The game saw the All Blacks pushed to their limits, remaining within a tight scoreline until a burst of three tries widened the gap. However, New Zealand's discipline was tested as several players, including Anton Lienert-Brown, Simon Parker, and Josh Moorby, were penalized and sent off the field.
"One of the disappointing things for me was the refereeing; for me it was just pedantic. I thought the yellow cards were marginal at best. To play any game with 13 is going to be tough, so I thought the refereeing was poor, and the All Blacks, rightly so, said we need to fix our discipline – and that’s true,"
Kirwan further expressed his hopes for less stringent officiating in future matches, emphasizing the need for improved discipline among the players. The discussion then turned to the broader implications of such officiating on the sport.
Ricardo Salizzo, the podcast host, pointed out the current trends in rugby officiating, highlighting the heavy involvement of TMOs and the stringent approach desired by World Rugby.
"You know that this is the way that World Rugby wants to run the game. They want the TMOs to have a heavy involvement. They want the referees to be strong. So don’t you think we need to be smarter? They want the TMO to come in. There was an inside pass that they called back… that’s what’s going to happen, so isn’t it on us to be more disciplined?"
The conversation also featured comments from Springboks legend, Victor Matfield, who criticized the slow process of decision-making despite acknowledging the necessity of TMO involvement for fair play.
"I hate it. But unfortunately, like Ricardo was saying, that’s how it’s going to be. That’s how World Rugby wants the game to be run. We do want the right decisions – so TMOs will get involved," Matfield remarked.
Matfield stressed the need for a quicker review process by TMOs to maintain the game's pace and preserve its fluidity.
A particular point of contention was the penalty try and subsequent yellow card awarded against Josh Moorby. Kirwan criticized this decision heavily, arguing that instinctive actions in critical moments should not be penalized harshly.
"So the Moorby penalty try and yellow card, for me, that was the most pedantic decision in the game. The reason is rugby is a natural instinct game,"
Matfield expressed similar frustrations about the decision, questioning the necessity of the additional penalty.
Kirwan summed up the sentiment by suggesting a reevaluation of the balance between maintaining discipline and acknowledging the inherent physicality and split-second decisions in rugby.
The discussion ended on a note of hope for adjustments in officiating that would better reflect the dynamic nature of rugby, maintaining fairness while fostering the sport's traditional vigor.
