In a memorable moment from 2017, Scotland’s Finn Russell found himself in the spotlight for what many considered a contender for the worst conversion ever during a match against France in Paris.
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Initially, it was widely believed that referee Jaco Peyper had urged the Glasgow fly-half to hurry up his kick as time for the conversion had run out. This led to a barrage of criticism directed at the South African official on Scottish rugby Twitter, with fans claiming they could hear Peyper pressuring Russell.
However, the truth behind the rushed conversion was quite different. It wasn’t Peyper at all who was hurrying Russell along, but rather Scottish coach Nathan Hines.
In a revealing clip of Swinson’s try and Russell’s conversion attempt, a distinct southern hemisphere accent can be heard shouting, “TAKE IT! TAKE IT!”
That voice belonged to Hines, the Australian-born former Scotland and Leinster lock, who was urging Russell to take the conversion before Peyper had a chance to review footage. This footage potentially showed Scottish winger Tom Seymour possibly interfering with French fullback Scott Spedding in the air just before Swinson’s try.
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