Aki apologises, eventually

Ireland’s Kiwi test midfielder Bundee Aki has apologised for a verbal spray of a referee who correctly awarded a try against Aki’s Connacht club. Aki angrily remonstrated with French referee Mathieu Raynal over the awarding of a 79th minute match-winning try to Leicester Tigers’ wing Hosea Saumaki in Galway on Sunday (NZ time).The score enabled Leicester to win the European Champions Cup clash 29-28 after trailing by 18 points. Aki and the Connacht crowd – who booed the decision – were convinced Saumaki had put a foot in touch during his sideline dash. The Kiwi claimed Raynal would be forced to apologise, but it was Aki who had to after television replays showed Saumaki had stayed in the field of play.