Nigel Owens and Tom Shanklin agree over controversial Ulster v Cardiff incident

Nigel Owens has backed Tom Shanklin's assessment of the controversial incident which had a huge bearing on the result between Ulster and Cardiff on Friday night.

With the visitors on the cusp of victory and with just two minutes left on the clock, Rhys Carre was adjudged to have knocked on from a John Cooney pass and play was called back after Theo Cabango had raced over in the corner at the other end in what would have sealed his hat-trick and the win.

With Tinus De Beer lining up his conversion, referee Mike Adamson was stopped by his TMO and the try was chalked off. Cardiff's replacement hooker was yellow carded, and Cooney was presented with a penalty which he struck sweetly between the posts.

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It denied the Arms Park club their first win in Ulster for 14 years. There were other moments of controversy too during the fixture, with Thomas Young denied a try when the ball appeared to be kicked out of his hands.

On BBC commentary Sean Holley said on watching an initial replay: "It's come off (Ethan) McIlory for me. Did it go Carre then McIlory? Oh my gosh. Well... he's given it Carre onto McIlory forward."

Tom Shanklin, in the BBC studios, summed up the feeling after Cardiff were denied in the most heartbreaking of fashions and believed the call to be a correct one.

"You've got to feel sorry for them, because they gave everything in that game," he said. "You could see they were tired. I mean, it was a penalty. There were a couple of incidents that happened on the right-hand side, when one of the front row puts his hand down, it's an unnatural position, it's instinctive. But, when it's slowed down, it did come off Rhys Carre's hand.

"In real time it looks like it goes backwards, but the initial movement from the ball does go forward, and refs are so hot now on that position, because that's not a tackling position, when your arms are out wide like that, that's not how people tackle.

"We saw it with (Jacob) Stockdale in the first half, it's a shame really because you'd thought Cardiff had done enough. There was a turnover from Ben Donnell about two minutes before and you just thought 'they might do this'. They haven't won in Ulster for a long time, they haven't won away in a year, so you've got to feel sorry for them. But you can't defend like that with your arms out."

As ever on social media, some disagreed with Shanklin's take and the former Wales international posted on X later: "Getting stick for calling it, but for me it’s a knock on. Gutting for Cardiff because they deserved the win. Biggest issue was the clear knock on prior to Ulster try."

He added: "Also remember I’m not the ref. Thanks," to which Owens lent his support. He replied: "You should be a ref. Comes off Carre hand first so knock on blue first offence."

Cardiff head coach Matt Sherratt said post-match: "I will have to have a better look at it because I only saw it on the screen, but I am not sure whether that is a clear enough or obvious penalty at the end to overrule a try and give a penalty under the sticks.

"I might be wrong on that, but my instinct is it has to be clear and obvious to overrule something like that and it did not seem that to me."