Latest news with #controversialTry
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘Got it wrong': Wallabies left heartbroken as ‘terrible' call costs Aussies historic victory
The Wallabies have been denied an upset win over the British and Irish Lions in heartbreaking and controversial fashion after the visitors scored a last-gasp try to claim a thrilling 29-26 victory. Hugo Keenan went over for the Lions in the 79th minute to win it, only for Australia to desperately appeal the try, claiming Jac Morgan had made contact with the head of Carlo Tizzano at the breakdown in the lead-up. Referee Andrea Piardi, however, deemed there to be no foul play in the lead-up, much to the frustration of Stan Sport's Morgan Turinui in commentary. 'The referees were too weak to give it (the penalty),' he said. '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... a terrible decision that decides this match.' You can watch the controversial moment in the player above. A shattered skipper Harry Wilson said after the game he was 'probably not in the right emotion to speak' about the decision. Coach Joe Schmidt, meanwhile, said the Wallabies may have got a 'different decision on another day and another time'. 'I think it was described as arriving at the same time and we can all see that's not the case,' he said. 'We can all see clear contact with the back of the neck. Lions great Martin Johnson said after the game that he agreed with the call, arguing 'you have to be very, very sure to change the game on the ref's decision'. Former Wallabies skipper Michael Hooper, on the other hand, said if the incident happened in the first minute 'it probably gets awarded'. Turinui, meanwhile, only delivered an even more scathing assessment of the decision when pressed on the matter again post-game. 'That decision is 100 per cent completely wrong,' he said on Stan Sport. Lions blatant foul play is rewarded by northern hemisphere officials … a shameful end #Wallabies — Gray Connolly (@GrayConnolly) July 26, 2025 A very sad night for rugby when once again refereeing destroys a great game and turns people away from rugby in Australia. “Both players arriving at the same time. So no foul play.â€� Except one player cleaned out the other with a shoulder to the head. #lionsvswallabies — Tim Ayliffe (@TimJAyliffe) July 26, 2025 That is a rubbish decision. Clearly foul play. That’s a red card in super rugby. — Mark Gottlieb (@MarkGottlieb) July 26, 2025 A truly brutal way to lose a series for the Wallabies. — Jonathan Drennan (@JWDrennan) July 26, 2025 'The referee got it wrong. His two assistant referees got it wrong. The TMO got it wrong Joel Jutge, the head of the referees, is out here on a junket. He needs to haul those referees in and ask for a please explain... the refereeing group, when it counted, got the match-defining decision completely wrong. It's a point of law. It's in black and white. It's not about bias.' UK view - Wallabies player 'dived' British media predictably didn't agree with Australian pundits who believe the Wallabies were dudded by the no call when Jac Morgan made contact with the head of Carlo Tizzano. UK rugby journalists accused Tizzano of diving and exaggerating contact by flying backwards. The Sunday Times' rugby correspondent Stephen Jones said on X: 'Carlo Tizzano, hit by Jac Morgan at the very end, did himself no favours by a backwards dive and appeal to the ref.' The Telegraph's Oliver Brown wrote a column titled: 'Stop moaning Australia, your player dived.' Brown wrote: 'In the end, the verdict was clear: the Australian had tried to buy a penalty, falling backwards with an exaggeration of which an Italian centre-forward would have been proud. Tizzano clearly milked the incident, collapsing with a melodrama that could easily have persuaded some officials to chalk off Keenan's try. It would have been hugely unjust for the series-clinching score to be ruled out on the basis of one player's histrionics. Brown described Tizzano's reaction as 'staggering back, clutching his head as if in mortal agony'. One viewer wrote on X: 'Tizzano should be facing a ban for that. Shameful behaviour, diving and rolling around like a toddler.' Australia needed victory at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to keep the three-Test series alive after losing the opener in Brisbane 27-19. That desperation showed from the opening minute, with Will Skelton and Rob Valentini adding some much-needed gusto up front for an Australia team that was outmuscled in the opener. Fly-half Tom Lynagh was also doing his part to help the Wallabies win the field position battle early with some nice clearances, while he also added a pair of penalty goals to give the hosts a 6-0 lead after 15 minutes. The Lions eventually hit the scoreboard shortly after as a pair of offside penalties saw Dan Sheehan score and a promising start threatened to unravel for the Wallabies as Harry Potter then went down with a hamstring injury. But instead of derailing them, the Wallabies showed the fight they needed to considering the circumstances as James Slipper scored to put Australia further ahead. Tom Wright then nailed a 50-22 to set up the Wallabies in scoring territory again and on this occasion it was Jake Gordon who sliced through to extend the lead. Australia's attack was free-flowing at that point, with Tommy Freeman in the bin, as Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii split the Lions defence with his silky footwork and found Wright backing up in support. It was a dream start for Joe Schmidt's side, who lead 23-5 after 30 minutes, but momentum then flipped in the Lions' favour as back-to-back tries left the halftime deficit at 23-17. The 23 points were the most the Wallabies had scored in the first half against the Lions — a record dating all the way back to 1899. Given the way the Lions finished the first half, it felt like the opening try in the second stanza would be particularly crucial. The Wallabies had a chance to go over first when Langi Gleeson and Fraser McReight combined to split the Lions defence, finding Suaalii in space. Suaalii had a number of teammates open on the left edge but was taken to the ground by Tom Curry in a desperate last-ditch effort that forced the ball free, seeing a try go begging. Instead, it was the Lions who scored the first try of the second half through Tadhg Beirne in the 60th minute to reduce the deficit to 26-24 after an earlier Lynagh penalty goal extended Australia's lead. In the end, last-minute try broke Australia's hearts, with the no-penalty call to dominate discussion in the days to come.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Wallabies coach levels claim at officials as fans unload over contentious Lions win
Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has taken aim at officials for allowing a match-winning late try to the British and Irish Lions to stand, after claiming the decision not to penalise Jac Morgan for his clean-out goes against the sport's 'push for player safety'. Hugo Keenan's try in the dying seconds snatched a series-clinching 29-26 victory for the Lions at the MCG on Saturday night. But it came in highly controversial fashion, with the Wallabies coach and a number of former players insisting the try should have been chalked off and Australia given a penalty. Wallabies flanker Carlo Tizzano appeared to have been illegally cleaned out in the build-up, with former Wallabies star Morgan Turinui pointing out on Nine's broadcast that the Lions player made dangerous contact with the Aussie's neck. 'The end is a penalty to the Wallabies and the referees were too weak to give it. You cannot hit a guy in the back of the neck to save the ball," he said on Nine's broadcast. "The referees have got it wrong, it has cost the Wallabies. It is a terrible decision that decides this match." The Television Match Official checked Morgan's clean-out and agreed with Italian referee Andrea Piardi's initial call to award the try. But Australia's coach Schmidt suggested it flew in the face of world rugby's guidelines on player safety, and specifically, directives around high contact. "Players make errors, match officials make errors. Our perspective is we felt it was a decision that doesn't really live up to the big player safety push that they're talking about," the Wallabies coach said. "You cannot hit someone above the level of their shoulders and there's no bind with the left arm, the hand's on the ground. "That's what we've seen, we've watched a number of replays from different angles. It is what it is, we just have to accept it." Schmidt said he was referring to Law 9.20 in rugby that states: "A player must not charge into a ruck or maul without binding onto another player." It also goes on to say that "making contact above the line of the shoulders with an opponent is a dangerous play and is prohibited". Hugo Keenan scores the match-winner for The @lionsofficial 👏↳ The British & Irish Lions Tour. Wallabies v The Lions. Live & On-Demand. 4K.#StanSportAU #Lions2025 #LionsTour2025 — Stan Sport Rugby (@StanSportRugby) July 26, 2025 Rugby world divided as Wallabies' penalty claims rejected Former Wallabies captain Michael Hooper was also of the opinion that it should have been a penalty to Australia for an illegal clearout. "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." RELATED: Wallabies teammate floats major change as fans make Suaalii complaint Roosters fans get definitive answer as Joey Manu signs next contract But ex-England and Lions captain Martin Johnson disagreed and said the officials were correct in awarding the try. "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." Lions head coach Andy Farrell also insisted the 'right decision' was made. "It was a brilliant clearout. I couldn't understand what they were going back for," Farrell said. "They seem to go back for absolutely everything these days, don't they? I'm so pleased that the referee held his nerve." The Wallabies looked destined set to set up a series-deciding game 3 in Sydney next weekend when they raced out to a 23-5 lead after 30 minutes, courtesy of tries to prop James Slipper, halfback Jake Gordon and fullback Tom Wright. That was despite losing winger Harry Potter to a hamstring injury in the opening 20 minutes. But the tide soon turned in the Lions' favour and two quick tries before halftime cut Australia's lead down to six at the break. An early penalty goal in the second half helped extend the Wallabies', before the tourists. hit back with a 59th-minute try to prop Tadgh Beirne. It set up a thrilling finale and an arm-wrestle ensued for the remainder of the second half with just two points separating the teams. The Wallabies looked to have done enough but were ultimately left heartbroken after the controversial late match-winner. It means the Wallabies are the first team since the 1966 Lions tour to lose the series in two games. HIGHWAY ROBBERYThe @wallabies robbed by 'weak'referees, says @MorganTurinui 'The end is a penalty to the Wallabies and the referees were too weak to give it. You cannot hit a guy in the back of the neck to save the ball.' — Darren Walton (@DarrenWalton369) July 26, 2025 Wtf was that last call seriously professional foul any day of the week and doesn't get a penalty at all and still keeps the try wtf — Steven John Flynn (@JohnFlyn1) July 26, 2025 A highshot on Carlo Tizzano, should have been a wallabies penalty — Timmy Turnantino (@nasser_liam) July 26, 2025 Was a penalty. Should have been disallowed. Wallabies robbed — Char Lee (@redsfan1978) July 26, 2025 The @wallabies continually find themselves getting screwed over by crap refereeing. Andrea Piardi's failure to give a penalty against Morgan was an utter disgrace. — Nick Walker (@namwalker) July 26, 2025
