"Someone give the whistle to TJ, please", exclaimed the commentary team, after TJ Perenara's hilarious correction of Angus Gardner's decision in a game between the Hurricanes and the Reds.
This clip has been doing the rounds on TikTok in the past week, and it has garnered a whopping 2.2 million views and 200,000 likes in only three days.
The referee's mic managed to pick up the entire conversation between TJ and Gardner. The Hurricanes scrum-half had taken a quick tap-and-go off the floor following a scrum five metres out from the try line, diving under the posts for a simple yet cheeky score.
However, the TMO was quick to rule it out, saying that TJ didn't actually tap the ball, meaning the try was void. Gardner followed the advice from the TMO and awarded a scrum to the Reds for an illegal tap. The snappy All Black nine was having absolutely none of it as he stepped up to discuss the decision with the referee.
"Let me explain, so, live I thought you had tapped the ball, but the TMO reviewed it before the kick, which is absolutely legal." explained Gardner.
"Yea, that's fine." replied TJ.
"Yea, you didn't tap the ball." asserted the referee.
"So why is it their ball? It would still be our penalty, wouldn't it? If I didn't tap the ball, it's still our penalty." contested TJ.
"Uhh, yea, that's a fair point, yea." admitted Gardner, and went back on his decision, awarding the penalty back to the Hurricanes.
The commentary team were in awe of the discussion, saying: "Somebody hand the whistle to TJ!". It makes for hilarious viewing, and will go down as one of the rarer moments in rugby - a player correcting a match official!
TikTok viewers were impressed by the referee's humility, in admitting that he was wrong.
"That's how communication should be in all sports. Respect on both sides." said one.
"This is fantastic by the ref - acknowledged his mistake rather then being the big I am," said another.
The Hurricanes would go on to win the game 34-15 in 2017 and later in the week TJ showed his own form of humility, testament to rugby culture, saying: "He heard what I had to say... credit to him as a man and as a ref."
