Connacht coach stands by Mack Hansen, claiming ref comments ...

However, Wilkins has emphasised that the club’s frustrations are not aimed at individual Leinster players or Saturday’s referee, Chris Busby.

Wilkins sat beside Hansen on Saturday as the Aussie-born star delivered an expletive-laden response to a series of incidents.

Hansen took exception to a lengthy TMO check when Connacht out-half Josh Ioane tackled Leinster hooker Gus McCarthy, with the officiating team ultimately deciding to just award a penalty.

In contrast, he felt, there was not the same scrutiny when Bundee Aki was hit by Jordie Barrett at a ruck.

“I think every coaching room feels that they are hard done by, especially when they lose,” said Wilkins this morning.

News in 90 Seconds - December 23 2024

“That’s why we have that process there with the URC referees in order to send feedback, we send clips and we send comments. The referee responds and Tappa Henning, the refereeing boss of the URC responds so I don’t think we’re any different to anyone else in that sense.

“Where Mack was coming from the other evening was how that feels as a player on the field in terms of momentum flow of decision or absence of decisions at times. So he spoke honestly about what it feels like when you are in that arena.

“For me, all I can do is go through the channels which are available to me which is to provide that feedback which we’re in the process of doing from the weekend.”

URC spokespeople remain unresponsive when contacted as to whether Hansen will face disciplinary action for his comments, including his reference to his team playing against “16 men”.

Wilkins confirmed the Barrett/Aki clash will form part of his feedback to ref bosses but he was keen to remove the focus from referee Chris Busby.

The IRFU-appointed officiating group last weekend included Busby, assisted by Peter Martin and Stuart Gaffikin with Mark Patton the TMO.

“Yeah the TMO is part of that,” said Wilkins of the Aki/Barrett incident.

“Often, when it’s Mack’s comments or anybody else’s comments, it’s easy to focus on the man in the middle, the referee.

“At the end of the day, we get the benefit in the coach’s box of hearing the two-way communications between assistant referees and the main ref and the TMO and the ref and what is coming back.

“We’re hearing the information that is coming in, and often scrum calls or absence of scrum calls are coming from touch judges, or offside calls are coming from touch judges.

“You mention that Bundee clean-out. There are conversations going on between the TMO and the ref. In some of those cases for us the other night, they were saying there was nothing to intervene on and the TMO has checked it in the background.

“So they work as a team and as such our feedback is delivered to them as a team as well.

“There are always conversations you can have with the citing officer. For us, they key thing, even Mack’s comments the other night, nobody is trying to get a Leinster player in trouble or get them sent off or have them in a situation where they are missing games.

“We have a good relationship with Leinster as a club and some of our players are very close to them, they play in the same Irish team as them. So it’s not about getting Leinster players in trouble.

“Mack’s comments were more about looking for inconsistency in reactions to moments in the game. That’s where his frustration came from. There are always conversations after the event. But his frustrations were born of a feeling of inconsistency.”