Sir Steve Hansen speaks out on Lions ref howler

Former All Blacks coach Sir Steve Hansen has finally spoken out on the controversial refereeing decision that cost New Zealand the 2017 British and Irish Lions series back in 2017.

Hansen left his role as the All Blacks' head coach after the Rugby World Cup in Japan where New Zealand finished third overall and has since moved into the coaching role at Toyota Verblitz in Japan's Top League. The long-time All Blacks coach has unloaded on World Rugby's lack of what he deemed an appropriate response to the referee howler that ultimately decided the series.

A riveting, and controversial, series ended locked at 1-1 when the deciding third test at Eden Park finished in a 15-15 draw in contentious circumstances.

French referee Romain Poite's decision decided the contest in 78th-minute when he changed, under video review, a penalty to the All Blacks from a spot handy to the posts to a scrum for accidental offside with scores level at 15-15 a piece.

At the time Hansen refused to condemn the decision and refused to dive into the details with the press after the game but since his retirement he had seemed reluctant to point any fingers, saying in one recent interview the decision had been "frustrating" because it "was so obvious to everybody, but no one wanted to admit to it". 

Hansen is the inaugural interview with ex-Black Cap Ian Smith on his new show, 'The Pod', on Sky Sport NZ and spoke of Poite's decision in the first show of the series that he was most disappointed by World Rugby's lack of an apology over the decision.

"I have always understood that the referee will make mistakes. So he's made a mistake and he's got that wrong," the double World Cup-winner told Smith from his Christchurch home.

"The thing that annoyed me most about that incident, and still does to this day, is that we haven't had an apology from World Rugby.

"They've told us ... well one person in particular has told us over and over again that the decision was right. Yet we all know ... everybody in the world knows it;s not.

"We've had conversations [with Romain] and we just said, 'move on, Romain, you can't change it, it's not your problem'."

Hansen then revealed what he believed the correct course of action should have been.

"All we wanted was for the head of the rugby referees to say, 'Look, sorry we've got that wrong'. And then you can turn around and say to the players, 'OK boys, the decision was wrong, but we've just got to cop it'."