21 May 2013

Sir Graham lashes out at Super Rugby referees

12:15 pm on 21 May 2013

The former All Blacks coach Sir Graham Henry has blasted the Super Rugby referees following the Blues' loss to the Crusaders.

The Blues were beaten 23-3 in Christchurch on Saturday as the Crusaders leapfrogged them in the New Zealand conference standings.

However a controversial disallowed try to the Blues wing Frank Halai and a sin-binning for a deliberate knock-down to lock Culum Retallick left Henry frustrated with the officials.

The Blues technical advisor says referees are so caught up looking for technicalities, they're forgetting to make the easy calls.

Henry says he and his fellow Blues coaches are sitting there in the coaches box saying "offside ref", which is what the officials are there for, but Retallick was controversially sin-binned for something that wasn't deliberate.

Henry says the officials should just referee the basics.

He says the Crusaders were the better team, but is frustrated that those pivotal calls went against his side.