OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Friday 1.50pm.
CATS coach Laurie Mains has failed to get the required response from match referee Paddy O’Brien after making claims that the ACT Brumbies are running obstructive plays in attack ahead of Saturday’s Super 12 rugby semi-final in Canberra.
The winner will play either dual defending champions Canterbury Crusaders or the Otago Highlanders in next weekend’s final.
Mains has accused the Brumbies of playing “gridiron” because of their use of decoy runners in attack.
The former All Black coach, whose Cats were pounded 64-0 by the Brumbies in early April in Canberra, said at the time: “Their players are running in front of the ball carrier with the intention of obstructing defenders. They should be penalised almost every time.”
But New Zealand referee O’Brien has rejected Mains’ claims.
O’Brien said on Thursday that the only time the Brumbies did run into problems was the odd occasion when their timing was astray, and he did not believe the moves were purposely designed to obstruct defenders.
O’Brien refereed the Brumbies win over the Stormers in Cape Town and has been a touch judge for three of their other Super 12 matches this year, including the win over the Cats in Canberra.
“The Brumbies have been penalised a few times when they don’t get their moves right, but I don’t believe they deliberately try to obstruct,” he said.
“Most of the time, what they are doing is no different from throwing a dummy pass.
“It is certainly not something that is occupying my mind going into the game. There will be no change in refereeing from the round-robin to the semi-finals.”
Mains believes the obstruction has been policed better since he first raised the issue, but he wants O’Brien to closely monitor the situation in the semi-final.
“The referees throughout the Super 12 have taken a stand on it since that time, and it has been reduced a lot,” Mains said. “But it is still occurring. It is not only ACT, but a number of teams have been guilty of doing it.”
Wallaby scrum-half George Gregan will again skipper the Brumbies following Brett Robinson’s absence through injury. — AFP