Not just Rassie! Italy coach slams World Rugby ref protocols: 'I'm sick of the right channels'

Will Kieran Crowley be warned (or worse) by World Rugby for criticising a referee or is that something only reserved for Rassie Erasmus?

Crude as it may appear, it's a question bubbling under the surface after Italy's head coach slammed the officiating in his team's 17-29 loss to Wales in a Six Nations encounter in Rome on Saturday, one that was indeed marred by indifferent decision-making by Damon Murphy.

The New Zealander, eye-catchingly, stated that he's "sick" of the world governing body's protocol dictating that teams must correspond with Joel Jutge, World Rugby's head of referees, in questioning the refereeing during a relevant match.

Coaches usually send clips to Jutge's department, who review the footage and provide feedback.

But as Erasmus and Springbok management have intimated previously - along with many other coaches all around the world - the cumbersome and seemingly inconsequential process is not really improving accountability nor referees' performances.

"It’s funny, it’s you’ve got to go through the right channels, but I’m getting sick of going through the right channels and getting a response that says: 'Oh, we’re sorry we got it wrong',  because that just wasn’t good enough today," Crowley said in a television interview after the final whistle.

"Oh yeah, look, if we get that penalty try it’s 15-10. What happened from there they came down the other end and got a penalty try."

"There's a lot of bloody frustration!""I'm getting sick of going through the right channels and getting a response that says 'sorry, we got it wrong'. That just wasn't good enough today."Kieran Crowley on the officiating in Rome today.#ITAvWAL #GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/S3lLtTUjYl

Crowley was particularly stumped by a penalty