Nigel Owens has spoken out after the bizarre incident in the World Rugby Seven Series which saw England and Argentina effectively stop playing for two minutes so they could run down the clock and advance in the competition.
It was a turn of events which did not show the sport in its finest light.
England’s Will Homer raced clear from long distance and made it to the try line but initially declined to dot the ball down, with Argentina not doing anything to force the issue as Homer stood in the in-goal area for what seemed an eternity as the game headed towards its conclusion.
Read more: Cruel blow for Wales star and Welsh region set for coaching shake-up
The referee’s softly, softly attempts at encouraging Homer to put the ball down were ignored and the impasse only ended when Homer was challenged and decided to touch down.
Argentina won the game 19-7, with the result meaning both sides progressed at Canada's expense on points difference.
But there were boos around the ground and plenty had damning words to say later, with one social media poster dubbing the incident an "absolute farce", while another branded it a "disgusting finish". That's because World Rugby's law 9.27 says "a player must not do anything that is against the spirit of good sportsmanship", with the sanction being a penalty.
The referee who took charge of the 2015 World Cup final, Wales' Nigel Owens, was also less than impressed.
"Nobody wants to see something like that in the game," Owens told WalesOnline. "The referee has it in his armoury to impose a sanction if he feels an action amounts to ungentlemanly conduct and is against the spirit of the game.
"The England player who broke free against Argentina should have put the ball down without undue delay. Within the laws, the referee is entitled to tell him to put it down and act within the spirit of the game. Had I been officiating and encountered such a situation, I would have sanctioned the player. The onus was on the ball-carrier who’s crossed the try line to put the ball down.”
Owens also said on Twitter: "I don’t think this is good for the game. A player or team must not do anything that is against the spirit of the game. I’m surprised the referee didn’t tell him to ground the ball. That’s what we used to do when I was on the 7s circuit, many years ago."
The result meant Argentina, England and Canada were level on seven points at the end of their Pool A games in the sevens series event in Toulouse. Argentina finished top of the group with England runners-up and both making the quarter-finals, with England’s point difference four better than that of the third-placed Canadians. But there was no progression beyond the last eight for the pair, as Argentina later fell to Ireland and England went down to Samoa.
