NZ referees boss Bryce Lawrence admits the decision to controversially disallow Damian McKenzie's try in the Highlanders' stunning comeback win over the Chiefs was incorrect.
In the 65th minute, McKenzie's try was called back, after third match official Brendon Pickerill found Chiefs first-five Kaleb Trask was offside in the lead-up.
The try would've put the hosts ahead 36-19 with the conversion to follow, which likely would've been too steep a hill for the southerners to climb.
Instead, the Highlanders reeled off two more late tries to complete a miraculous victory at the death.
But television match officials can only review two phases. The Trask infringement occurred before that and therefore should not have been a factor in the decision.
"Right decision, but wrong process," Lawrence tells Newshub.
"I think everybody who understands rugby realises it was the right outcome, but you're only allowed to go back as far as two rucks or two phases. In that instance, we had three very quick rucks, before Damian [McKenzie] scored.
"In all honesty, we'll be having a good discussion around that, because my preference would be that we stick within the protocol and the protocol is two phases."
Oddly enough, Lawrence believes the oversight was partly a product of time constraints.
"[The TMO] didn't deliberately go outside protocol - they just didn't have time to go and check that it was three phases and not two," he adds.
Chiefs coach Warren Gatland refuses to lay blame on the non-try for his side's capitulation, but pointed out the potential pitfalls in the process going forward.
"I'm not unhappy about that, but if he's going to do that, then make the ruling [on two phases]," says Gatland.
"Because you could be in a situation with another game where the referee turns and says 'No, that's too far back'.
"You could argue you could have just played on and said that's a try. We just need to make sure we have some consistency."
The loss ensures the Chiefs remain firmly entrenched at the bottom of the Super Rugby Aotearoa standings, winless through their five games to date.
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