Rugby: Joe Schmidt says pilloried Carlo Tizzano's ruck recoil was involuntary

RNZ News

4 days ago

Joe Schmidt has made four changes to Wallabies starting line-up.
Photo:
JOEL CARRETT / PHOTOSPORT
Australia coach Joe Schmidt said Carlo Tizzano's reaction to the contentious clear-out by British & Irish Lions forward Jac Morgan in last week's second test was not voluntary but the result of the amount of force he was subjected to.
Morgan's clear-out came at a ruck just before the Lions scored a match-winning try last week in Melbourne and the Welshman's action was cleared by referee Andrea Piardi after reference to the television match official (TMO).
Tizzano was pilloried online for recoiling away from the ruck with his hands to his head after the contact, with some former players likening his reaction to a football player diving for a penalty.
Schmidt, though, said it was simply a matter of physics.
"He's had a really tough week, Carlo, he's copped a lot of online abuse," the former schoolteacher told reporters on Thursday.
"There were just over 54Gs of direct force that went through the neck, along with almost 2200 [radians] of rotational force, which is enough to cause serious injury.
"I think we're all aware of Newton's third law, that for every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction when that force hits him and the speed of his head collapsing down.
"He recoiled out the back of the ruck. And I don't think he wanted to recoil like that, but that's the nature of force, that there's an equal and opposite reaction."
Schmidt left Tizzano out of his team for Saturday's third test after he turned up sore at training on Tuesday, although he said the 25-year-old had returned to his normal "irrepressible" self by Thursday.
The New Zealander made it clear after last week's match that he felt the clear-out was illegal and said it made a mockery of World Rugby's campaign for player safety.
That did not go down well with World Rugby chief Alan Gilpin but on Thursday Schmidt said he wanted to put it in the past and look forward to Saturday's dead-rubber third test in Sydney.
"We've got a test in 48 hours, and you can lament all sorts of things," he said.
"I actually feel like Andrea Piardi had a good game, there's a couple of decisions we might not agree with, but I thought he refereed well.
"So we're not looking at refereeing decisions, we're looking at what we could have done better, making sure that we try to repair those things."
Rob Valetini will also miss the third test but halfback Nic White has been given a chance to sign off his international career as the Wallabies look to avoid a series sweep.
Flanker Valetini, who missed the first test with a calf injury, was outstanding as Australia took an early 23-5 lead in last week's second test but is being "managed" ahead of two matches against the Springboks in South Africa.
"He's not right this week," Schmidt said. "[The calf] just tightened up so... it's probably precautionary not playing him this week."
Valetini will be replaced in the back row by Tom Hooper, one of four changes to the starting line-up from the second test.
Tighthead Allan Alaalatoa suffered a shoulder injury last week that could rob the Wallabies of one of their leaders for the rest of the season.
Taniela "Tongan Thor" Tupou brings his considerable bulk into the front row in Alaalatoa's place for his first appearance of the series.
"We saw him in the First Nations-Pasifika game and I thought he really worked hard there," said Schmidt.
"So we're hopeful that Taniela can continue that upswing and bring us a real burst of energy."
Dylan Pietsch will start on the left wing for Harry Potter, who was taken off with a hamstring injury after 20 minutes last week.
White's inclusion at halfback for Jake Gordon was not enforced but gives the 35-year-old a chance to win a 73rd cap before standing down from test rugby, a decision he announced earlier on Thursday.
"Whitey's got such massive respect inside the squad that it seemed a fitting way for him to finish," said Schmidt.
"And I'm not a sentimentalist, it's a test match, and you pick people who are capable of playing that test match, and we believe that Nick is."
Schmidt has reverted to a 5-3 split in favour of the forwards on the bench, bringing outside back Andrew Kellaway back into the matchday squad for Tizzano.
British & Irish Lions coach Andy Farrell has made only two changes to his starting team with his sights firmly focused on sealing a 3-0 series sweep.
Hugo Keenan of the Lions reacts after scoring a try to win the second test against the Wallabies in Melbourne.
Photo:
Photosport
With the series already won after last week's victory in Melbourne, Farrell resisted the temptation to give squad players a run and said he had selected a team he thought was best able to finish the tour with a third test win.
"It would mean the world to us, it's something that we promised ourselves that we were going to chase after," he told a news conference on Thursday.
"It's a big ask, but it's something that we're determined to do. This is the best 23 to take the group forward."
Blair Kinghorn, who missed the first test because of a knee injury, replaces James Lowe on the left wing as he did during last week's win in Melbourne, while James Ryan starts in the second row in place of Ollie Chessum.
Chessum drops to the bench, where Ben Earl comes in as back row cover alongside Jac Morgan with Farrell opting for a 6-2 split in favour of the forwards for what is forecast to be a wet weather test at Stadium Australia.
The starting back row and halfback pairing remain the same for the third consecutive match, while Tadhg Furlong will start his ninth straight Lions test in the front row.
"It's amazing," Farrell said of the Irish prop.
"It's been well documented how much he loves playing for the Lions... and it isn't just the performances that have been through the roof, it's also his manner on a Lions tour as well.
"I've never seen him in such good spirits, so he's ready to go again."
Captain Maro Itoje will start his eighth straight Lions test having played the first match of the 2017 series in New Zealand off the bench.
"Look at the quality of player they are," Farrell said. "Look at the standing that they have with any group that they represent. Those two lads epitomise what it takes to be a top level international player."
Wallabies:
15 Tom Wright, 14 Max Jorgensen, 13 Joseph Suaalii, 12 Len Ikitau, 11 Dylan Pietsch, 10 Tom Lynagh, 9 Nic White, 8 Harry Wilson, -13.9Craser McReight, 6 Tom Hooper, 5 Will Skelton, 4 Nick Frost, 3 Taniela Tupou, 2 David Porecki, 1 James Slipper.
Bench: 16 Billy Pollard, 17 Angus Bell, 18 Zane Nonggorr, 19 Jeremy Williams, 20 Langi Gleeson, 21 Tate McDermott, 22 Ben Donaldson, 23 Andrew Kellaway.
British & Irish Lions
: 15 Hugo Keenan, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 Blair Kinghorn, -12.2Cinn Russell, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 8 Jack Conan, 7 Tom Curry, 6 Tadhg Beirne, 5 James Ryan, 4 Maro Itoje, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Dan Sheehan, 1 Andrew Porter
Bench: 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Ellis Genge, 18 Will Stuart, 19 Ollie Chessum, 20 Jac Morgan, 21 Ben Earl, 22 Alex Mitchell, 23 Owen Farrell.
- Reuters