Kaplan - Chiefs let down by 'very poor error'

Name: Rugby: Chiefs let down by 'very poor error'
Uploaded: 2015-05-17T14:08:32+12:00
Duration: 222 s
Description: Relief will be washing through the Hurricanes. This wasn't a vintage performance and their 22-18 victory over the Chiefs at Westpac Stadium in Wellington last night will be one they might look back on and feel lucky to have escaped with the points. But the flipside to that argument is that this was another gritty win that shows how far this team has come when the heat goes on.

NZ Herald

17 May, 2015 10:50 PMQuick Read

Relief will be washing through the Hurricanes. This wasn't a vintage performance and their 22-18 victory over the Chiefs at Westpac Stadium in Wellington last night will be one they might look back on and feel lucky to have escaped with the points. But the flipside to that argument is that this was another gritty win that shows how far this team has come when the heat goes on.

Outspoken ex-referee Jonathan Kaplan has backed the Chiefs who are angry at the late decision from TMO Vinny Munro against the Hurricanes.

"In this particular case I think the public will want answers and I think the refereeing paternity will do themselves a favour by acknowledging this was a very poor error in which the probable winners have lost the game," Kaplan told TV3.

South African Kaplan, once the world's best referee, is building a reputation for straight shooting on referees. Munro called a knock-on against Sam Cane, ruling out a try on fulltime, but replays instead show the Hurricanes had illegally played the ball on the ground. Kaplan said it was a poor decison which cost the Chiefs the game.

Chiefs coach Dave Rennie said: "I just can't believe that the officials could look at that and come up with that result - it's mind boggling."