Share

Coetzee unimpressed with Marx 'try' decision

Cape Town - It is not often that coaches at international level call out refereeing decisions after Tests, but Allister Coetzee was not holding back after Saturday's 24-22 loss to Wales in Cardiff. 

READ: Coetzee: I'm not going anywhere 

Coetzee's gripe was not necessarily with referee Wayne Barnes, but more with TMO, Rowan Kitt

The incident in question came in the 19th minute when Springbok hooker Malcolm Marx went crashing towards the line. 

It looked like he had wriggled his way over, but Barnes sent the decision upstairs. 

Marx was certain he had scored, but after looking at numerous replays, Kitt decided he could not see any clear grounding and that he could not award the try. 

It was a massive moment in the match with the Boks already on the back foot at 14-0 down. They would fight their way back, but in the end they fell just short. 

Speaking after the match, Coetzee gave his opinion on the incident. 

"I felt Malcolm Marx’s was definitely a try. The question was: try, no try? We had them," Coetzee said. 

When further probed on the decision, Coetzee responded: "I am convinced he grounded the ball. You can speak to the players."

The coach felt hard done by generally. 

"I feel that the bounce of the ball doesn’t favour us at all. The odd call also doesn’t go our way," he said.

"But cowboys don’t cry ... we have learnt a lot and there is a massive improvement since last year."

Coetzee and the Boks arrive back in South Africa on Monday, and there remains a lot of doubt over the coach's future. 

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
32% - 1843 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1810 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1100 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 470 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 193 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 261 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE