Queensland Reds skipper Fraser McReight has refused to condemn a controversial no try ruling as the reason for his side’s 31-21 defeat to the Chiefs, a decision which leaves their hopes of a home final on a knife’s edge.
After the halftime siren had sounded, the Reds went on the attack at Suncorp Stadium rolling through their forward pack, with Seru Uru making a desperate attempt to get to the line.
The referee determined Uru was held up, but the controversy came when the TMO appeared to only have one look before backing the on-field ruling. Once the whistle was blown, vision from behind the play appeared on the Suncorp Stadium big screen of the Queensland lock finding the grass.
It led former Wallaby Morgan Turinui to label the process “impatient” in Stan Sport commentary.
“We want the game to speed up, [but] that’s not the game, that’s halftime. That is a crucial decision that has huge ramifications for this game, the ladder, the whole competition, and that’s an easy one they should’ve got right,” Turinui said.
“They only had one look at, that’s the issue, they only looked at one angle. You can see that ball slides over that white line,” fellow commentator and Australian Rugby 7s Olympic gold medallist Alicia Lucas added.
Had Uru’s effort been awarded, the Reds would have taken a lead into the break – instead trailing by a penalty goal after tries were exchanged between Queensland winger Lachie Anderson in his first game back from a dislocated wrist and Kiwi No.8 Wallace Sititi.
Reds coach Les Kiss was surprised when informed in his post-game press conference it appeared only one angle had been considered. “I didn’t see it because we were going down the lift, but surely they went through every angle,” he said.
Kiss’ counterpart Jono Gibbes said he was in the same boat as Kiss and did not see the replays, but suggested the desire to not slow the game down by constantly reviewing footage was agreed upon at the start of the campaign.
“It looked pretty held up to me, so we headed to the elevator and didn’t see how it all played out,” Gibbes said.
“It’s fine margins, things like that, but I was asked at the start of the year around what the whole competition is trying to do around TMO interventions and keeping the game moving and backing the team of three on the field.
“I think if we continue in that spirit, that’s what we all signed up for, so I think by and large that stuff’s been all done in the right way this year.”
It was just one of many moments which had the crowd in uproar, as the Reds found themselves on the receiving end of a 12-5 penalty count.
After rookie Reds flyer Treyvon Pritchard latched onto a long cutout pass from Carter Gordon and showed some incredible footwork to bamboozle All Blacks superstar Damien McKenzie and score to get them back within three points inside the final five minutes, the whistle cruelled them again.
Josh Flook was penalised for a ruck side entry. However, commentators were adamant the first infringement should have been issued to Chiefs flanker Luke Jacobson for being off his feet.
Queensland – trailing third by 11 points – will need to win their final three games against the Force, Drua and Moana Pasifika to stake a claim to a home final, and rely on the Chiefs and Hurricanes to each beat the Blues and Crusaders while denying them bonus points.
But McReight insisted those decisions were not what determined the outcome of the contest, believing his side were ultimately at fault for being in that position. The Reds lost three lineouts, and missed 32 tackles to the Chiefs’ eight, while their Kiwi rivals won eight turnovers to the hosts’ four.
“It’s a tough one, I think regardless in those positions I think us, as players, can take a better ownership of that to understand the circumstances,” McReight said.
“We don’t really want to get held up there – take it out of the ref’s hands. Obviously, he [Uru] is saying he got it down, but it’s another way to look at it. Just take it away.”
The Reds had a golden chance to avenge the no try from the kick-off, only for the Chiefs to force a turnover on their own line. The New Zealand juggernauts worked back down the other end to let their powerful forward pack go to work – a well orchestrated rolling maul allowing Samisoni Taukei’aho to extend the margin.
It took a remarkable cutout pass from Gordon – returning from a knee injury with half-an-hour remaining – to unleash Harry Wilson on the wing to get the Reds back in the hunt, with the latter finishing the play with one of the offloads of the year.
The Wallabies skipper popped a no-look pass over his shoulder while in contact for Joe Brial, who streaked away to score. It was a moment of joy that was, ultimately, short-lived, with Jeffery Toomaga-Allen issued a yellow card for illegal ruck interference and Taukei’aho crossing for his second try in near identical fashion to his first.
“We knew this would be a tough, tight battle. We knew there was going to be more space as that game went on, so Carter came on and helped create that space,” Kiss said.
“We probably missed a couple of opportunities to pull the trigger as well to tell you the truth, but the boys kept working on the shape and created opportunities for Carter and co to work with.”
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