Controversy continued to swirl around a penalty taken by Wales fullback James Hook against South Africa, which seemed to go through the posts but was disallowed by the assistant referees.

Under International Rugby Board rules, English referee Wayne Barnes had the right to consult the television match official if there was any doubt over whether the ball dissected the uprights.

After Hook's 14th minute effort in a game South Africa eventually pipped 17-16, assistant referees Vinny Munro and George Clancy kept their flags down, adjudging it to have drifted to the right of the posts in windy and wet conditions.

Barnes immediately turned his back and signalled for a Springbok 22-metre restart and the game moved on, albeit to loud booing from the sizeable contingent of Welsh fans at Wellington Stadium.

"There were really only two people who could see it," was all that South Africa coach Peter de Villiers would say of the disallowed penalty on Monday.

De Villiers' counterpart Warren Gatland revealed that Bok fullback Frans Steyn, who was stood in his normal position behind the posts to collect the ball when Hook kicked, had admitted that he thought it had sailed clearly through.

"I thought it was interesting at half-time when we went in the tunnel and we were saying we thought the kick was over and Frans Steyn said, 'Yeah, I thought it was over, as well'," Gatland said.

"You take the good with the bad - that's the drama of sport. That's why we're all involved in it. You take the good with the bad and that penalty was potentially costly.

"Good sides take disappointment on the chin and they face up next week."

The IRB moved Monday to clarify the status of the television match official (TMO) protocol following Sunday's match.

"Under protocol, the referee may consult the assistant referees or the television match official if he is unsure as to whether a penalty kick, drop-goal or conversion has been successful," the IRB said.

"During the match in question, the match official team felt at the time that there was no need to consult the TMO following a Wales penalty kick as they were confident that the kick was not successful. Correct protocol was therefore followed."

Hook himself said he thought the penalty was good in a game only decided in the final 15 minutes when South African replacement Francois Hougaard crossed for a try Morné Steyn converted.

"I felt it went over," said Hook, who went on to miss a tricky 73rd minute penalty that would have handed the Welsh the lead going into the final five minutes.

"But it is not something I am going to debate or dwell on. It is one of those things.

"It wasn't given and we lost by a point, simple as that. It has gone now."

Wales captain Sam Warburton admitted that he had consulted referee Barnes about going to the TMO during a break in play shortly after Hook's disallowed penalty, but was phlegmatic about its importance.

"Even if the penalty had been given, it might have changed the mindset of the South Africans, and they could have come back," he said.

"It was in the first half, and there was still 60-odd minutes to go, so you can't blame the game on that. It's hard to say what would have happened."

AFP