HOW SKIPPER SAM PERSUADED REF INTO PENALTY U-TURN
Did skipper’s intervention prompt Poite’s pen U-turn?
Q UICK-THINKING Lions skipper Sam Warburton has revealed how his “shot at nothing” query over referee Romain Poite’s late penalty call helped prompt a dramatic U-turn.
During a tumultuous finale to a see-saw decisive Test in Auckland, Owen Farrell had levelled for the Lions late on but the tourists were about to be penalised straight from the re-start by referee Romain Poite for offside, after Ken Owens handled a ball that Liam Williams had knocked on.
Poite’s initial verdict was to indicate a very kickable penalty, which would have bagged a series win for the All Blacks. But Warburton was quick to express a different view, prompting Poite’s controversial rethink.
“I just asked the ref to check for accidental offside,” said Warburton,
“It is a shot to nothing. It was worth asking the question.
“I have noticed refs have been really good to have another look. I kind of think less is more in those situation.
“Luckily he listened to my question and had a look again. It is not a penalty offence in my opinion and I am glad he had a look.”
Lions boss Warren Gatland, who entered the press conference with a red nose on in a retort to the New Zealand Herald mocking him up as a clown on their back page last week, went even stronger than his captain.
“I thought it was a penalty for us,” said Gatland, “I thought Read hit Liam Williams in the air. The ball landed in Ken Owens’ arms.
“In fairness to Sam, he was able to talk the ref into an accidental offside. “I thought a draw was a fair result.” Hardly surprisingly, the opposing camp saw the incident in a very different light.
“They used the video and had a pow-wow,” said All Blacks coach Steve Hansen.
“The ref ’s initial instincts were that it was a penalty, then he spoke to his team of three and one suggested it was accidental. It is what it is.
“People that are running the game need to decide if it should be made more simple.
“My view would be yes it should be. Tomorrow would be good.”
New Zealand captain Kieran Read, who was in the thick of discussions with Poite after the pivotal incident, added: “My view is that it’s a penalty. He ruled it correctly from the start but I guess when you bring in replays and everything you get different decision.
“That wasn’t the reason we lost the game.”