With some of the All Blacks ‘still hurting’ from last year’s loss to Ireland, Ian Foster and his team are already planning how to take down the world’s number-one side. Video / NZ Herald
As the business end of the Rugby World Cup comes into view, the value of having a goal kicking sharp-shooter will only increase, as a tight quarter-final, semi or final could be decided by a kicking duel.
Should the scores still be drawn after 10 minutes each-way of extra time, tournament rules state that the referee will conduct a place-kick competition using five kickers from each team to determine the winner of the match.
Such a scenario has only unfolded twice in first-class rugby history, in, you guessed it, the northern hemisphere. In the 2009 Heineken Open semi-final between Cardiff and Leicester, which remained level at 26-26 following 80 minutes and the conclusion of extra time.
The kicking competition then got underway, with four of Cardiff’s kickers successful in their shots at goal, before Leicester’s fourth attempt was missed by Johne Murphy.
Tom James then stepped up for the chance to win the game for Cardiff but sent his attempt wide, with the shoot-out continuing before Cardiff’s Martyn Williams missed, allowing Leicester No 8 Jordan Crane to bang over the winner.
The latest kicking competition occurred just last season when Toulouse beat Munster 4-2 in the European Cup quarter-final after the sides were tied at 24-24 after extra-time. Munster missed three of their five attempts with Ben Healy responsible for two of the failed kicks.
Richie Mo'unga could be crucial for the All Blacks in a sudden-death shoot out. Photo / Getty Images
Should the same situation occur at the World Cup, the process begins with both captains meeting together with the referee in centre-field, with ‘Team B’ nominated to call the coin toss, and the winner of the toss to decide which team has the first shot at goal.
The five players selected from each team and the order in which they kick must be specified to the referee by the start of the kicking competition. Only players that were on the field at the conclusion of extra time are eligible to participate.
The match officials and the rest of the players will assemble on the halfway line. No one except the kicker, referee, two assistant referees and ball boys is allowed in the area being used for the competition.
The five players from each team will place kick from three different areas, all on the 22 metre line, starting with a shot from directly in front of the posts, then from the 15 metre line on the left-hand side of the posts, with the third attempt on the 15 metre line on the right-hand side.
The referee will start the competition by calling the first player selected from the team kicking first to the first kicking point. Once the player has taken the kick, the referee calls the opposition to kick from the same area.
The next two players (one from each team) kick from the second area in turn. This continues until all five players from each team have kicked (the next players kicking respectively from the third area, first area and finally the second area), or until one team is unable to equal the score of the other team within the remaining number of kicks.
If there is an equal number of successful kicks once each team has completed its five kicks, the competition continues on a “sudden death” basis, following the same order of kickers used.
The competition continues with both teams trading kicks, going progressively through the three areas (and repeating the process if necessary) until one player succeeds and opposition player taking the same kick misses. Once this occurs, the team of the player who succeeded with the kick will be declared the winner.
Throughout the kicking competition, kickers have just one minute to take the kick once he has been handed the ball by the referee. Should he take longer, the referee shall declare the kick void.
The final of 2003 was the last time a World Cup knockout game went to extra-time when England beat Australia. The 1995 final between the All Blacks and South Africa also went to extra-time with Joel Stransky kicking his side to a famous 15-12 win. Had the match ended tied after extra-time, New Zealand would have been crowned champions with the tie-breaking on that occasion being decided by disciplinary record.
