Former All Blacks coach Steve Hansen is dismayed World Rugby has never apologised for the refereeing decision that snatched victory over the British and Irish Lions from his grasp.
Hansen said he remained “annoyed” three years after the third Test ended ended in an anti-climactic 15-15 draw at Eden Park, leaving the high-powered series squared 1-1.
The result swung on a 78th-minute ruling, when the hosts were handed a penalty and opportunity to break the deadlock close to the posts after Lions hooker Ken Owens was deemed offside.
However, referee Romain Poite was convinced by fellow-Frenchman and assistant referee Jerome Garces to downgrade the ruling to a scrum.
Hansen, who stood aside after last year’s World Cup, has been subdued in his criticism but opined in an interview with Sky TV this week that World Rugby should have acknowledged the match officials got it wrong.
“I have always understood that the referee will make mistakes. So he’s made a mistake and he’s got that wrong,” Hansen said.
“The thing that annoyed me most about that incident, and still does to this day, is that we haven’t had an apology from World Rugby.”
New Zealand Rugby requested an explanation from the game’s governing body in the immediate wake of the series but has never received a reply.
Hansen believed World Rugby referee boss Alain Rolland was wrong to never address the issue, something that Poite had done in person.
“We’ve had conversations (with Romain) and we just said, ‘move on, Romain, you can’t change it, it’s not your problem.
“All we wanted was for the head of the rugby referees to say, ‘look, sorry we’ve got that wrong’. And then you can turn around and say to the players, ‘OK boys, the decision was wrong, but we’ve just got to cop it’.”
Lions coach Warren Gatland recently raised the prospect of a “fourth Test” being played between the teams next year and hyped as a series decider before the combined outfit embarks on its scheduled tour of South Africa.
jonnyacidseed
Roar Rookie
Yeah Jacko, because the the All Blacks should never have let themselves be in the position to let the ref decide the game for them with a bad call. You get away with some calls your way and you then you dont. And then you own the result - good or bad, at the whistle. Sometimes **it happens.
ScottD
Roar Guru
All true but in this case he didn’t interpret a fact and apply the law, he actually applied a law that didn’t exist. As I said above it is all history but it wasn’t a good look for the game
ScottD
Roar Guru
My high school game in 1981 where my mate got sent off
ScottD
Roar Guru
Kearns is unique mate. There is no comparison
ScottD
Roar Guru
It was a good series but having an international referee make a call like that where he actually didn't just have a unique interpretation of a rule but applied something that wasn't a rule in such a situation is something I have never seen before. It shows the pressure he was under to be railroaded into that by the linesman (who also clearly doesn't know the rules)and the game
Ex force fan
Guest
If referees have to apologise for their decisions that they may have got wrong …. will it change the result? Hansen is ridiculous - there are may other call that were worst than this one that no-one from World Rugby apologized for. As an experience international coach he should no better.
Cole
Roar Rookie
Yeah agree about the catch pass decision. Still remember the look on Kieren Read’s face as he tried to make sense of the call with the ref!
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
Take your point it was a suggestion made partly against a background of Covid uncertainty, but Gatland should know better considering the number of tours he's been involved in. Lions tours couldn't be less about what he suggested if he tried.
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
It had $93m in cash reserves. That was at year end 2019, the same year it posted a $7.9 loss. That's all pre Covid. It certainly doesn't have that now and things look very different going forward. I wouldn't be quite so cocky.
Jacko
Guest
JN I think you are blaming the whole of NZ and putting some sort of agenda behind a comment by the last and current Lions coach...Remember he said this from a Lions perspective and it has nothing to do with NZ and he said it a couple of weeks into a C19 pandemic when many people were being weird and desperate...NZ never even bothered to answer the throwaway comments so I would suggest you dont take it too serious either
Jacko
Guest
Hahahahahahaha desperation!!!!!!! Many Lions players "Bumped" into ABs in that...and every other game they played....Its called rugby
RedWallaby
Roar Rookie
I think he was referring to read taking out the lions player in the air catching the ball that then led to the offside. So potential first infringement would have been agains all blacks.
Paulo
Roar Rookie
Bismark should have known its illegal to tackle Dan Carter, just ask Andrew Hore. https://youtu.be/2lDUSoR8ZK8
Paulo
Roar Rookie
Facts don't get in the way for some people.
Dean
Roar Rookie
Yes BackinBlack, it’s ok for you to be a little upset and irrational after being locked down for so long. You will feel better soon. Shame your local library couldn’t provide you some Non-fiction books to read in such a difficult time. Anyways, in a few weeks, with luck, we might all be enjoying some live Rugby. Stay well Cobba.
BackInBlack
Guest
Jealous convicts. New Zealand gets raw end of the deal from referees while Aussie gifted back-to-back World Cup semi finals thanks Bryce Lawrence and Craig Joubert. Read Richie’s book and you can see same thing happened in Super rugby grand finals with Oz sides. Respect is earned.
Kane
Roar Guru
But the referee did have the benefit of slow motion replays and was actually worse off for it?
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
Heres why... A big part of the attraction of a Lions tour is the unknown.. They are not a team that plays week in and out.. By playing a serious pre tour match some of that mystique is diluted.. Especially if they lose to NZ by a big margin.. As for the charity angle... Fair enough, but I would like to see the fine print.. I know when SA play ODI pink cricket internationals it's also for charity.. But that's only gate takings.. The rest of the cash goes to the participating countries unions.. The whole concept of a series 'decider' is beyond ridiculous.. What must NZ also play England to set the record straight for The WC semi loss. Proceeds to charity of course... So far SA Rugby has not commented on Gatlands proposal.. But I can assure that if it goes beyond that they won't keep quite.
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
It is funny how much a situation like this makes us realise how much we appreciate the things we often take for granted. Hopefully we remember how much we missed the rugby when it is back (and especially us Aussies when the Wallabies aren’t doing so well :silly: )
Paulo
Roar Rookie
Sweet as, my typos make it interesting too. Too much early morning and late night posts. Also, no Rugby is starting to drive me crazy. Was driving home from work last night, Friday night, and I was grumpy because I would normally be driving home to settle on the couch with the kids and watch SR, instead I sat on the couch and watched Octonauts...