Super Rugby admits Waratahs’ disallowed try against Reds should have stood

Super Rugby has admitted a stunning late try by Waratahs centre Triston Reilly against the Reds on Saturday should have stood.

The admission will provide little comfort to NSW, who lost the game in Brisbane 26-17.

Trailing 19-17 with a just over seven minutes remaining, the Waratahs thought they had clawed their way back into the lead when referee Ben O’Keeffe awarded the try after O’Reilly spectacularly touched down in the right-hand corner. But television match official Richard Kelly ruled the ball had made contact with the line, and disallowed the five-pointer.

In a statement on Monday morning, Super Rugby admitted O’Keeffe’s original decision should have stood.

“Super Rugby Pacific management has reviewed the decision to overturn a try initially awarded to NSW Waratahs player Triston Reilly in the 74th minute of Saturday’s Round 5 game against Queensland Reds,” the statement said.

“The review concluded there was not a clear and obvious infringement in Reilly’s grounding of the ball and as a result, the initial on-field decision of try should have been upheld.”

The TMO’s call was met with stunned disbelief by Dan McKellar in the Waratahs coaching box on Saturday night. After the match, McKellar invited reporters to share their view on the decision, clearly wary of attracting a fine.

“If you speak to how they’re refereeing and using the TMO, if the referee awards the try, unless it’s clear and obvious, it stays a try. Is that not right?” McKellar asked.

On Sunday, figures at the Waratahs, speaking on condition of anonymity, had said the club remained “baffled” by the call. A photo shared by the club – and confirmed with vision provided by Stan Sport – appeared to prove they had been hard done by.

TMOs in Super Rugby matches control all available footage and camera angles. They can slow the vision down as much as they wish. It is not at the discretion of broadcasters.

Footage of Reilly’s spectacular diving effort replayed on the big screen created the impression the ball had touched grass and paint simultaneously. But a single frame could have been enough for the TMO to identify sufficient doubt and overturn the on-field decision.

The Waratahs believed half the ball was grounded and the other half was in the air and off the line, and that there had not been sufficient evidence to overturn the decision.

The Waratahs asked Super Rugby to explain not only the Reilly no-try, but also what they believed was an accidental offside in the lead-up to Carter Gordon’s match-winning try for Queensland in the 75th minute.

NSW argued the ball had been picked up in an offside position by Reds reserve George Blake after it came off teammate Tim Ryan. O’Keeffe said the ball had gone back off the Waratahs.

After a bright start to the season, with wins in their opening two matches, the Waratahs have now suffered back-to-back defeats and sit sixth in the 11-team competition.

With the Blues (home), Brumbies (away) and Chiefs (away) to come in the next three weeks, they are approaching a defining stretch of the season.

“If you want to be a top-four side you have to win those moments, and we didn’t,” McKellar said.

“They’re the harsh learnings, and you sit here very disappointed.”