Reds blamed for head-count fiasco

The Reds have to accept a large chunk of blame for the Super 12 substitution fiasco during their defeat by the Blues, says the solitary report received by Sanzar.

Initial Australian versions depicted the mistake as a New Zealand bungle that gave the Blues victory, but an account from the substitutes' controller suggests the Reds were at fault.

He claimed the Reds took five minutes to realise they were still a man down once prop Nick Stiles returned from the sinbin.

When Stiles was sinbinned he was then replaced, for safety reasons, by fellow prop Greg Holmes, a move that meant flanker Daniel Heenan had to be sacrificed for the 10-minute penalty.

When that suspension ended, Stiles returned to replace another prop, Anthony Mathison, but the Reds did not send Heenan or another flanker out to make up their full complement.

While the Reds continued with just 14 men during the subsequent confusion, the Blues scored two tries.

Despite threats of official complaints from the Reds, Sanzar's regional tournament director, Neil Sorensen, said yesterday that just one report was received - from substitutes controller John Gillies.

"John is one of our most experienced sideline men in the country," Sorensen said.

Gillies' report indicated that Stiles returned to the pitch about 30 minutes into the second half.

"About 35 minutes, the water-carrier from the Reds worked out they had only 14 men on the field - bearing in mind we have only got one report to go on - and he said they had to get their No 6 onto the park," Sorensen said.

Both teams were assigned officials to help them monitor player substitutions but it was up to the Blues and Reds staff to liaise with the chief subs controller, who was wired up to the referee.

"It does get pretty vicious down there on the sideline when a lot is happening but it is the collective responsibility of each franchise to be on top of it," Sorensen said.

There appeared to be a breakdown in performance from the official attached to the Reds but the liability for the blunder lay with the Reds management, he said.

Meanwhile, Blues chief executive David White thinks the two-week ban given to Jerome Kaino for a dangerous tackle in the same game is too harsh.

"High tackles are quite common so it will be interesting to see what happens with others in the competition," White said.

"They have set the benchmark, so we will be watching."

The punishment was effectively a three-week suspension as the Blues had a bye after playing the Chiefs and the Crusaders.

The Blues side to play the Chiefs in Hamilton on Saturday will be announced today, with suggestions that All Blacks Doug Howlett and Tony Woodcock may be available after their recent injuries.

While the midfield combination of Sam Tuitupou and Luke McAlister was patchy against the Reds, there is no guarantee Ben Atiga will challenge for a place, after several false starts with his hamstring strain.

The Chiefs, after two heavy defeats, also have to deal with midfield concerns - Keith Lowen, Mark Ranby and Grant McQuoid are all battling leg problems.