Hurricanes coach Jason Holland has called for a re-think on the use of television match officials, describing Ardie Savea's no-try decision as a "sickening" way for his side to finish their season.
Skipper Savea claimed the late try against the Brumbies amidst a pile of bodies which would have handed the Hurricanes a victory in Canberra on Saturday night, but referee Nic Berry ruled it a no-try, deciding Savea had failed to ground the ball, and asked TMO Brett Cronan for confirmation.
Cronan said he couldn’t find evidence of a grounding, effectively handing the Brumbies a 37-33 victory and a place in Saturday’s semifinal against the Chiefs in Hamilton. The Crusaders host the Blues in the other semifinal on Friday night.
Under the laws, the TMO must agree with the referee’s decision unless he or she finds evidence to the contrary.
Asked today in his final press conference before he becomes an All Blacks assistant coach whether he would have sleepless nights due to the manner of the quarter-final defeat at GIO Stadium, Holland replied: "Yeah, I'd say it looks like I'm going to be tired for the rest of my life.
"It's a pretty sickening thing to [happen] when the boys put in so much effort and don’t get what they want out of it when it comes that close. It’s a bit of a tough few days to get through, to be honest."
However, Holland was right to admit the Hurricanes could have scored earlier in the same attack which would have sealed the comeback win. One clear try-scoring opportunity which went begging was Jordie Barrett's failure to pass to an unmarked Bailyn Sullivan within metres of the try-line.
"We had lots of opportunities to win the game, especially in those last five or 10 minutes, so I completely understand and completely get that we could have won the game without relying on that but … the TMOs have been the main bugbear for me.
"With referees you win some and you lose some. You get some decisions right and wrong and I can accept that.
"The bit with this is I just keep thinking about why TMOs have been brought into the game. In my head, it’s my understanding that TMOs were brought into the game to get decisions really right, especially in big situations at the end of the game, that was the driving force."
There has been a big push to speed up Super Rugby this season, but Holland said rugby administrators had to decide whether it was more important for match officials to make quick decisions or correct ones.
Holland referred to an incident in the recent Crusaders’ 15-3 victory over the Blues in Christchurch in which the home side scored a crucial try despite a clear knock-on by prop Tamaiti Williams in the build-up. Incidentally, Australian Berry was also the referee in that game.
"I think we’ve created opportunities for us not to get it right," Holland said. "I think about our game when Ardie scored the try to win the game. I think about Dalton [Papali’i] got the red card a couple of weeks ago against the Crusaders, and from the pass Tamaiti Williams drops a massive knock-on and we don’t get that right.
"Those were massive moments in those games, so I really think we need to consider how we go about the TMO involvements in the game.
"The TMO was probably sitting in his box thinking ‘s***, that’s a try but I can’t award it because of the question’.
"Ardie scored the try, there’s no doubt about that. It’s a good one for the powers that be to figure out how we use TMOs. Is it about speeding the game up or is it about getting it right?"
Holland said had Berry asked the TMO whether it was a try or not, the outcome may have been different.
However, under the current laws the referee, in consultation with the touch judges, must make a decision before referring it to the TMO.
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