Rugby: Rennie "disappointed" with TMO ruling

Chiefs coach Dave Rennie has been left disappointed with TMO Vinny Munro after last night's loss to the Hurricanes. Photo / Christine Cornege

If the Hurricanes and the Chiefs meet again come finals time, it's fair to say Dave Rennie will want to see anyone other than Vinny Munro in the TMO hot seat.

The long-awaited showdown between the two top teams in Super Rugby did not disappoint for the neutral -- but did leave a sour taste in Rennie's mouth.

With the Chiefs appearing to have stolen the game through Augustine Pulu in the dying minutes, referee Glen Jackson referred the call and left Munro to make a season-defining decision.

It was clear that the ball slipped forward from Sam Cane's grasp immediately before Pulu's dart over the line. What was shrouded in much more doubt was how exactly the ball was became dislodged. Munro ruled knock on, handing victory to the Hurricanes and confounding the Chiefs coach.

"I've looked at it 10 times and I just can't see how the Hurricanes can get a scrum out of that," Rennie said. "The guy on the ground is illegally playing the ball. It's a defining moment in the game and, when the decision goes upstairs, it should have been better. I don't think it's acceptable."

Indeed, replays appeared to support Rennie's view, the same replays to which Munro had access. The coach was careful to exonerate Jackson, acknowledging the rest of the game was refereed well, but said a second-guessing Munro needed to do better

"When you've got time to reflect and look, it was pretty clear that the guy lying on the ground played the ball. It's cynical, in my view."

Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd unsurprisingly took the opposite view of the game's climactic moment, pointing to a couple of decisions that just as easily could have gone his side's way earlier in the match.

"That's a game of inches," Boyd said. "There are going to be times in a one-off situation where the referee is going to make a call, potentially, that you don't like. You could probably show the same thing to half a dozen referees and you'll get a half dozen different answers or interpretations of the law."

The Chiefs have struggled with referees' interpretations for much of the season, worst in the competition with 51 penalties and 10 yellow cards. But Rennie revealed he had received apologies from referees' boss Lyndon Bray following defeats against the Highlanders and Rebels, with another now needed after the Hurricanes took control of the New Zealand conference.

"They're a tough side," Rennie said. "They're not easy to beat and you need a little bit of luck to go your way. I don't want to take away from them but these are season-defining moments and I was pretty disappointed with the decision made."