Gold bemoans TMO game-changers
Sharks Director of Rugby Gary Gold bemoaned two crucial TMO decisions he felt changed the course of his team's loss to the Bulls.
In their first away assignment of the 2015 Super Rugby season, the Sharks – despite a strong rear-guard effort – suffered their second loss in three weeks, as the Bulls recorded a 43-35 win in Pretoria at the weekend.
It left the Sharks in joint sixth place – along with the Rebels and Bulls, edging them on points difference.
The Bulls' first try of the match produced the first drama – when the television match official adjudged a Jesse Kriel pass to eventual try-scorer Francois Hougaard to be perfectly legal.
The Sharks made no secret of the fact that they thought it was a blatant forward pass.
The Sharks then were denied a try when wing Odwa Ndungane contested the ball in the air, but the TMO decided he had knocked the ball on.
The Sharks boss, Gold, said these decision proved crucial as his side suffered their second defeat in the competition.
"That first Bulls try and the other TMO decision – when the try Odwa Ndungane set up was overruled – were critical,"Gold told a post-match media briefing.d
"They were game changers in a much bigger sense than we can understand," Gold said.
"It went from us potentially winning the game, potentially getting a fourth try, to then losing the game with a bonus point and losing the game without a bonus point.
"That is massive in a South African conference that will be very tightly contested, because every team is good this year and everyone is competitive."
Gold also praised his charges for the character they had shown to come close to claiming a victory at Loftus Versfeld.
"It was a very intense pressure cooker as it always is at Loftus against a very desperate Bulls team that I thought played well," Gold said.
"On the one hand I think both teams made errors but in short the comeback and the character shown by the guys, the opportunities we created and executed we were very unlucky to lose that game."
