The debate has been raging most of the week, and we’ve all seen the video.
So, how far forward was Romain Ntmack’s pass to Antoine Dupont for France’s opening try against Ireland? The reality is that it was not forward, and here’s why.
Many, many passes are caught well in front of the point at which the pass was delivered – it’s all about the physics law of relative velocity, with the ball travelling forward through the air simply because the passer is running forward.
If the ball carrier is stopped, or driven backwards, his pass will look forward but it’s not, even though referees are sometimes fooled, and whistle incorrectly. Ntmack was brought to ground as he passed, and that’s where you’ll find the false …
- February 22, 2022
