Samu Kerevu bump-off of Wales five-eighth Rhys Patchell [Source: TVNZ}
Samu Kerevi has joked he’ll consider a switch to the NRL after being penalised in the most controversial decision of Australia’s 29-25 loss to Wales last night.
Kerevi was pinged for a bump-off of Wales five-eighth Rhys Patchell that left the Wallabies seething because it swung the course of the match late in the first half, with Wales rattling off 10 unanswered points.
The incident involved Patchell approaching Kerevi front-on and upright before falling backwards to absorb the force of the bigger opponent.
Yet it was Kerevi who was penalised after a long consultation between French referee Romain Poite and TMO Ben Skeen of New Zealand.
They deemed the inside centre had dangerously raised his forearm into Patchell’s chest/neck area.
Kerevi said slow-motion replays had worked against him, believing he had done nothing wrong.
Kerevi told TVNZ that he had been playing with that his whole career and it was the first time he has heard that he can’t lead with his arms and bump.
The 26-year-old has signed a three-year contract to play in Japan from next year but laughed he may consider a code switch if rugby’s rules become more stifling.
“That’s just the ruling I guess that’s where rugby is heading it’s disappointing I have been doing that my whole career for me to get penalized I was really down I felt like I let my team down you know 3 points is crucial in test footy especially in world cup I’m disappointed more in myself I respect the referees ruling but I might just have to look at the NRL”.
