Ireland legend Brian O’Driscoll believes that Stockdale’s in-goal blunder in Ulster’s quarterfinal clash at Aviva Stadium is ‘unforgivable’.
It is going to be the story tomorrow,” Brian O’Driscoll said in the BT Sport post-match show.
“It was brilliantly manufactured by Ulster and again he had a fair bit of work to do, but this unfortunately for Jacob Stockdale is unforgivable.
“When you find yourself over the whitewash, yes there is a player dragging out of him looking to get a challenge in, but you’ve got to dive.”
"This, unfortunately for Jacob Stockdale, is unforgivable!"
— Rugby on BT Sport (@btsportrugby) March 30, 2019
"He'd done all the hard work, all he had to do was fall!"@BrianODriscoll and @StephenFerris6 weigh in on the moment that shifted the momentum of the whole game…
A cruel, cruel blow for Ulster. pic.twitter.com/851lr4WwkM
“You’ve got to guarantee the ball goes down,” O’Driscoll added.
“There is a risk of knocking the ball on or losing it in contact, that does not happen or tends not to happen far less frequently when you dive. It’s the whole momentum swing of the game.
“They’re 11-13, they score that, it’s guaranteeing a 7-point game that gives you security, the momentum is with you and they still have the conversion to knock over for a two-score game.
“That is everything in tight affairs like this.”