Clearing past the ball, or clearing someone who is stood past the ball not affecting play.
(i haven't seen the incident so i'm just trying to understand what happened)
I'll try get a video up later today, but basically, there was a ruck just short of the Highlander's goal-line, and a defender right on the goal line. A Hurricanes player not bound to the ruck and ahead of his team's hindmost foot (so that's offside right there anyway) grabbed and pushed the Highlander's defender away, and Perenara "scored" right where the defender would have been. This is clear obstruction IMO.
What we saw last night looked for all the world like the
last part of an NFL play called
"counter gap" (made famous by the 1987 Redskins). Anyone who follows NFL will likely know what I mean.
As far as cleaning out goes, players arriving at the breakdown are entitled to take out jacklers and other players near the ball, and drive them past the breakdown. What they are NOT allowed to do, is run
past the breakdown and take out players in the defensive line that are already behind the breakdown.
ETA: Ok here it is
[video=dailymotion;x1v7cfn]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1v7cfn_perenara-disallowed-try_sport[/video]
For those who believe Gold 16 was part of the ruck because he had a hand on another Gold player...
[TEXTAREA]GENERAL DEFINITIONS
Binding: Grasping firmly another player’s body between the shoulders and the hips
with the whole arm in contact from hand to shoulder.[/TEXTAREA]
[TEXTAREA]
Law 16.2 (c) Placing a hand on another player in the ruck does not constitute binding.[/TEXTAREA]