Hansen defensive after Cup win
ALL Blacks boss Steve Hansen has defended Brodie Retallick for an apparent tip tackle in Saturday’s tense Test against Australia but refused to get involved in a war of words with Wallabies coach Michael Cheika.
Cheika was fuming after the Wallabies lost the match in the dying seconds when Beauden Barrett scored and converted to give the All Blacks a 35-29 victory in Dunedin.
“There were things during the game that could have changed the course of it,” Cheika said in an outburst against match officials.
He was particularly incensed that Retallick escaped censure when Wallabies flanker Ned Hanigan ended up on his head after a collision with the All Blacks lock midway through the first half when the Wallabies had raced to a 17-0 lead.
“It’s just as well [Hanigan] didn’t break his neck,” an emotional Cheika said.
Had the tackle been ruled deliberate, Retallick could have faced a yellow or red card which would have worked in Australia’s favour.
But Hansen argued Welsh referee Nigel Owens made the right call when he deemed the incident was accidental and noted it had not been raised by the citing commissioner either.
Although no clear video image emerged, it appeared Retallick and Hanigan became entangled as they tried to get up following a ruck.
“When somebody jumps on top of you, you get up on your knees and he falls off, it’s an accident. It’s not a deliberate act,” Hansen told reporters yesterday before declining to discuss Cheika’s accusations further.
“I don’t want to get into that. He made his point and that’s fine.”
Despite t he loss, it was an impressive performance by the Wallabies who had been widely written off after t heir 54-34 t hrashing by t he All Blacks the prev ious week in Sydney.
But Cheika was not to be placated by the improvement in his side, rather he was disappointed in the way they let the game slip away from them in the dying minutes.
“The gallant loser thing is not on. We should have won that game. We know it,” he said.
“I’m not angry. I’m very, very disappointed because I thought we did enough to win the game.”
Hansen accepted it was a game Austra lia could easily have won and blamed the high error count by the All Blacks who conceded a high 17 turnovers.
The immediate concern for the All Blacks were the suspected concussions suffered by flanker Sam Cane and centre Ryan Crotty with their next Rugby Championship match against Argentina in two weeks.
The Wallabies next match is against South Africa i n Pert h, a lso on September 9.
Boks stretch winning run
In the other Rugby Championship match, South Africa celebrated wearing a red outfit for the first time by defeating Argentina 41-23 in Salta on Saturday and stretching a winning run to five matches.
The change from the traditional green and gold or second-choice white was to celebrate 25 years of rugby unity in a country where the sport was run on racial lines during apartheid.
All the national flag colours – black, blue, green, red, white and yellow – have been used either in playing or training kit this season.
Victory took South Africa to the top of the standings after two rounds, ahead of rivals New Zealand on points difference.
A bad-tempered affair saw four yellow cards shown and a red for Argentina lock Tomas Lavanini.