All Blacks assistant Barnes fumes over Moorby tackle that sparked Springboks' series-sealing try

New Zealand assistant coach Neil Barnes has publicly criticised the officiating in the All Blacks’ defeat to South Africa in Baltimore, singling out a tackle on winger Josh Moorby as a pivotal moment that swung the match — and potentially the series — against his side.

With the All Blacks trailing 29-21 and mounting a comeback, fullback Damian McKenzie broke the line and attempted to link with Moorby inside. Moorby was tackled by Cameron Hanekom and spilled the ball, but Barnes argued the contact prevented the winger from ever securing it cleanly. The tackle was ruled simultaneous, no penalty was awarded, and Kurt-Lee Arendse scooped up the loose ball to run 60 metres untouched through an exhausted All Blacks defensive line.

“The one on Josh Moorby — when he knocks the ball up, and the guy’s got his arm on the inside so he can’t catch it, and you don’t get the call,” Barnes told Jason Pine on Newstalk ZB. “But they picked up the ball, he dropped, and scored at the other end. It’s a 14-point try. That sort of thing doesn’t sit well with you.”

Barnes also took issue with two early scrum penalties awarded against the All Blacks for releasing the brake foot prematurely, contending that video review showed both sides committed the same infringement simultaneously.

“We get two penalties against at the start of the game for a brake foot, which no one really gives a s*** about, but the referees are concentrating on,” he said. “When you look at the video, both teams have done exactly the same thing at the same time. There’s two penalties against us, so I guess for the day, there’s a perception there that they’re the dominant team. But at the moment, they’re getting the rub of the green.”

Barnes drew a direct line back to the second Test in Cape Town, where he claimed the All Blacks received post-match apologies for incorrect calls that went against them — decisions he believes would have delivered a 2-0 series lead heading into Baltimore.

“I go back to the second Test. We were on the wrong side of some calls there, which we got apologies for, but that would make a series 2-0, and people wouldn’t be thinking like they are,” he said. “The game tonight was bloody close, and they got a couple of calls, and we didn’t. You’ve got to suck it up.”

The comments reflect a growing frustration within the All Blacks camp over officiating consistency across the series, even as Barnes acknowledged the fine margins that have separated the two sides throughout.