Touch judge Gary Wise says he is embarrassed for missing Saturday's punching incident in the Hawke's Bay-Wellington Air NZ Cup rugby match.
He said he was distracted trying to alert referee Bryce Lawrence to a crooked lineout throw at the time Hawke's Bay prop Clint Newland knocked outAll Black Neemia Tialata with a punch.
Newland faces the New Zealand Rugby Union judiciary tomorrow.
The Hawke's Bay referee said he genuinely missed the incident rather than ignored it as has been widely suggested.
The incident occurred only a few metres in front of him.
"It was freezing cold and I was wrapped up in a tracksuit and everything and I had to look down to push the button on my chest to tell Bryce it was not straight, which wasn't made any easier with freezing fingers," he told The Dominion Post.
When he looked up Wise said he was no longer focused on the lineout, but instead watching the play after Lawrence decided to play the advantage.
"You are trained to watch the wider picture and I was watching the ball on the ground to see where the advantage would go, then (Wellington hooker) Luke Mahoney says, `Come on Wisey didn't you see that?'
"I thought he was talking about the not straight (throw), so I told him, `I got it', and he said, `Nah, the punch man'. I looked down and saw Neemia Tialata on the ground."
Wise said he could understand why people were questioning how he missed the incident, but noted that a Sky TV sound technician and a member of the Wellington medical staff standing next to him had also seen nothing.
"I'm embarrassed that I missed it, but I have seen the video and I can see why I did. I'm certainly not a cheat. There was no conspiracy or anything like that."
