Latest news with #Ex-England
7NEWS
3 days ago
- Sport
- 7NEWS
Wallabies denied victory by ‘terrible' call in heartbreaking loss to Lions
The Wallabies have suffered a heart-breaking series loss to the British and Irish Lions after letting slip an 18-point lead to crash to a 29-26 defeat in the final minute of their second Test at the MCG. The Australians looked set to level the series after a rousing opening 30 minutes but the Lions roared back with fullback Hugo Keenan scoring with 45 seconds left on the clock for his team to take the lead for the first time in the match. The game ended in controversial circumstances with the Wallabies flanker Carlo Tizzano appearing to have been illegally cleaned out in the build-up to the match-winning try. While the TMO and referee Andrea Piardi reviewed the clean-out by Jac Morgan, he didn't deem it a penalty and the try stood. Former Wallabies centre Morgan Turinui blasted 'weak' referees over the controversial decision. 'The referees were too weak to give it (the penalty),' he said in commentary. 'You cannot hit a guy in the back of the neck to save the ball who is legally jackling. 'The referees have got it wrong. It has cost the Wallabies survival in the series. 'The British and Irish Lions lead this series 2-0. It was brave to come back from them, but it is a terrible decision that decides this match.' Ex-England and Lions skipper Martin Johnson took a contrasting view, but former Wallabies captain Michael Hooper agreed with Turinui. 'I can see what the referee's saying but there's a penalty there, whether it's on head, on neck or whether he's going straight off his feet to ground,' Hooper said on Nine. 'I would say if that was minute one it's a penalty and it was deserved to be awarded and the try overturned. 'If you're refereeing or judging by the letter of the law, minute one to minute 79 it doesn't matter.' Johnson disagreed. 'I didn't think there was enough there for a penalty that would change the game,' he said on Nine. 'You have to be very, very sure to change the game on a ref's decision. 'I thought it wasn't a penalty.' Gutted Wallabies captain Harry Wilson was asked in a post-match interview about the decision but said he 'wasn't in the right emotion to talk about it'. Coming after the Wallabies loss in Brisbane, the Lions will lift the Tom Richards Cup with a third Test still to play in Sydney. The result means the Wallabies are the first team since the 1966 Lions tour to lose the series in two games, with that Australian outfit losing both matches in a two-Test tour. Wilson said he was proud of the way his team played. 'I'm so proud of this team - we were written off, we came out here and put our bodies on the line and was there until the very end,' the No.8 told Stan Sport. 'To lose like that, it hurts. 'I hope everyone at home and everyone here saw what kind of team we had - we are going to keep fighting and keep improving. We just want to do Australia proud. 'I'm gutted there's not going to be a decider but if you think there's not going to be a lot on the line next week you're kidding yourself.' In the Lions' last two visits down under, in 2001 and 2013, Melbourne had been a happy hunting ground with the Wallabies drawing level after first Test defeats. It appeared this series would also follow that script as the hosts came out firing in front of a crowd of 90,307, which was the largest ever to watch a Lions match in Australia. With Will Skelton and Rob Valetini, who sat out the first Test through injury, adding size to the pack, the Wallabies answered their critics and aimed up early in a physical display that had the tourists on the back foot. Two early penalty kicks by Tom Lynagh gave the Wallabies an early six-point lead and a boost of confidence but the Lions were first across the tryline in the 15th minute through hooker Dan Sheehan. Prop James Slipper, only the second Wallaby to have played in two series then scored for an 11-5 lead and everything seemed to be going the home side's way. Lions winger Tommy Freeman was yellow-carded after his team's multiple infringements and the Wallabies then raced out a 23-5 lead with halfback Jake Gordon and fullback Tom Wright both scoring. But the tide started to turn and the Lions closed the gap to 23-17 by halftime, with flanker Tom Curry and centre Huw Jones touching down. The second half was an arm wrestle and a 59th minute try by Tadgh Beirne set up a thrilling finale. The Wallabies showed desperation in defence and it looked like they would hold on for a famous victory but the Lions had the final say.
West Australian
3 days ago
- Sport
- West Australian
Ex-Wallabies slam 'weak' refs over series-deciding call
Former Wallabies centre Morgan Turinui has blasted "weak" referees over the controversial decision that confirmed Australia's heart-breaking series defeat to the British and Irish Lions. Lions fullback Hugo Keenan scored the match-winning try in the final minute of the second Test at the MCG, after Wallabies flanker Carlo Tizzano appeared to have been illegally cleaned out in the build-up. Tizzano looked to have been hit high and recoiled holding his neck. TMO Eric Gauzins and referee Andrea Piardi reviewed Lions flanker Jac Morgan's clean-out but ruled there was no foul play, allowing the try to stand. Turinui, who played 20 Tests for the Wallabies, was adamant it should have been ruled out. "The end is a penalty to the Wallabies and the referees were too weak to give it," Turinui said on Nine. "The referees have got it wrong and it's cost the Wallabies survival in the series. "The British and Irish Lions lead this series 2-0. It was brave to come back from them, but it is a terrible decision that decides this match." Ex-England and Lions skipper Martin Johnson took a contrasting view, but former Wallabies captain Michael Hooper agreed with Turinui. "I can see what the referee's saying but there's a penalty there, whether it's on head, on neck or whether he's going straight off his feet to ground," Hooper said on Nine. "I would say if that was minute one it's a penalty and it was deserved to be awarded and the try overturned. "If you're refereeing or judging by the letter of the law, minute one to minute 79 it doesn't matter." Johnson disagreed. "I didn't think there was enough there for a penalty that would change the game," he said on Nine. "You have to be very, very sure to change the game on a ref's decision. "I thought it wasn't a penalty." Wallabies captain Harry Wilson was in no mood to discuss the incident when he was asked about it minutes after the match. "I'm probably not in the right emotional state to talk about that," Wilson said on Nine.
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
Ex-Wallabies slam 'weak' refs over series-deciding call
Former Wallabies centre Morgan Turinui has blasted "weak" referees over the controversial decision that confirmed Australia's heart-breaking series defeat to the British and Irish Lions. Lions fullback Hugo Keenan scored the match-winning try in the final minute of the second Test at the MCG, after Wallabies flanker Carlo Tizzano appeared to have been illegally cleaned out in the build-up. Tizzano looked to have been hit high and recoiled holding his neck. TMO Eric Gauzins and referee Andrea Piardi reviewed Lions flanker Jac Morgan's clean-out but ruled there was no foul play, allowing the try to stand. Turinui, who played 20 Tests for the Wallabies, was adamant it should have been ruled out. "The end is a penalty to the Wallabies and the referees were too weak to give it," Turinui said on Nine. "The referees have got it wrong and it's cost the Wallabies survival in the series. "The British and Irish Lions lead this series 2-0. It was brave to come back from them, but it is a terrible decision that decides this match." Ex-England and Lions skipper Martin Johnson took a contrasting view, but former Wallabies captain Michael Hooper agreed with Turinui. "I can see what the referee's saying but there's a penalty there, whether it's on head, on neck or whether he's going straight off his feet to ground," Hooper said on Nine. "I would say if that was minute one it's a penalty and it was deserved to be awarded and the try overturned. "If you're refereeing or judging by the letter of the law, minute one to minute 79 it doesn't matter." Johnson disagreed. "I didn't think there was enough there for a penalty that would change the game," he said on Nine. "You have to be very, very sure to change the game on a ref's decision. "I thought it wasn't a penalty." Wallabies captain Harry Wilson was in no mood to discuss the incident when he was asked about it minutes after the match. "I'm probably not in the right emotional state to talk about that," Wilson said on Nine.
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Sol Campbell claims one striker might not be enough to turn Arsenal into champions ahead of Viktor Gyokeres transfer
SOL CAMPBELL claims Viktor Gyokeres' arrival might not be enough to turn Arsenal into champions. 3 Arsenal have been working on bringing in striker Viktor Gyokeres for weeks Credit: Getty 3 Arsenal legend Sol Campbell thinks his arrival still might not be enough Credit: Getty Ex-England defender Arteta lifted the FA Cup in his first season in charge five years ago and has led them to runners-up spot in the top-flight for three consecutive seasons. Martin Zubimendi, Noni Madueke and Christian Norgaard are already on board and Many believe this could be Arteta's year - though Campbell, speaking exclusively to The Sun via betting site READ MORE ARSENAL He said: 'You need two strikers to trouble other teams. You can't always rely on just one striker as if he gets injured, the team's performance drops. 'So it's important to have a main one and have another really good backup. Sometimes they can play together, sometimes one's on the bench and the other comes on. It can be good to get a slightly older one who's been there, seen it, and done it, and can come on when you need something to happen for 20 minutes, but they're top, top quality. 'If you pick the second striker properly, they can come on to make a difference. That's something you have to do. So if they do get two strikers, they could definitely become champions. 'That's the type of player who has been missing, somebody who has scored 20-25 goals just in the league. It's okay to say, 'he's got all of these goals in all of these competitions,' but that's not good enough; that's not going to win you the Premier League. You need goals to get you over the line and make up point differences.' Most read in Football BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS Campbell also backed Arteta to eventually 'get his moment' and lead the Gunners back to glory. He said: 'Deep down, the players want to win for him. He's desperate to win something. He's doing everything in his power to get that right mentality and that right set of players. He's probably thinking now, 'we've got one chance to do it'. This is the year he'll feel like he's got the right materials and the right players. Declan Rice and the Arsenal squad thank fans for coming out at Singapore match 'He'll get his moment, but when those moments come, he needs the players on the pitch to do the job, whether that's a big save or a big goal in a big game. 'Arteta wants to win something. He knows this team needs to win something. If you get the right centre forward and get everything clicking together, Arsenal have a great chance. 'Every time a player is on the pitch, he has to play his best. You have to be up for it, and he's getting that team together. He's doing the right things and creating the right environment to win.' Campbell is also delighted to see Arsenal getting their transfer business done early. He added: 'It's so important to get the players that you want in. They get a good pre-season and a good month to settle in, and you really start to form that mentality. 'That's when you begin to think - we've got a good squad here, we've got a chance, if you give us the chance, we're going to take it. 'If you've got the right mentality and the right chemistry in the team, they will keep going and want to win. 'The truth is, if you haven't won anything, it's going to be hard to win your first one. Really hard. If you haven't won it, how do you build that confidence to win? Sometimes you need winners. Sometimes you might need to buy a couple of winners. Even a player who's won something in another country. They know what it takes to be a winner.' 3
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Sol Campbell claims one striker might not be enough to turn Arsenal into champions ahead of Viktor Gyokeres transfer
SOL CAMPBELL claims Viktor Gyokeres' arrival might not be enough to turn Arsenal into champions. The Gunners legend, 50, says his former club 'need TWO strikers' to turn them into top dogs. 3 Arsenal have been working on bringing in striker Viktor Gyokeres for weeks Credit: Getty 3 Arsenal legend Sol Campbell thinks his arrival still might not be enough Credit: Getty Ex-England defender Campbell lifted the title twice for the North London club and was part of the Invincibles squad - the last Arsenal team to win the Premier League. Arteta lifted the FA Cup in his first season in charge five years ago and has led them to runners-up spot in the top-flight for three consecutive seasons. Martin Zubimendi, Noni Madueke and Christian Norgaard are already on board and Gyokeres looks set to join and finally fill the striker void. Many believe this could be Arteta's year - though Campbell, speaking exclusively to The Sun via betting site BetSelect, insists they still need more firepower to go with the ex-Coventry hotshot. He said: 'You need two strikers to trouble other teams. You can't always rely on just one striker as if he gets injured, the team's performance drops. 'So it's important to have a main one and have another really good backup. Sometimes they can play together, sometimes one's on the bench and the other comes on. It can be good to get a slightly older one who's been there, seen it, and done it, and can come on when you need something to happen for 20 minutes, but they're top, top quality. 'If you pick the second striker properly, they can come on to make a difference. That's something you have to do. So if they do get two strikers, they could definitely become champions. 'That's the type of player who has been missing, somebody who has scored 20-25 goals just in the league. It's okay to say, 'he's got all of these goals in all of these competitions,' but that's not good enough; that's not going to win you the Premier League. You need goals to get you over the line and make up point differences.' BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS Campbell also backed Arteta to eventually 'get his moment' and lead the Gunners back to glory. He said: 'Deep down, the players want to win for him. He's desperate to win something. He's doing everything in his power to get that right mentality and that right set of players. He's probably thinking now, 'we've got one chance to do it'. This is the year he'll feel like he's got the right materials and the right players. Declan Rice and the Arsenal squad thank fans for coming out at Singapore match 'He'll get his moment, but when those moments come, he needs the players on the pitch to do the job, whether that's a big save or a big goal in a big game. 'Arteta wants to win something. He knows this team needs to win something. If you get the right centre forward and get everything clicking together, Arsenal have a great chance. 'Every time a player is on the pitch, he has to play his best. You have to be up for it, and he's getting that team together. He's doing the right things and creating the right environment to win.' Campbell is also delighted to see Arsenal getting their transfer business done early. ARSENAL TRANSFER NEWS LIVE: All the latest rumours from the Emirates He added: 'It's so important to get the players that you want in. They get a good pre-season and a good month to settle in, and you really start to form that mentality. 'That's when you begin to think - we've got a good squad here, we've got a chance, if you give us the chance, we're going to take it. 'If you've got the right mentality and the right chemistry in the team, they will keep going and want to win. 'The truth is, if you haven't won anything, it's going to be hard to win your first one. Really hard. If you haven't won it, how do you build that confidence to win? Sometimes you need winners. Sometimes you might need to buy a couple of winners. Even a player who's won something in another country. They know what it takes to be a winner.'
