Ireland number eight CJ Stander had an early second-half try against Australia disallowed on Saturday after television match official Ben Skeen ruled that the Munster backrower had been held up over the line by Wallabies winger Dane Haylett-Petty.
Australia entered half-time at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane with an 8-6 lead before Ireland struck early after the break with Stander brushing off an attempted Bernard Foley tackle to gallop 45 metres before he was eventually hauled down before the line by Haylett-Petty and fellow winger Marika Koroibete.
Referee Marius van der Westhuizen asked Skeen could he check for a ‘try or no try’ but former Ireland flanker believes that the question should have been phrased differently by the South African match official.
“The question should have been ‘is there any reason I can’t award the try?’,” said McLaughlin on the latest episode of The Hard Yards.
“He had momentum going over the line like I just think you’ve got to favour the attacking team there.”
Hard Yards host Andy McGeady disagreed with the former Leinster captain highlighting van der Westhuizen’s consultation with touch judge Paul Williams.
“I disagree because the referee and touch judge talked to each other and neither of them could see the grounding.”
Full conversation from the 14:00 mark
McLaughlin interjected that their discussion was trivial and that van der Westhuizen should have been more decisive before referring the call to the TMO.
“It doesn’t matter though. I just think you’ve got to give the benefit of the doubt in those scenarios. Based on the reaction the referee has got to have a bit of cop on there and be like he looks like he’s scored there.”
Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt also felt that Stander should have been given the benefit of the doubt and that the question should have been asked a second time by van der Westhuizen.
“I think if they asked a second question, it looked to me like he would have got the benefit of the doubt, but they couldn’t see a clear grounding because of the question they asked. That’s how fine the margins are,” Schmidt told RTÉ Sport after the game.
“The Wallabies missed out on one as well, so maybe its swings and roundabouts.
“”It’s difficult contain players when they can clearly see a hand on the ball and they lose it forward and don’t get the try they are looking for.
“It’s very frustrating for them [Irish players]. I understand their frustrations, but I also admire the way the Wallabies managed to do it.”
