Rugby’s short form of the game is known for its thrills, spills and skills, with wonderful tries and memorable moments executed by players often blessed with the ability to move from 0 to 60 in the blink of an eye.
That’s the thinking, anyway.
But at the World Rugby Sevens Series in Dubai such ideas were put on hold during a bizarre moment which had spectators wondering what was happening.
It came when South Africa player Selvyn Davids ran into two Japanese opponents, who were quickly joined by a couple more team-mates.
There then ensued a trial of strength between the Blitzboks playmaker and the red-and-white shirted quartet, with the certainty being that there could only be one winner.
Sure enough, Davids triumphed.
All standing up, the Japanese players tried to dislodge the ball for more than a minute, with the referee unable to stop play because the South African’s knees hadn’t hit the ground.
With none of David’s team-mates joining in, the situation was classed as open play.
"The crowd are wondering quite what’s going on here," said a main commentator.
His co-commentator chipped in: "If four players can’t get the ball off him, I would be questioning the strength of those four players."
Eventually, two Japanese players gave up the possession fight, with Davids falling to the ground and the ball being spread for his team to score.
World Rugby's laws stipulate that play remains open until a player's knee hits the ground or if the player is taken into touch.
Whatever, this was one of those moments on a rugby field when time seemed to stop.
Bizarre, indeed.
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