NZ coach on Ellis Park ref: 'I'm sure he would’ve learnt a lot'
SPOTLIGHT: All Black assistant coach Jason Ryan was very diplomatic when he was asked to give his opinion on the refereeing during last weekend’s Ellis Park showdown with the Springboks.
The All Blacks suffered a 27-31 defeat in Johannesburg after they were leading 27-17 with less than 12 minutes on the clock.
They will now head into Saturday’s Test against the same opponents in Cape Town needing a win if they want to stay in the race for the Rugby Championship title.
There was plenty to discuss during and after the Ellis Park Test and most notably fans and pundits were talking about Bongi Mbonambi’s first-half try.
Some believe he lost the ball forward before scoring the fiver-pointer, while others saw nothing wrong with the decision to award the try.
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“We haven’t talked about it, to be honest. We’ve moved on,” said Ryan when he was asked if there was any reaction from the All Black camp.
Another talking point was the facial injury Springbok captain Siya Kolisi sustained after a collision with All Black veteran Sam Cane.
When asked if there was any follow-up from officials on the incident, Ryan added: “Nothing that I’ve heard. The comms came through live during the game and it was glancing.
“I haven’t heard anything on that.”
Despite giving those answers, Ryan was still asked if he was happy with the officiating during the Ellis Park Test.
“Well, it was a big Test match for Andrew Brace wasn’t it,” said Ryan.
“It was a very big Test for him.
“I’m sure he would’ve learnt a lot as we did.”
Meanwhile, the Springboks haven’t confirmed whether Kolisi will be available for the rematch in Cape Town.
Kolisi suffered what appeared to be a fractured cheekbone in that clash with Cane.
However, Ryan believes the Boks have enough quality depth to cover their captain if he is not available.
“I am sure they will bring the next man in as we will if you lose one of those players,” said Ryan.
“They will trust their whole squad.”
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* Picture credit: Suresh Rajcoomar
