All Blacks coach blasts penalties for ‘bugger all’ as Boks crush Kiwis in Baltimore
Assistant coach Neil Barnes did not hold back in his criticism of the officiating of the fourth Test between the Springboks and the Al Blacks.
All Blacks assistant coach Neil Barnes expressed frustration over what he deemed as "bugger all" penalties that cost his team dearly in their 43-28 loss to the Springboks in Baltimore. Barnes attributed a significant portion of the defeat to controversial referee decisions, particularly focusing on scrum infractions. He criticized English referee Karl Dickson for penalizing All Blacks captain Codie Taylor twice for brake foot violations during the early stages of the match, though he pointed out that both teams committed similar infractions.
Barnes argued that the accumulation of penalties hampered New Zealand's ability to play at a high tempo, allowing the Springboks to control the game and force them into defensive stances. The All Blacks now trail 3-1 in the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series, but Barnes remained optimistic, stating that his team is closing the gap on the world champions and that luck and close calls played a role in the loss.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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