Chiefs Scrum Controversy: Foul Play Or Fair Injury?

Was prop Siate Tokolahi really injured or were the Chiefs making the most of a loophole in rugby laws?

A video posted on the Crowd Goes Wild Breakfast Facebook page points to the latter, highlighting the controversial moment the Chiefs tense win over the Hurricanes on Saturday.

With five minutes to play the Chiefs' elected for an uncontested set piece after Tokolahi had to leave the field.

The chain of events began at the end of the first half when tighthead prop Atunaisa Moli left the field with an injury, and continued when his replacement, Tokolahi, walked off injured with the clock ticking down and his team holding on to a 28-27 lead inside their own half.

On went Siegfried Fisi'ihoi, the Chiefs' final front row replacement, but one not suited to playing tighthead, according to Chiefs coach Dave Rennie.

According to the laws, a team fielding a replacement not able to play in the front row - thus triggering "golden oldie" or uncontested scrums - must lose a player, so off Fisi'ihoi went, leaving his side with only 14 players but with an advantage too.

But in the video, Tokolahi is seen running freely from both the scrum and the line out with no contact from any other players before going down with an injury.

He has been named on the bench for tomorrow's clash against the Sharks.

In the television interview afterwards, Rennie confirmed the request for uncontested scrums was a safety issue as Fisi'ihoi wasn't used to playing on the right-hand side of the scrum. He started several games for Bay of Plenty in that position in last year's ITM Cup.

Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd told Radio Sport presenter Mark Watson in the weekend: "I think there are a couple of questions about his [Fisi'ihoi's] ability to play at tighthead and ... the genuineness of injury of the guy who left the field [Tokolahi], but at the end of the day I understand why the golden oldie rule is there.

"It's for safety and I think it must stay there. All of those rules are open to bending and interpretation and what have you. At the end of the day, if it was genuine then I support it, if it was orchestrated then I would find it disappointing."

NZ Herald