DIRECTOR of rugby Dean Ryan believes “ludicrous” refereeing on Sunday cost his side victory at Ashton Gate as Bristol claimed a dramatic 23-19 win.
Ben Mosses went over in the final move of the match to break Worcester’s hearts and end an enthralling Greene King IPA Championship opener.
Ryan said the crucial moment came midway through the second half when Warriors, who were leading 13-11 at the time, had the hosts pinned inside their 22 for almost ten minutes.
A penalty try looked to be heading Worcester’s way after Bristol collapsed successive scrums, but Ryan was then left incensed when referee Matt Carley penalised Warriors, which allowed their opponents to clear.
“You cannot have three penalties underneath the posts and then say let’s do three more because I don’t know and then on the seventh one say ‘it is our fault’,” Ryan said. “That’s just ludicrous unless we are playing under a new set of rules.”
Ryan described the officiating of the scrum as a “shambles” while he was also disappointed at the referee’s decision to brandish Mike Williams a yellow card, which led Bristol to come back into the contest.
But the Warriors boss said he was most frustrated at the result as his side dominated for long spells. Although he insisted the defeat against Bristol, who are tipped to be Worcester’s closest rivals for the title, would not have any affect on their push for promotion.
“To sit here and say ‘this defines the season’ would be ludicrous,” Ryan added. “It would have made Monday morning a bit easier, but that’s about it.
“We know we have got to get through the Championship and we know we will meet each other again.
“But if we are both successful we will meet each other in games with significantly more pressure than this, so what happens between now and then is crucial.”
Meanwhile, Ryan, whose side take on local rivals Moseley at Sixways on Saturday, revealed newly-appointed captain GJ Van Velze missed the trip to Bristol due to family commitments.
