Highlanders see it differently
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Patrick Osborne's disallowed try in the final moments of the Crusaders game could have gone either way according to Jamie Josephs.
The Highlanders coach, while not giving it away directly, clearly believes TMO Vinnie Munro's decision to not allow the try that would give them the victory was wrong.
"I don't know, you make your mind up, boys – it was tough," Joseph said.
When asked if he thought it was a '50-50 decision' Joseph finally let his lips curl in an upward direction.
"I wasn't very good at maths unless it had dollar signs," he laughed.
"I don't know … The wording I heard was that it hit the touch line and the goal line simultaneously.
"I didn't see it touch the line. I saw a goal line and I saw a flag."
Initially Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder said the decision could have just as easily gone against his team but, after some reflection, he thought Munro had got it right.
"It was bloody lucky. It could have gone either way … It just so happened there was a s*#%load on it. I thought it was the right decision."
But the two coaches were unanimous about one thing: they had just witnessed a cracker of a match.
It ended with Dagg covering two men in defence before shifting his attention to Osborne and somehow using his strength and timing to force him into pressing the ball into the bottom of the corner flag.
Munro's decision was just a short chapter in a match chock-full of storylines.
Referee Glen Jackson suffered a cut face after colliding with a player, All Blacks and Crusaders icon Richie McCaw was yellow carded for interference in a ruck, Highlanders centre Malakai Fekitoa proved why he is the most exciting prospect in New Zealand rugby and Crusaders wing Nemani Nadolo used every gram of his 125kg frame to scatter defenders.
While the Crusaders grabbed maximum competition points, the Highlanders were grateful to collect two of their own which keeps them in the playoffs hunt.
"We didn't play our best rugby but we played some of our best stuff towards the end of the game. The boys are okay but the coaches aren't very good," Joseph reflected.
"We made a lot of unforced errors early in the game and at one stage we looked like we could have got a hiding. But I guess that shows the character of the team."
Sunday News NZ
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