Should the referee have rejected the All Blacks striker's second attempt?

Just after returning from the locker room, New Zealand scored a controversial second try against France on Friday in the opening of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, despite strong suspicions of a forward pass in play, the referee did not back down. Here's what the regulation says.

This is the reality of the match that will undoubtedly spark a lot of discussion in the coming hours. Facing France on Friday in the opening of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, New Zealand scored a controversial try early in the second half.

>> France and New Zealand recover

In the 43rd minute, while the All Blacks were trailing 9-8, they managed to penetrate the French curtain. During the action, Rieko Ioane runs towards Mark Telea. The New Zealand winger puts on his stick and heads to flatten into the goal. Problem: Ioane's pass towards Tilia is clearly visible to the naked eye.

On social media, many French supporters protested the situation, with supportive images. For them, there is no doubt: the pass is forward. But what does the regulation say?

In its regulations, World Rugby offers the following definition of a forward pass: “A forward pass occurs when a player throws or passes the ball forward, that is, if the movement of the arms of the player passing the ball is towards the opponent's dead ball line,” writes the International Federation. If we rely on this interpretation, it appears that the referee was right to approve the attempt because the passer's arms and body were facing backwards.