All Blacks coach could be in big trouble for comments about referee

Barnes claimed the Springboks were awarded penalties for “bugger all” and had received the “rub of the green” from Dickson during the final Test of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry.

His comments are particularly significant following World Rugby's recent crackdown on public criticism of match officials.

Italy head coach Gonzalo Quesada was handed an automatic two-match suspension in July after criticising referee Luc Ramos following Italy's 47-17 defeat against New Zealand.

Quesada had described Ramos as “super poor” and suggested the officiating had contributed to the margin of Italy's defeat.

Following a disciplinary hearing, his punishment was reduced to a one-match suspension, with Quesada also required to make a public apology and receiving a formal warning over his future conduct.

World Rugby introduced its new Match Official Abuse Sanction Process in July in an attempt to tackle public comments that could contribute to abuse of referees.

That precedent could therefore make Barnes' latest comments particularly interesting.

“I thought it was a good game of rugby, to be fair,” Barnes told Newstalk ZB.

“We’ve got to be in a position where we can actually control the game for longer with the speed of it to fatigue them more.

“Every time they keep getting penalties for bugger all and get to slow the game down, it brings them back into it.

“We get two penalties against us at the start of the game for a brake foot, which no one really gives a s*** about, but the referees are concentrating on.

“And when you look at the video, both teams have done exactly the same thing at the same time. There’s two penalties against us.”

Barnes then suggested South Africa's reputation as the dominant side could be influencing decisions.

“So, I guess at the end of the day, there’s a perception there that they are the dominant team, but at the moment they’re getting the rub of the green,” he added.

“When that changes, we’ll have a fair go.”

It remains to be seen whether World Rugby will take any action against Barnes, but Quesada's recent suspension provides a clear precedent for coaches being sanctioned over public criticism of officials.

With the series slipping away, several New Zealand players endured particularly difficult nights as the Springboks dominated from start to finish. Here are four All Blacks who flopped when their side needed them most.

It may feel harsh to include Mo'unga here, but expectations were high after he returned to replace Ruben Love, and ultimately he failed to make the desired impact.

Making his return to Test rugby for the first time since the 2023 World Cup final, Mo'unga showed a few promising touches but was largely unspectacular.

He was not helped by a lack of possession, with the All Blacks seemingly favouring Jordie Barrett and Damian McKenzie as their primary playmakers. He did, however, take a huge hit from Eben Etzebeth impressively.

Mo'unga produced a good kick for Jordie Barrett and recovered well after being beaten by Kurt-Lee Arendse, making a decent tackle to make up for it.

Ultimately, he did not have the influence expected of him and goes down as one of the All Blacks' flops.

With the All Blacks boasting plenty of quality options at 13, including Rieko Ioane and Timoci Tavatavanawai, it is difficult to see what Lienert-Brown offers that gives him the edge over those players.

He is undoubtedly a solid player, but lacks the x-factor of some of his rivals and once again faded out of the game, having limited involvement both with and without the ball.

He struggled under the high ball, including a poor take under pressure from Damian De Allende, before failing to collect another kick that went into touch. He did win a turnover, but endured a difficult afternoon before being forced off with an injury shortly before half-time.

It was another underwhelming performance, making it difficult to understand why Rennie continues to persist with him when he appears to lack a clear point of difference.

Moorby has shown more than Lienert-Brown during the tour, but his selection remains somewhat puzzling given the likes of Leroy Carter and Fehi Fineanganofo are waiting for their opportunity, although Carter did struggle last week and was likely dropped as a result.

He failed to make a telling contribution, with a poor knock-on handing South Africa a counter-attacking opportunity before he conceded a penalty for playing the ball on the floor.

There were some useful carries and he made his tackles, but he ultimately offered very little in attack.

For an All Blacks winger, Moorby simply did not look sharp enough, particularly when compared with Will Jordan, who made the most of the limited opportunities that came his way.

As throughout the tour, South Africa looked comfortable at scrum time. The contest appeared slightly more even on this occasion, but the Springboks still enjoyed clear dominance overall.

The scrum was inconsistent, although Codie Taylor was penalised more frequently. De Groot conceded a scrum penalty shortly after half-time against a new South African front row before being replaced.

He did make a few strong carries into heavy traffic during his time on the pitch, but De Groot was unable to make a significant impact.

He was not terrible, but looked uncomfortable at scrum time and ultimately failed to influence the contest in any meaningful way.

But how well do you remember them? See if you can name the past 20 All Blacks captains and prove your knowledge of New Zealand rugby.