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Ireland midfielder Bundee Aki will hope that his tweeted apology will be enough to stave off a possible EPCR citing following his tempestuous on-field argument with referee Mathieu Raynal in the immediate aftermath of the final whistle in Galway on Saturday after Connacht were beaten 29-28 by Leicester in a thrilling Heineken Champions Cup match.
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Aki’s Irish side had lit up the skies when storming back from an early ten-point first-half deficit to lead 28-10 with a four-try bonus point clinched early in the second half. However, their Saturday afternoon was to unravel from there as the Gallagher Premiership leaders fought their way back and they eventually clinched victory with a last-gasp try in the corner from replacement Hosea Saumaki.
The winger took an exceptional pass from Dan Kelly before evading the tackle of Tiernan O’Halloran and then managing to dive over the goal-line despite the attentions of the final defender John Porch, touching down with 79:02 showing on the clock.
Raynal signalled a try but he then consulted with his fellow officials just to be doubly sure, asking his TMO: “Can we check foot in touch before the grounding, please?” This led to the referee running to the opposite end of The Sportsground to check the legality of the win-snatching score.
Despite the hopes of Connacht supporters that Saumaki’s left foot had somehow grazed the touchline before he grounded the ball to finish off a belter of a try, the review showed there was no foot in touch. “It is not on the line so I will stay with the onfield decision which is a try,” remarked Raynal before running back down the field to blow his whistle and confirm the dramatic score that put Leicester into the lead at the death.
Leicester Tigers ? Unmissable Drama
How many times this season have we seen them win a match in the final moments? ?#HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/fcqkLkbi9T
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) January 15, 2022
The matter didn’t end there, though. As soon as the referee blew his whistle for full time following the missed sideline conversion kick from Freddie Burns, the official was confronted by Connacht talisman Aki whose words could be heard via the ref mic audible on the BT Sport live TV footage of the game. With a chorus of boos ringing around the ground from home supporters unhappy that their team had been agonisingly beaten in the final seconds, Aki didn’t hold back in venting his frustrations and he was heard saying to the ref: “That is not fair. That’s not right. That is not fair.”
Raynal replied to Aki: “What is not fair?”
“You knew it was on the line, you can see it. You can see it,” retorted Aki. “I don’t want another apology. We have had too many apologies in our game.”
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Raynal, though, had the last say, reprimanding Aki by insisting: “It is not on the line, you will apologise. Thank you.”
Raynal was ultimately proven correct that Aki would be the one doing the apologies as the Connacht player soon posted his mea culpa to Twitter. “Like to apologise about my action towards the referee and officials, kids who were watching. Absolutely not needed in this game. Emotions were high and that is certainly not an excuse for my actions. Definitely will take the loss on the chin and will be looking at myself.”
The post-game Aki incident was understandably debated online. Responding to ex-Leicester player Austin Healey, one Twitter user wrote: “Bundee Aki should be ashamed of himself, having a go at the referee when the match was finished. Emotion and passion is one thing. Stepped well over the line and deserves significant criticism and public apology is required. A minimum. And I know it’s out of character as he’s a top bloke.”
Radio commentator Andrew McKenna added: “Bundee Aki could well be looking at a meeting with the disciplinary panel after that. You might be disappointed – but that was out of order. TMO has looked close up on an HD TV at it and decided it wasn’t in touch. I hope he apologises to the ref once he collects his thoughts.”
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With a Six Nations campaign on the horizon with Ireland, Aki will hope that his apology following his unwarranted outburst will be enough to ward off the attention of the match citing commissioner amid a climate where the rugby authorities have been clamping down on criticisms of referees.
Northampton boss Chris Boyd was suspended just last Thursday for two games by the RFU while Jersey coach Harvey Biljon was banned for one after their recent criticisms following matches in England.
Like to apologise about my action towards the referee and officials, kids who were watching. Absolutely not needed in this game. Emotions were high and that is certainly not an excuse for my actions. Definitely will take the loss on the chin and will be looking at myself.
— Bundee Aki (@bundeeaki12) January 15, 2022
https://twitter.com/eddercop/status/1482401086895964160
Bundee Aki could well be looking at a meeting with the disciplinary panel after that. You might be disappointed – but that was out of order. TMO has looked close up on an HD tv at it, and decided it wasn't in touch. I hope he appologises to the ref once he collects his thoughts
— Andrew McKenna (@talkMacca) January 15, 2022
Comments on RugbyPass
After their 5/0 start, I had the Crusaders to finish Top 4 only…they lost the plot in Perth but will reload and back themselves vs 4th placed Rebels…
3 Go to commentsBoth nations missed a great opportunity to book a game that would have had a lot of interest from around the world. I understand these games can’t be organised in 5 minutes but they should have found a way to make it happen. I don’t think Wales are ducking anyone but it’s a bad look haha.
3 Go to commentsIt will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
2 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
3 Go to commentsWill rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
6 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
6 Go to commentsBilly's been playing consistently well for 2 - 3 seasons now and deserves a look in at the top level. Ioane and ALB are still first choice but there needs to be injury cover and succession. His partnership with Jordie gives him first dibs you'd think. Go the Hurricanes.
3 Go to commentsIt’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
3 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
29 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
2 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
3 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
3 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
1 Go to comments