Angry Canada coach Ric Suggitt has demanded an inquiry into the standard of modern refereeing after seeing his team denied a try in today's loss to Fiji which ended their World Cup hopes.

Canada lost 29-16 to the Pacific islanders at the Millennium Stadium in a game they had to win if they were to have any chance of making the quarter-finals for the first time since 1991.

On Sunday, they were trailing 22-13 but were in the ascendancy when full-back Mike Pyke wriggled over the line in the 70th minute.

However, the fourth official ruled out the try for a double movement.

"We have watched it a number of times. He is allowed an immediate movement and he did that and he placed the ball down in the in-goal area. To me that's a try," said Suggitt.

"We are not allowed to say anything about the referees but I'll turn it back on to (IRB referees chief) Paddy O'Brien to make sure that when the tournament is done, they take a look at all the officiating.

"They need to make sure that it keeps up to speed with the modern game because there's a lot of missed calls happening as the game has got faster."

Adding to Suggitt's misery was seeing his team's late, desperate push for victory denied when the ball was lost on the Fiji goalline and full-back Kameli Ratuvou sprinted the length of the field for his second try of the game and his team's fourth.

Canada still have Japan and Australia to play in the first round but their hopes of making the last eight are in tatters after they also lost their first game 42-17 to Wales despite leading 17-9 at one stage.

On Sunday, they trailed 15-6 at the break and then 22-6 before they launched a fightback which almost ended in a famous win.

Suggitt admitted that Canada let themselves down.

"It's heartbreaking to lose when you have got so close to the goalline and are just half a metre away," said Suggitt.

"But it's typical Fijian rugby that they just pick up the ball and scamper 100m for a try. If we had stayed more patient we could have gone home with a one-point win.

"We got to the score zone four or five times and lost possession. The players have to take a long look at themselves in the mirror. Maybe they lost focus because they were worried about being hit by a big Fijian."

AFP