Connacht coach Pat Lam is to complain to the Pro12 independent referee commissioner Ed Morrison on the calls of touch judge Leighton Hodges in the 18-17 defeat to Cardiff Blues.

Lam said Hodges' call deep in injury time cost Connacht the game when it appeared the Irish province had survived a late onslaught, secured possession at the breakdown, and kicked the ball dead. With Connacht leading 17-11 touch judge Hodges intervened and advised referee Lloyd Linton to award a penalty against Connacht. Cardiff subsequently scored a converted try to win the game.

“It is the biggest call and I am absolutely gutted,” Lam said.”There is a changing room there that deserved more.”

Showing video footage of the last minutes of play at the Arms Park, Lam said:”The ball comes back, it’s 83.27 minutes into the game. Cardiff knock the ball on, there is no ruck, our hooker picks the ball up, it is cleared, the ref is just about to blow and then Leighton Hodges, the touch judge, says it’s hands in the ruck.

“A, clearly no ruck. B, clearly he [the Cardiff player] knocked the ball on, and the referee is one metre away to call that.

“That is a massive call and it [the game] should be over and finished. I will go through the process now, but it was the wrong call and it cost us the game.”

Lam , who spoke with the Scottish referee Linton immediately after the game, says Hodges was also the subject of another complaint to Morrison when the Welshman refereed the Connacht v Edinburgh fixture at the Sportsground.