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Springboks fans float conspiracy theory around final French try

Wayne Barnes (Referee) and Bongi Mbonambi of South Africa during the 2022 Castle Lager Outgoing Tour match between France and South Africa at Orange Velodrome on November 12, 2022 in Marseille, France. (Photo by Clement Mahoudeau/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

Springboks fans are floating a conspiracy theory around France’s final try in their dramatic Autumn Nations Series victory over South Africa in Stade Velodrome in Marseille.

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Fabien Galthie’s men ran out 30-26 winners in a match full of incident, with referee Wayne Barnes handing out a red card apiece in a busy night for the English official.

Yet it was the final French try that has really upset a section of South African rugby fans. Rookie prop Sipili Falatea squeezed over in the 76th minute, with some arguing that there was more than one movement from the foward in doing so.

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Barnes was confident that the try was good, appearing to award it on the spot. It underwent a TMO review none-the-less as France prepared to take the conversion, at which point things got a little weird.

Barnes, who was reffing his 101st Test, lost communication with the TMO for the course of the review. At the end of the issue, Barnes could be heard saying: “Don’t ever do that again”.

Some fans are now suggesting that the French broadcaster had played some unknown role in the failure of the comms.

SA journalist Brendan Nel wrote: “Convenient losing comms with the tmo. Strange.”

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Another account wrote: “Wayne Barnes awarded a double movement try and I think they had to pretend like the communication was lost with the TMO.”

“Clearly ball was placed and the push from french support players took the man and ball over the line. Never a try! TMO very conveniently was off comms and could not be heard. But from the sidelines Barnes gets a message try is good bit still no comms from TMO,” wrote another.

How much scrutiny the theory would hold up to appears unclear, not least given the TMO was about to rule the try good.

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15 Comments
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JO 949 days ago

Refs are human and will make mistakes. I do think they can do better with real time intervention by TMOs. The NFL seems to do so much better, but they also have bloopers. (And, yes, Rassie is unfortunately fast becoming the loathsome Trump of rugby!)

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sean 950 days ago

I’m sorry but the French rugby union has always been surrounded with corruption at the highest level how could one think they couldn’t intervene over something like cutting comms.. their head of World Cup has lost his job the police raided the French rugby union offices this week and they stole a World Cup.. why is this even up for debate? Possibly because of the destain towards Rassie a behaviour.. doesn’t change the facts

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BOBO 953 days ago

Only 3 things in life are certain: Death, Taxes, and The Boks whingeing about the referee when they lose

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Jacque 953 days ago

You stupid idiot. Did you not watch the game?

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Northandsouth 953 days ago

I think the try was legal. His knees were off the ground before the second push. Also lets remember that the TMO who gave the all clear was not French. As a neutral though the dubious coverage leaves a bad taste. I was struck by how the debatable decision that went SA's way about the penalty for tackled player not releasing was replayed over and over, but the debatable forward pass call on WLR that went France's way wasn't shown once. Every country tends to highlight things that go against them, but they were going further by actively suppressing legitimate coverage, which felt like crossing a line. We want to be proud of rugby as the sport that is fierce but has integrity, and the game playing makes it hard to be able to say that about those in charge of the coverage. I hope with the world cup next year they are as interested in showing the world they are people of integrity as they are in getting the W.

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Jacque 953 days ago

Emmet, few weeks ago with Barnes reffing his 100th game he DISSALLOWED that type of movement/Try

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Jason 953 days ago

The yellow card was probably the bigger call. France get away with 3 in their red-zone, then bang, one penalty in SA’s red zone and they’re down to 13.


But agree, the try should also have been disallowed also.

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Jonathan 953 days ago

The yellow card was valid because it was a cynical foul commited at the maul. Lucky to not have been awarded penalty try.

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Nickers 25 minutes ago
Scott Robertson names his 35-man All Blacks squad for France series

As always with Razor slightly unorthodox with a few surprises. Last year Blackadder was rushed back into the starting 15 after a long injury lay off and no game time, this year on the back of a good body of work in which he was immense in the final he doesn’t even make the squad. But Finau, who possibly wouldn’t have even been starting for the Chiefs if Parker was fit is the only specialist 6 in the squad. Likewise Havili, great season and a great final, much better than last year by all measures but doesn’t make the cut.


6 mid fielders when 4 will do, but only 5 loosies when 7 would be useful -> Maybe Lakai and Parker come in? No 3rd choice at 10 meaning if one of BB or DMac sustain a mid to long term injury there is no one they are specifically trusting to come into the team and be able to close out matches - maybe they think Love is the 3rd best 10 in NZ?


Great to see Tavatavanawai straight in on the back of a huge season - he should 100% be in the 23. There have been players before like Stevenson or Sotutu who had the season of the their lives and didn’t get picked, so this is great and a little surprising to see.


Only 4 locks and no lock cover among the loosies named. This seems like an area we need to be developing more players rather than concentrating the talent pool down further. Maybe when Darry is fit he finds his way back in, but it would be good to see Lord or whoever the 6th best lock is around the squad too.


One thing I continue to find strange about ABs selection going back many years is that they are obsessed with backs being able to cover multiple positions, but they don’t take advantage of this in any way. The fact that we have 3 players who can play 12, and 3 that can play 13, doesn’t stop them from selecting ALB to cover 12 and 13 giving them 4 options at each position - what is the point of this? Likewise Love, I really like him, especially at 10, But they have Jordan, BB, Dmac who all play 15 at test level, as well as JB who is world class at 15 to cover, so why take up another spot in the squad with yet another 15? Why do we need four options for every position in the backs except 10, which is arguably the most important one where we have not been able to develop a new test player for 8 or 9 years.


And unless there is a big change this year they also don’t use all these utility backs to enable a 6-2 bench split, and will instead pick a specialist winger on the bench to come on and play the last 10 minutes.

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