League: Clock gives Brit coach a bad time

Brian Noble

That ugliest of sporting words - cheating - has entered the Tri-Nations arena.

British coach Brian Noble is at the centre of a row which started when the British made justified complaints about the timekeeping at Jade Stadium during their loss to the Kiwis.

Events hit boiling point on the sideline after the game, when Noble at least implied to match controller Bryce Wakely that the errors were deliberate.

Wakely said the British coach approached him after the final hooter and fumed: "This will be on your conscience for the rest of your life."

Wakely said Noble's words "really pissed me off at the time".

"I've got no doubt at all that he was implying I cheated.

"I'm not even directly responsible for the timekeeping.

"But I don't want it to be a big issue. Coaches are under a lot of pressure, and emotion spills over."

Concerns over timekeeping are not new - suspicious British manager Maurice Lindsay stationed a player behind the Carlaw Park timekeeper during an international in the 1990s.

The British made three approaches to officials on Saturday night because the clock was not being stopped when required.

The Kiwis knew this, and coach Brian McClennan said: "It didn't confuse us, but I saw it wasn't stopped when they were checking tries. The timekeeping needs to be better."

Officials tried to redress the problem by adding a minute at one stage, and said this showed they were even-handed.

The British scored their final try - which required a clock-halting video check - with 10 seconds remaining on the digital scoreboard display, which stops at the 40-minute mark.

"The time ticked down as they were taking the kick, but they couldn't see that," one official said.

The tourists were told there was a minute left, but as they contemplated a last assault the hooter sounded.

"Funny things happen in their part of the world as well, but I'd better stay clear of that," mused McClennan.

British forward Gareth Ellis said: "I don't know about it. When you're playing you don't really look at the clock. To be fair, New Zealand were more clinical and probably deserved the win."

It was an ugly end to the match, although the crowd and television audience were mainly unaware of the drama.

Both sides ran into trouble for trying to exit players over the dead ball lines rather than the sidelines, and the British were pulled up for having too many trainers on the field.

* British prop Adrian Morley was cleared on two charges.

The video review committee - chairman Greg McCallum (Australia), Tony Drake (New Zealand) and Nigel Wood (England) - ruled his second- minute tackle, which was put on report by Paul Simpkins, initially struck Ruben Wiki's upper arm. Wiki was felled but quickly found his feet.

The Kiwis complained about Morley punching Brent Webb on the ground. The committee ruled Webb had elbowed Morley, and Morley's contact was minimal.

Webb said: "That's footy. I might have done something to upset him earlier - I don't know. That stuff doesn't worry me at all."

* Christchurch, a smaller city than Auckland, won the battle of the crowds. The 17,000 at Jade Stadium surely trumps the 18,000 at Mt Smart Stadium for the test against Australia, who must be rated bigger drawcards than the Brits.