Hot finale in Santiago del Estero. Los Pumas were losing against England 31-24 during the last play, in which Bautista Delguy celebrated what seemed like a heroic try that brought them close to equality, pending the conversion. However, controversy arose from the TMO. Not only were the five points not awarded, but a clear high tackle by Noah Caluori on the Argentine wing, which would have decreed the draw, was also not observed through technological assistance. Consequently, Argentina ended up losing in the third round of the Nations Championship.
The national rugby team attempted an epic comeback in the second half, ultimately falling short. Due to yellow cards received by Henry Pollock first, and then Emanuel Iyogun, the team coached by Felipe Contepomi had a numerical advantage for several minutes. The English defended fiercely in the closing stages of a victory that was by 14 points with ten minutes to go.
The home team pressed. And they found, until the final build-up, which had more than 20 phases and ended with Delguy entering the in-goal from the right and grounding the ball next to the flag. His celebration seemed to leave no doubt; the wing vented with a kick to the ball. Even the initial decision of Australian referee Angus Gardner was to award the try and wait for TMO confirmation to proceed with the conversion, which could have leveled the score.
However, after five minutes of analyzing the play due to Delguy’s shoulder touching the flag at the moment of grounding, the disallowance came, surprising everyone at the Madre de Ciudades stadium. The final image revealed the sequence that justified the decision to invalidate the try: the wing’s contact with the post occurred shortly before the Argentine placed the ball in the in-goal.
But the review was not exhaustive. Because the recently substituted Caluori made a tackle to the neck of the Pumas wing. A penalty try should have been awarded (granting 7 points, including the 2 for conversion, although no kick at goal exists). And with that, Argentina would have drawn at the end.
Nevertheless, the TMO gave no alternatives to Gardner, who was precise with his technological assistants: «On the field it’s a try,» the referee began the dialogue, receiving the response that the score should be disallowed. «Are you telling me it’s not a try and then the game ends?» asked the referee. «Correct,» responded the TMO. Gardner had no alternatives and blew the final whistle without validating either action: there was no try nor penalty try. The in extremis decisions thus condemned Los Pumas to another defeat against England in rugby.
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para mi el TMO es un vendido del imperio britanico manga de chorros como le anulan el try a delguy y no cobran el tackle alto de caluori la concha de su hermana nos robaron el empate claro los pumas jugaron con huevos pero el sistema esta podrido es una verguenza
jajaja para mi los arbitros nos roban siempre a los argentinos ese try era legal pero los ingleses lloran y el tmo les da el partido encima no cobran el tackle alto una verguenza viva la patria estos giles nos cagan siempre firmado el pibe de la bocha 77