fell on top of him. At that point either player has equal access to the ball.

    That being said, in the previous ruck 2 attacking support players laid directly on the ruck with no attempt to stay on their feet. Then during the ruck that resulted int he turnover another attacking support player comes into the ruck directly, and I mean DIRECTLY sideways. Then after the turnover in-goal, the Perpignan attackers - now turned defenders - are all coming around the side of the ruck before the ball is out. Agen somehow get the ball away anyway. My first thought was, are there no rules in french rugby??

    After reading your question I looked up the laws. I haven't refed in a couple years so I was wondering if there in fact were no breakdown laws in-goal.

    "22.6 Scrum, ruck or maul pushed into in-goal
    A scrum, ruck or maul can take place only in the field of play. As soon as a scrum, ruck or maul is pushed across the goal line, a player may legally ground the ball.This results in a touch down or try"

    The laws are very clear to distinguish between in-goal and in field of play. So I guess depending on how you read that you could read that as: no off-sides or other breakdown rules in-goal since a ruck "can take place only in the field of play."

    Either way the first two were penalties to Agen.

  • jimmy23
    2:13 PM 21/05/2015

    I love French commentators, "ooOAAAGGH!!"

  • 2:02 PM 21/05/2015

    I don't want to take away from the try itself, that was a magnificent turn of pace and fair play to them for giving it a go.....but was that a legal steal?
    The tackler neither released, nor got to his feet.
    Does being behind your try line mean the rules are applied differently?

  • colombes
    1:46 PM 21/05/2015

    i've always said that some maple syrup was the best enhancing drug ;)

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