Controversial call costs Moana Pasifika in crucial Blues match
In this instance, Moana centre Lalomilo Lalomilo put his foot in touch – an act which was not seen in real time – before flinging the ball back in play, which led to the Blues briefly taking possession, before the ball was turned over and Moana went through a few more phases to score.
The failure to spot that Lalomilo had been in touch should have been exactly that in the end – a failure to spot that Lalomilo had been in touch – as, once the Blues had regained possession from his infield pass, that started the clock again. The Blues' brief moment with the ball should have rendered the infringement off-limits in the decision as to whether the try had been legally scored or not.
It became a somewhat farcical scene at North Harbour, as referee Angus Gardner and his assistant Ben O'Keeffe tried to make sense of what had happened and what protocol needed to be applied.
Moana captain Ardie Savea showed just how confused and confusing the law book can be when he suggested – wrongly as it happens, because this clause has been changed – that the officials couldn't go back more than three phases to determine whether the try should stand. Ardie Savea speaks with referee Angus Gardner as the Moana try is overturned. Photo / Photosport
Moana did score a valid try two minutes later, but as always with these sliding door moments – like the Aaron Smith try the All Blacks scored in the World Cup final that was wrongly disallowed – it's impossible to know what impact it would have had on the game, had it stood.
Based on what was happening at North Harbour Stadium, though, it's fair to suggest that Moana, who had all the momentum and all the energy in the period leading into Sanerivi's non-try, could have lifted to another level again if they hadn't had to wait for almost two minutes to hear that their score was being chalked off.
The waiting, as any team on a surge can testify, sucks the energy and flow out of the contest – and to then hear that the score is not standing is deflating.
That may not seem like much, but in the heat of the moment, it can be critical – especially as the prolonged discussion among the officials gave the Blues a chance to recuperate and regather.
The bottom line is that it's impossible not to wonder whether that decision was critical in enabling the Blues to hold on to a losing bonus point they may not otherwise have gathered, and then to wonder just how critical that bonus point may be in Moana's quest to secure a place in the playoffs.
The Blues and Moana are both on 28 competition points and are fighting, alongside the Hurricanes, for two quarter-final spots.
In the course of a 14-game regular season, there will be innumerable incidents and failings that could be highlighted to explain why a team didn't make the last six. But there will always be something truly contentious and frustrating about officiating errors that are made not as a result of law interpretation and application, but as a result of not actually knowing the laws under which the game is being played.
In defence of the officials, they are faced with an overly complex and nuanced set of protocols that have been introduced this year by World Rugby and which come with different criteria for different circumstances.
If there is an act of foul play discovered in the build-up to a try, then the officials can adjudicate as far back as the last restart of play.
If there is a knock-on, forward pass or someone is in touch, they can go back to the last attacking passage of play and if there is an offside or maul obstruction, they can go back two phases (scrum, lineout, ruck or maul) of play.
It seems needlessly complex, although TMO Glenn Newman should have had these protocols in front of him to ensure the officials were being advised correctly on the law.
It's to be applauded that rugby wants lighter-touch interference from the TMO and a means to use technology without destroying the flow and integrity of the contests.
But surely it has to simplify and unify the protocol – and have one standard application of just how far back events can be analysed.
Gregor Paul is one of New Zealand's most respected rugby writers and columnists. He has won multiple awards for journalism and written several books about sport.
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