Henry criticises ‘blind’ officials in Super Rugby loss

Reuters/Wellington

Henry, who guided the All Blacks to their second World Cup victory in 2011, is an assistant to Blues coach John Kirwan and has taken a back seat in facing the media this season.

The 66-year-old, however, was back to his mischievous best yesterday, claiming the television match official in the loss in Christchurch must have been “blind” not to have awarded Blues winger Frank Halai a try during the second half.

“It was obvious to me, I don’t know, he was probably a blind TMO was he? It’s an obvious try,” Henry said. “I could see it and I’m blind.”

The Crusaders had dominated the Blues’ set piece, particularly the scrum, and were quick off the line in wet conditions to give them a victory that moved them past the Auckland-based side into fifth on the Super Rugby standings.

Henry, however, felt the Crusaders may have been a little too close to the limits of the law on defence. “When you’re watching the game you see so many offsides in the line from a ruck,” he added. “I would say there was probably 20 times at the weekend when guys were offside from the ruck.”

Henry was also annoyed at the influence of the assistant referees when Blues lock Culum Retallick received a yellow card from referee Glen Jackson late in the first half for a deliberate knock down while the Crusaders were hot on attack.

“They threw the ball at him,” Henry said while adding the match officials should have instead been concentrating on the offside line.

“We are sitting in the coaches’ box, and I’m sure the Crusaders coaches are doing the same thing, saying ‘offside ref, offside line umpires’.

“Those are the things they are there for. Not some controversial knock down of the ball in the five metre channel, yellow card.

“Just do the basics right and we have a good game of footy.

“Those sort of things frustrate you but that’s part of the game. They were better than us, we accept that, they deserved to win the game.”

Wallabies flanker Smith may be fit for end of Lions series

Australia openside flanker George Smith has not damaged his knee as badly as first thought, the ACT Brumbies said yesterday, and could be fit to play in the back end of the series against the British and Irish Lions.

Smith, who won 110 caps for his country before retiring from international rugby in 2010, damaged the joint playing for the Brumbies against the New South Wales Waratahs last Saturday, the eve of the announcement of the preliminary Wallabies squad.

The 32-year-old, who played all three tests on the 2001 Lions tour, would have been included in the 25-man party after the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) had concluded protracted negotiations with his Japanese club Suntory last week.

The injury setback led to his omission, however, with Michael Hooper and Liam Gill named by Robbie Deans as the two contenders for the key number seven shirt.

Ironically, Smith got his chance to shine at the Brumbies this year because of a season-ending knee injury to Australia’s first choice openside flanker David Pocock. Scans revealed Smith’s medial ligament tear was grade two in seriousness, however, which could mean only six weeks on the sidelines.