Matfield hits out at Irish refs

SOUTH AFRICA lock Victor Matfield was yesterday despairing at the way Irish referees Alan Lewis and Alain Rolland have policed the breakdown, following his side’s second successive Tri Nations defeat to New Zealand in Wellington on Saturday.

Matfield, his skipper John Smit and coach Pieter de Villiers were clearly unhappy with the way Lewis and Rolland have policed that area in the past two Tests, where the All Blacks have been able to pilfer South African ball or at least disrupt it.

“I felt we couldn’t get quick ball,” said Matfield. “In the Super 14 they got the tackler away much quicker and that’s not happening at the moment.