Mooney spots another 16th man
The Reds have questioned SANZAR's handling of extra-man foul-ups after exposing another 16th-man controversy.
The Reds have questioned SANZAR's handling of extra-man foul-ups after exposing another 16th-man controversy.
The southern hemisphere competition's controlling body will have been left red-faced after Reds coach Phil Mooney highlighted a similar replacement gaffe to the one which riled Queensland against the Sharks in Durban.
Mooney noticed another South African side, the Cheetahs, fielding 16 men during their Round Two home loss to the Western Force, while doing his pre-match video analysis.
The Force received a penalty for the initial 53rd minute breach which ultimately proved to be a match-winner as Matt Giteau kicked the goal and they prevailed 16-15.
“The Cheetahs were leading 12-10 and their fly-half goes down injured in back-play, so while the game's on the reserve just runs on and is involved in the play,” Mooney told the AAP.
“I wasn't even trying and there's a second occasion where the fourth official hasn't really fulfilled his role to the required standard. So whether it's something [SANZAR] turn a blind eye to, I don't know.”
The normally reserved Mooney was also left fuming by SANZAR's failure to acknowledge receipt of the Reds' comprehensive report into the Sharks playing with 16 men for two minutes late in Queensland's 22-10 loss on Sunday.
Mooney said they merely wanted professional handling of replacements to ensure a level playing field.
“We never wanted the Sharks stripped of points, we just thought it was an unacceptable situation where there were 16 men on the field in this day and age,” he said.
“We just didn't want to have it happen again. But the silence [from SANZAR] is deafening at the moment.”
Reserve hooker Craig Burden entered the field after the Sharks' third try when the touch judges were behind the Reds posts and a SANZAR official said referee Chris Pollock ruled correctly at the time with a penalty.
The Reds found it hard to believe that the law determined that a penalty was the only punishment for a replacement breach and called for an immediate change to prevent deliberate repeats.
“If they [the Sharks] scored a try the referee [Pollock] said the try would have stood and we would have got a penalty at the restart on half-way, well gee, fantastic!” said Mooney.
“What's to say you don't run 16 men on at the death, score a try and concede a penalty, who cares?”