By WYNNE GRAY
Rugby is becoming too quick for referees to control properly, Counties Manukau coach Andrew Talaimanu claimed yesterday.
Talaimanu delivered his thoughts after his side were beaten 45-29 by Wellington at Pukekohe, a result which stopped the capital's rot and pushed them into fourth place on the NPC ladder.
Talaimanu's outburst
about officials was not a case of his being a sore loser - he had delivered a similar line last week when his side upset Waikato.
His demeanour yesterday was not helped after Counties lost fullback Loki Crichton with a serious hip injury, while Koula Tukino and George Leaupepe did not last the game because of leg injuries.
Counties made a fair crack of keeping Wellington's agony going until the visitors scored four tries in the last 25 minutes.
At last there were signs from All Blacks Tana Umaga and Christian Cullen that they were coming out of their flat spell, though Jonah Lomu and Alama Ieremia were more subdued.
Talaimanu said New Zealand should be pleased the test players' form was returning, but he was disappointed Wellington had been given so much leniency by referee Steve Walsh jun.
"Wellington were playing to the edge, and over the edge of the law, and clearly being on your feet does not count any more," he said.
Continuous professional fouls had hurt his side so much that Talaimanu had told them "to start cheating to get the ball back" because Wellington players were on Counties' side of most rucks.
"I don't like criticising referees publicly, but I think it is time something was said because the game has got too quick for them to see everything."
When it was raised that a halftime penalty count in Counties' favour of 10-3 suggested the culprits had been caught, Talaimanu said the infringing never ceased.
Asked for a cure, he replied: "I guess we all have to cheat the same way - that is what it comes down to. We are playing too honestly."
In the old days, enforcers would have sorted out the problem, but television and the judiciary had cancelled that strategy.
Wellington changed their ideas for this game, trying to spread the ball wider and faster than they have in recent weeks.
It drew some pleasant rugby from Umaga, Cullen and Jason O'Halloran, while loose forwards Jerry Collins and Rodney So'oialo also benefited.
The tight five were not so flash. Counties stood up well to them, but further out did not quite have the smart touches, although Joeli Vidiri had his best game of the season.
In other matches, Northland and Otago kept the squeeze on North Harbour with their victories. Otago crushed Southland 54-5, the visitors to Carisbrook not helped when flanker Simon Etheredge missed the last half after being sent off for a late tackle.
In what is likely to be his last match at Carisbrook, All Black flanker Josh Kronfeld converted the final try.
Northland got away to a flier against Taranaki and had scored four tries and all their points by halftime.
Norm Berryman, Justin Collins and Joggie Viljoen made the most of Northland's chances, but after the break the home team had to hang on to take the victory 27-23.
While Auckland took the honours 28-18 in the annual Battle of the Bridge on Friday night to set themselves for a journey to Hamilton this weekend, Harbour got a dressing down.
Coach Wayne Shelford said he was sick of his players being on a learning curve.
"It's time for the team to grow up and take charge on the field,"he said. "I think some of our senior players need to have a good hard look at themselves and start doing some of the right things on the field."
Wellington 45 (I. Afeaki, C. Cullen, T. Umaga, J. O'Halloran, J. Lomu, R. Flutey tries, David Holwell 3 pen, 3 con) Counties Manukau 29 (penalty try, J. Akurangi try, B. Feeney try, 4 pen, con, ). Halftime: 15-14.
Otago 54 (K. Middleton 3, T. Randell, H. Reid, J. Swart, C. Hore tries, T. Brown 3 pen, 4 con, J. Kronfeld con) Southland 5(J. Rutledge try). Halftime: 28-0.
Northland 27 (B. Waaka 2, M. Webber, J. Hita tries; H. Taylor pen, 2 con) Taranaki 23 (L. Fa'atau, M. Faoagali tries; D. Lilley 3 pen, 2 con). Halftime: 27-10.
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