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'We know it's a penalty' - TJ Perenara rues season-ending refereeing blunder in Super Rugby semi-final

TJ Perenara. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

Star Hurricanes halfback TJ Perenara believes his side were on the wrong side of the referee’s whistle after a last-minute error by match official Nic Berry during their semi-final clash against the Crusaders in Christchurch cost the Wellington franchise a spot in next week’s Super Rugby final.

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Berry pinged Perenara in the closing stages of the match for what he believed to be a knock on as the Hurricanes, who trailed 30-26, ventured into the Crusaders’ 22 metre mark in search of what would have been a match-winning try.

However, replays show that the ball was swatted loose from Perenara’s grasp by Crusaders captain Sam Whitelock, who forced the ball out of his All Blacks teammate’s hands as he competed at the breakdown.

If the play was picked up on by Berry or his assistants, Whitelock and the Crusaders would have been penalised, but the Crusaders were instead handed a scrum feed, which they used to close out the contest and book a meeting with the Jaguares at Orangetheory Stadium next Saturday.

“I guess it was pretty clear and obvious,” Perenara told reporters in the aftermath of the match.

“We all probably know, we have seen it.

“We know it’s a penalty. The ref can’t see everything. He makes a call, and calls it a knock on.

“Sometimes we expect a penalty, there, for a deliberate knock down; but it is what it is in a game of footy.”

Hurricanes head coach John Plumtree was similarly disappointed by Berry’s decision.

“Yeah, look, we all saw it from the big screen. So, yeah … anyway,” he said when asked if he thought his side deserved a penalty in the final minute and a half of the match.

It was a controversial way to end such an enthralling encounter, with the Hurricanes putting immense pressure on the reigning champions throughout the clash.

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Trailing just 13-7 at half-time, the Hurricanes came out firing in the second half, with Ben Lam, Ngani Laumape and Perenara all dotting down as the Crusaders’ defence was stretched in ways that hadn’t been seen in Christchurch all year until Saturday night.

Perenara, Laumape and Beauden Barrett were all outstanding for the makeshift Hurricanes side, which had to deal with two late backline changes, as Matt Proctor and Jonah Lowe came into the starting side for Peter Umaga-Jensen and Salesi Rayasi at the 11th hour.

As for the Crusaders, the likes of Richie Mo’unga and Sevu Reece continued to shine, as they have done all season, and now just one match and six days stands between them and a second-ever hat-trick of Super Rugby crowns.

Watch – Scott Robertson post-match press conference:

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Eliza Galloway 1 hour ago
Geoff Parling: An Englishman roasting the Lions?

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JW 1 hour ago
James O'Connor, the Lions and the great club v country conundrum

Lol you need to shoot your editor for that headline, even I near skipped the article.


France simply need to go to a league format for the Brennus, that will shave two weekends of pointless knockout rugby from their season and raise the competitions standards and mystique no end.


The under age loophole is also a easy door to shut, just remove the lower age limit. WR simply never envisioned a day were teams would target people under the age of 17 or whatever it is now, but much like with Rassie and his use of subs bench, that day was obviously always going to come. I can’t remember how football does it, I think it’s the other way around with them, you can’t sign anyone younger than that but unions can’t stop 17 or 18 yo’s from leaving for a pro club if they want to. There is a transaction that takes place of a few hundred thousand for a normal average player. I’d prefer rugby to be stricter and just keep the union bodies signoff being required.


What really was their problem with Kite and co leaving though? Do we really need a game dominated by Internationals? I even think WR’s proposed calendar might be a bit too much, with at minimum 12 top tier games being played in the World Championship. I think 10 to 12, maybe any one player playing 10 of those 12 is the best way to think of it, for every international team is max, so that they can allow their domestic comps to shine if they want, and other nations like Japan and Fiji can, even some of the home nations maybe, and fill out their calendar with extra tours if they like them as a way to make money. As it is RA don’t have as good a pathway system, so they could simply buy back those players if they turn good. Are they worried they’ll be less likely to? We wait for baited breath for the new season to be laid out in front of us by WR.

It could impose sanctions on the Fédération Française de Rugby, but the body which runs the Top 14 and the ProD2, the Ligue Nationale de Rugby, is entirely independent.

It’s not independent at all. The LNR is a body under, and commissioned by, the FFR (and Government control) to mediate the clubs. FFR can simply install a new club competition if they don’t listen, then you’d see whether the players want to stay at any club who doesn’t tow the line and move to the new competition, as they obviously wouldn’t fall under the auspice of world rugby. They would be rebels, which is fine in and upon itself, but they would isolate themselves from the rest of the game and would need to be OK with that. I have no doubt whatsoever that clubs would have to and want to fall in line to remain part of the EPCR and French rugby. Probably even the last thing they would want is to compete with another French domestic competition that has all the advantages they don’t.


All those players would do good for a few seasons in France, especially the fringe ones, with thankfully zero risk of them being poached if they turn good. New Zealand had a turn at keeping all of it’s talent, and while it upticked the competitiveness of the Super Rugby teams into a total dominance of Australian and South African counterparts (who were suffering more heavily than most the other way at that stage), it didn’t have as positive an effect on the next step up as ensuring young talents development is not hindered does. Essentially NZR flooded the locate market with players but inevitably it didn’t think the local economy could sustain any more pro teams itself, so now we are seeing a normal amount of exodus for the availability of places again. Are Australia in exactly the same footing? I think so, finances where dicey for a while perhaps but I doubt they are putting money constraints on their contracting now. It’s purely about who leaves to open up opportunity.

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LONG READ
LONG READ James O'Connor, the Lions and the great club v country conundrum James O'Connor, the Lions and the great club v country conundrum
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