Connacht were robbed in their 40-32 Champions Cup play-off loss to Gloucester by an “appalling” refereeing error and Munster could have fallen victim to an inexcusable mistake, according to RTÉ analyst and former Ireland international Donal Lenihan.
Pat Lam’s side fell to two tries from Darren Dawidiuk and Jonny May in the last five minutes of extra time, but had looked certain to win the game in 80 minutes until a controversial, last-gasp Bill Meakes try.
First John Muldoon was penalised after taking the ball into contact with less than a minute in regular time to go when it looked like Gloucester’s Tom Palmer had failed to roll away, a penalty that led to Meakes’ try and Craig Laidlaw’s conversion that sent the game into extra-time.
Even after the penalty was given, referee Romain Poite appeared to err again, failing to penalise Billy Twelvetrees for blocking and holding back Connacht’s Andrew Browne, in what was an erratic display from the official.
"The manner in which they were beaten, against Gloucester; it leaves a sour taste" - Donal Lenihan
“I think they were,” said former Ireland manager Lenihan, when asked if Connacht were robbed.
“The decision [to penalise Muldoon was] completely at variance to the way the refereeing of the breakdown had gone earlier in the game, and indeed, in extra-time, because Denis Buckley was pinged for practically a replication of what had happened to Tom Palmer.
“So you can understand the frustrations of the Connacht public and Pat Lam.
“I just happened to be watching the last 20 minutes of that fateful decision in the Cardiff game [when Lam claimed a "completely wrong" decision by assistant referee Leighton Hodges had cost Connacht a victory], which, they lost four points that night, which could have, they may never have been in the play-off scenario [having automatically qualified].
“It tends to happen – I hate to call Connacht a lesser team but – sometimes you’re not expected to do well, and referees are looking for things against you. But it was an appalling decision.”
A game against Bordeaux Bègles in the second match of the play-offs would have been “a huge task” for Connacht, given the six-day turnaround, Lenihan said, but “that’s ifs, buts, and maybes".
“If you were beaten at home, so be it; the manner in which they were beaten, against Gloucester: it leaves a sour taste.”
Lenihan said Poite may well be punished for his display by Joël Jutge, head of the referees association, but criticised the organisation for not commenting publicly on its decisions.
“There is an appraisal system. If you were appraising his performance yesterday, it would have to be a D-minus.”
Lenihan also identified refereeing interventions as crucial elements of the weekend’s other games involving Irish provinces.
Ulster, too, may have felt hard done by when Niko Matawalu appeared to dive following a collision with Ricky Lutton to secure a penalty.
After the game, Ulster captain Rory Best voiced his frustration at Matawalu’s actions, and referee George Clancy might easily have pinged the Glasgow player for his actions.
Munster looked like they had beaten by Ospreys with a last-minute try, only for referee Nigel Owens to go to the TMO, who identified a knock-on two phases before the score.
Owens had missed the initial, obvious knock-on, and if play had gone through a third phase, the TMO would not have been allowed to take it into consideration.
Lenihan suggested that referees were now too keen to use the TMO, and were abdicating their own responsibilities.
“Because of the TMO, because assistant referees are more involved in games, there’s no question that referees are almost afraid to be decisive, just in case they get it wrong in that 1%.”
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