Warren Gatland. Photo / Reuters
Wales rugby coach Warren Gatland has lashed out at New Zealand referee Lyndon Bray after his team lost a test series to South Africa in Pretoria.
The New Zealander told British media he was disappointed with the 2-0 defeat in the test series and with the refereeing.
South
Africa won the first test 43-17, and the second on Saturday 37-21, after leading 17-15 at halftime.
"I was little aggrieved at a few of the refereeing decisions which went against us and they were pretty lucky."
Gatland cited a knock-on call when Alun Wyn Jones was under the posts as an example.
"The referee says it is a knock-on when you can clearly see a hand in there. That is frustrating because if that had been at the other end of the pitch it would have been a penalty and a yellow card against us."
Bray had also played a key part in the Springboks' first try, Gatland said, with the referee blocking Wales' Stephen Jones from making a tackle on centre Jean De Villiers.
"Steve was pretty upset about that," Gatland said.
"But I have told him to ensure he just smashes the referee out of the way and makes the tackle if he finds himself in the same situation again."
Despite being disappointed, Gatland said the better team had won and praised his team's performance.
"If we had played another of the sides in the Six Nations we would have won with that performance," he said.
- NZPA
