The Shortball is a quick catch up on some of what went down in Super Rugby in Round 15, with a look at the best tries, some awful kicking and a few big tackles. There was also a controversial finish to one of the best games of the season so far.
Thanks as always to the Fox Sports guys at Rugby HQ. View more Shortball & Plays of the Week
That's the one. There's an instrumental version too (which is the one used on the Shortball).
The best highlights package I can find is from Sky Sports NZ here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlZBnA3cUcM
At 6:31, Osborne clearly plants the ball against the base of the flag.
@ Stroudos: On Osborne's disallowed try for the Highlanders - it's Law 22.12 (the last part): "If the ball or a player carrying the ball touches a flag or a flag (corner) post at the intersection of the touch-in-goal lines and the goal lines or at the intersection of the touch-in-goal lines and the dead ball lines without otherwise being in touch or touch-in-goal the ball is not out of play unless it is first grounded against a flag post."
If you go frame by frame through the highlights, from every angle, there is one frame where the ball is not yet grounded, and in the next frame, it is touching both the base of the corner flag and the try line. That's why Vinnie Munro (TMO) called it simultaneous touching of both lines, hence touch-in-goal, hence no try.
Honey badger don't give a shit about the big lion. Honey badger don't care, he's so nasty. Oooh.
It's awesome. Been meaning to ask for a while now. Will share the info if I find out.
The badge owes his fans an explanation... That's the kick of a man scared he's about to have his canastas clawed off. Oh hang on, who was the badge up against this week? The Lions, right. No wonder the badge had the fear of god in his eyes.
Hopefully we'll get a chance to show it properly but the ruling was that the ball touched the bottom of the corner flag and the tryline simultaneously, which according to the laws is out.
Really tough one as it looked like a try and was a sensational finish to the game.
That was a sensational kick. That was more like me kicking my pants across the room, vaguely in the direction of the laundry basket...
That disallowed Highlanders try... holy cow that's a tight call. I guess I would be interested to know what the TMO was asked. If it was "Any reason not to award the try?", I reckon has to give it. If it was "Try or no try?", I think he has to say, mate, I just can't say. From the angle here, impossible to tell if the ball hit the touchline as it was grounded.
It is a situation however where I would like to see refs calling the benefit to the attacking team. But even then, this was as tight a decision as you can get.
I still don't get the format - a bloke with the personality and animated presentation style of Sean Maloney told to speak as monotonously as he can??
Can't see what's wrong with the Highlanders try (0:35). Corner post is OK and ball seems to clearly touch the whitewash before his elbow touches the touchline...
And this is one post-match interview with the Honey Badger I'd definitely like to see!! (2:15) Confession time: I've actually done a worse kick than that...