KEY POINTS:
What kind of New Zealand Rugby Union do we have? What kind of heartless organisation sends brave men into ferocious battles without the proper equipment and training?
It has now emerged that linesman Gary Wise did not see the world-class haymaker which Clint Newland used to deck Neemia Tialata because he was looking down while trying to push a referee communication button on his tracksuit-covered chest with freezing fingers.
Referee Bryce Lawrence also missed the punch, which meant Newland got to stay on the field after Tialata wobbled off it.
There just had to be a logical explanation as to why Wise did not see this act of outright thuggery during Hawkes Bay's victory over Wellington in Napier. And so, we now have it.
Two thoughts spring immediately to mind here, although not in any particular order.
First, a good pair of gloves should be available to the flag-wavers in winter. A recipe for disaster, I hear you say, fearing more fumbling fingers failing to find the button?
Well, if those attire suppliers to the All Blacks can make jerseys so smart that they almost rate an IQ, surely they can come up with thin, sensitive gloves which keep men like Wise warm in icy climes.
Come to think of it, what about a hand-held button instead? Come to think of it again, aren't the microphones in the flags?
The other thought is this: there should be a lot more work done at linesman school based around being able to push a button while also watching the game, even if you are wearing a tracksuit. There needs to be a lot more work done here on the training paddock and perhaps rugby could seek out a button-pushing expert, a guru figure to take the game forward in this area.
This controversy has raised so many issues.
Maybe the button is too small. A pad the size of a bread plate which could be slammed against the chest would be much safer in terms of getting the message out.
And maybe the whistlers and flagwavers spend too much time indoors in the body-hugging suits during training drills instead of braving the weather in the old tracksuits.
Wise told the Herald: "It was all a bit of a shock but it's been a great learning curve experience and Brycie has been great about it.
"I selected what I thought would be the right tracksuit for the day. I knew it might not be perfect in terms of button pushing but it went really nicely with the boots I was wearing.
"Anyway, I was sure that if I could get enough finger pressure in the first few minutes it would set me up for the whole match.
"But I had button-pressure completion rate problems early on and the pace of the match was much quicker than I expected.
"I don't want to say too much until I've gone over the video. But a few of us are coming off a break and we haven't had a lot of linesman work in recent weeks. We're building up to the finals and I reckon we'll all be on the button by then.
"Still, there's no doubt we'll target button pushing in training this week and it's a confidence thing really. I'll have to refocus."
