SCOTLAND’s record points scorer Chris Paterson has defended referee Christophe Ridley’s decision to not re-set the shot clock in the dramatic finale to last Sunday’s 13-13 draw between France and Italy.
Paolo Garbisi had a kick to win the match for Italy but the ball fell off the tee leaving him with only eight seconds to become Italy’s hero for the second time in two years.
But, unlike the straightforward kick that saw Italy beat Wales in Cardiff in 2022, his rushed effort at the Decathlon Arena in Lille cannoned back off the post and the chance to register a first Italian win against France in France in the Six Nations was gone.
In the aftermath, much has been made of the fact that two France players moved in front of Garbisi and a water carrier was on the pitch and in his eye line.
But Paterson, right, doesn’t believe any laws were broken. “I think Paolo Garbisi said it himself, he took responsibility.
I assume he looked up and saw that there was eight seconds to go and decided to go for it,” he said. “It is hard because he only had eight seconds from the ball falling off to him taking it again.
“The French players were moving and probably thinking ‘what do we do now’? When the ball fell over as it was such a unique situation. But I don��
