Blues coach Tana Umaga blasts Owen Franks non-call: 'It's about player safety'

HANNAH PETERS/GETTY IMAGEDS

Blues hooker James Parsons leaves the field at Eden Park after copping a high shot from Crusaders prop Owen Franks.

For the second straight week a Crusaders All Blacks prop is under the gun for an act of foul play, and Blues coach Tana Umaga, for one, is hopping mad about it.

Umaga's Blues went down 32-24 to the Crusaders in a pretty decent Super Rugby contest at a wet Eden Park on Saturday night, and the coach was content afterwards with a gritty second-half effort that kept the competition leaders to just three points over the second 40.

He was less enamoured with the manner in which his players were protected by the match officials, with both Matt Duffie and James Parsons having to leave the contest because of head knocks sustained in incidents that went unpunished.

It was Owen Franks' swinging arm to Parsons' head at a ruck late in the first half that particularly raised Umaga's ire. Referee Glen Jackson was alerted to it after standout Blues wing Rieko Ioane scored soon after, but it appeared he considered that too much time had elapsed for him to be able to dish out on-field punishment.

A lineout had taken place and Parsons had been replaced prior to Ioane's first try of the match. Jackson gave Franks a verbal warning only, though it is unlikely the citing commissioner will be so lenient.

Last week Crusaders All Blacks prop Joe Moody was cited and suspended two weeks for a dangerous act against Waratahs back Kurtley Beale.

"That's for referees to call, yet I'm sure there are protocols around contact with the head," said Umaga. "That's the fact about it. First and foremost safety of our players is what we're looking for.

"We had two guys come off there. I'm sure there will be questions asked, and there should be. We'll see what happens there."

The Blues coach said he had no idea why Franks wasn't punished on the field for his act. "That's a process they go through. There's no doubt we'll challenge it, we'll ask the reasons why and who's accountable for it."

He was equally disappointed Manasa Mataele's first-half challenge on Duffie under a high ball went unpunished. The Blues fullback left the game after taking a head knock on his fall.

"It's the same thing. There are protocols in place about who has the advantage and what that looks like. Duffs is asking us now should I go up for high balls if I'm going to come down like that all the time. Again, that's safety."

It was not a good night for the Blues with the tight calls, though they did at least see Crusaders lock Quinten Strange yellow-carded early in the second half for a tip tackle on Jerome Kaino.

"For me player safety is why these things are put in place, and that's how they should judge it," added Umaga.

Crusaders coach Scott Robertson said afterwards he was unaware of what went on with the Franks decision and was not prepared to comment on it. But he felt the non-penalty on Mataele had been the right call.

"They're both in the air, it was pretty much split jumping, and they were both looking at the ball. It was pretty clear that was the call," he said.

Robertson, though, was happy to pick up a seventh consecutive victory over the Blues and an eighth on the bounce in this competition as they returned to the top of the table with a 10-2 record, and 46 points.

"We did hang on," he said. "We could have put them away, but they stayed in the game and got more hope. But we still shut it out. It's great to win these derby games, and it's our first game we've won away against New Zealand teams this year. We're definitely not taking it for granted – it's tough to win up here."

Robertson hoped Ryan Crotty's early head knock that saw him leave the field wasn't serious, but would leave the concussion protocols to take over now. More concerning was the hamstring strain suffered by Mataele late in the piece.

He had special praise for first five Richie Mo'unga – "He played like an All Black tonight" – and lock Scott Barrett, and was rapt with the way his team continues to tote up the victories in a tight race at the top of the table.

"The last five games were always going to decide our conference with all us playing each other. We've still got four big games to go, three of them at home, starting with the Hurricanes on Friday night, then the Chiefs away ... we're in with a chance to decide the future for ourselves if we keep putting the preparation in during the week and performing."