Referees need more help, says diplomatic Hansen

All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen wants World Rugby to streamline the sport’s laws to in order to cut down on referee errors.

His call comes in the wake of Saturday’s controversial call by French official Romaine Poite to downgrade a penalty against the British & Irish Lions for a deliberate offside to an accidental offside. The decision denied New Zealand the chance to kick the potentially match and series-winning points with two minutes remaining of the third and final Test against the Lions.

Instead of the kick, the All Blacks were awarded a scrum and the Lions held out for a 15-15 draw which levelled the series, the first time the tourists have shared the spoils since a four-Test series with South Africa in 1955.