Cheika muzzled on yellow card
Waratahs coach Michael Cheika was guarded when asked about the yellow card shown to loose forward Jacques Potgieter and the penalty try given to the Highlanders for the offence.
The incident in question occurred in the 58th minute of the semifinal when referee Craig Joubert ruled that Potgieter used a swinging arm in his attempt to stop Highlanders wing Patrick Osborne from scoring. Not only was Potgieter shown a yellow card but the Highlanders were also awarded a penalty try.
Cheika, who has a suspended ban hanging over his head for abusing a South African cameraman during the Waratahs tour to the Republic last season, took a philosophical approach to answering the nagging question.
"I have a big gag on my mouth of what I can and can't say, but I know I haven't seen many head high tackles 30cm from the ground. It's pretty difficult. But that's it, isn't it? It's done.
"He [Joubert] was a bit dubious but the linesman was very adamant. So I think he took his advice. That is the way they operate, as a team of three.
"Those decisions are made like that. We've just got to live wit it. That's the way it is," he said.
Waratahs captain Dave Dennis showed he didn't agree with the decision on the field by his interaction with Joubert at the time.
"He [Potgieter] tried to stop the guy from scoring a try. Cheik [Michael Cheika] said 30cm from the deck. He was trying to get his arm under the ball. Unfortunate. Maybe a penalty. Unintentional. Yellow card. Seven points," Dennis said.
Cheika, coaching his final game for the Waratahs, was understandably disappointed for himself, his team and the Waratahs fans whose faith his side has won back
"I am sorry we didn't get a result for you but I know that because of what you've done the team will be back bigger and stronger next year 100 percent. I want to thank our fans for that.
"We didn't really get much shape about us, did we? We hung in there. We stayed tough because we didn't really have any ball – not a lot of ball, not a lot of field position until the penalty try. At that time we were only a couple of points away.
"Anything can happen in finals but after that it sort of got away from us," Cheika added.
Sydney Morning Herald
