John Lacey (Japan v Scotland)

I confess to not being totally au fait with all the laws of rugby union. I was however totally perplexed by a decision Mr. Lacey made near the end of the Japan match. A Scotland back attempted to kick clear from the in goal area, but the ball rebounded from a Japanese player and went dead.The decision was a scrum 5 with put in going to Japan!?

Was this correct?

Roy 

Hi Roy

Yes this was correct.  When the ball goes dead in in-goal, the main thing is not who made it dead, but who put or made the ball to go into in-goal.

If the attacking team causes the ball to go into in-goal and the ball is then made dead, it's normally a 22 drop out.
If the defending team causes the ball to go into in-goal and the ball then goes dead, it's an attacking scrum 5.

In the scenario you mention Scotland took the ball back into their own in-goal from a ruck I believe. The charge down happened in-goal and the ball went dead, so as Scotland took the ball into in-goal a scrum 5 to Japan was the correct decision.

Had the kick left in-goal and then been charged down by Japan, the charge down would have sent the ball back into in-goal, so then we would be looking at a 22 drop out if the ball went dead.

So to summarise, it's who puts the ball into in-goal that counts.  Not who makes it dead.

Thanks for the question, its a popular misconception.
The Rugby Ref