Angry Auckland Blues coach David Nucifora has blasted referee Stuart Dickinson for the manner in which his side was dislodged from the top of the Super 14 table by the Coastal Sharks on Saturday.
Nucifora risked censure after he had words with the Australian at halftime and then criticised the referee at a post-match press conference.
”Our players were being interfered with off the ball,” Nucifora said after the heated match in which the Blues were beaten 25-32 and slipped to second place behind the Canterbury Crusaders.
”We did ask for that to be policed during the game but I didn’t think it was done satisfactorily. It started quite a bit of the niggle.”
While Nucifora accepted the Sharks deserved their win, two of the three Sharks tries were questionable.
Winger Odwa Ndungane scored from a blatant forward pass and fellow winger JP Pietersen touched down just on halftime after the Sharks disrupted Auckland’s possession at a ruck.
”There were some disappointing decisions in the game. We were disappointed with the first two tries. I think the one on halftime was particularly obvious what happened to everyone.”
The spiteful match came to a head midway through the second half when Blues centre Sam Tuitupou was sin-binned for throwing what appeared to be retaliatory punches at Sharks lock Johan Ackerman.
”It would be a nice day when the referees and the rest of the officials sat in front of you [the media] and explained some of their decisions,” Nucifora said.
”It wasn’t just the referee who I thought made some mistakes,” he added.
”I thought one of the touch judges also made quite a few errors out there.”
Earlier this year, Queensland Reds coach Eddie Jones was fined Aus$10 000 ($7 800) for criticising referee Matt Goddard. – Sapa-AFP