URC 'provide clarity' and 'take action' following officiating error in Munster-Bulls clash
The URC have released a statement clarifying the situation that saw Munster reduced to 14 players for a period of the second-half of their defeat to the Vodacom Bulls last weekend.
The statement notes that an app error led to Munster being incorrectly reduced to 14 players for 15 minutes as the province chased vital points in the race for the URC play-offs and Champions Cup qualification for 2026.
"Due to enforced replacements being made for both of Munster's tighthead props during the first and second halves, the teams were forced by Law 3.13 to adopt uncontested scrums in the 52nd minute due to a lack of specialist player at that position," the URC release read.
"At this point it was deemed by the match officials that based upon Law 3.20 that Munster would have to reduce their team to 14 players. The match referee Andrea Piardi consulted with the technical zone officials to ensure this was the correct interpretation of the Law.
"Normally, the technical officials would have entered the player exchange information into the sideline management app on a tablet which would have flagged that Munster did not need to be reduce their team by one player in this situation.
"However, performance issues meant the app was not working correctly and with an incorrect interpretation of the laws, the technical zone officials incorrectly confirmed to the match referee that Munster had to play with 14 players.
"In this situation, Munster nominated Alex Kendellen (No 8) to leave the field. Soon after the reduction in players, Munster queried the error with the technical zone officials in interpreting Law 3.20."
The statement noted the correct interpretation of Law 3.20 in this situation.
"In the First Event, Munster tighthead, Oli Jager (No 3) is removed in the 15th minute for a Head Injury Assessment (HIA). He is replaced by Stephen Archer (No 18) who remains on the field after Jager did not return to play.
"In the Second Event, Archer is removed in the 52nd minute of the game due to a Contact Injury and could not return. In this situation, it was correctly decided that the game would proceed with uncontested scrums. The removal of an additional Munster player was incorrect.
"Additional players are only removed in situations where both specialist tightheads have suffered Contact Injuries; OR a Contact Injury to one player has been followed by a Yellow or Red Card to the replacement; OR a Yellow or Red Card to a player is followed by another card to the replacement.
"The error was recognised and the removed player, Kendellen, returned to the field of play in the 66th minute."
In the time following the fixture, Head of Match Officials, Tappe Henning has communicated with Munster to acknowledge the error and the competition have ensured that the following action will be taken to avoid future similar instances.
Referees will be made aware that they must own the process and reminded that they are ultimately responsible and accountable for the final decision of the correctness of any substitutions and all decisions during a match.
All documents regarding Technical Zone Protocols and the Uncontested Scrum Table circulated at the start of the season will be circulated again as a point of emphasis for match officials, technical zone officials and club personnel. Protocols for referees and technical zone officials also updated.
Continuation of on-going training and law interpretation for Technical zone officials and club personnel.
Meanwhile, the URC have denied chatter that referee Andrea Piardi was stood down in the aftermath of the situation, insisting he was not originally scheduled to officiate in Round 16 this weekend.
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