Australia head coach Joe Schmidt has questioned the decision to award Hugo Keenan’s match-winning try in the second Test, believing that Jac Morgan’s clean-out on Carlo Tizzano should have been penalised.
Keenan slid over in the last-minute to give the British and Irish Lions a series-sealing victory in Melbourne in dramatic fashion after the tourists produced their biggest ever Test comeback from 18 points down.
The full-back’s score was only given, however, after a protracted review led by referee Andrea Piardi in conjunction with television match official Eric Gauzins looking at an incident at a ruck a few phases earlier.
An arriving Morgan made contact high on the back or on the neck of Wallabies counterpart Tizzano as two replacement flankers collided.
Piardi and his team worked through the footage and concluded that Morgan’s challenge had been clean, with the Welshman wrapping his arms and both he and Tizzano arriving simultaneously.
It was an assessment that Schmidt disagreed with after admitting that it had been a difficult defeat for his side to take.
“I think everyone can make their own decision on that,” Schmidt lamented after his side suffered a 29-26 defeat. “You just have to read Law 9.20 and listen to the description from the referee, and then what is the vision. Two players are described as arriving at the same time – just watch the footage. A player dives off his feet, is clearly beaten to possession of the ball, and makes neck contact…it’s a tough one to take.
“[Match officials] are human. 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 are talking about. You cannot hit someone above the levels of the shoulders and there’s no bind with the left arm, his hand is on the ground. That’s what we have seen. We have watched a number of replays from different angles so it is what it is. We just have to accept it.
“I don’t know if we’ll see it as motivation. You can’t get more motivated than the players showed tonight. I thought we demonstrated a high level of skill and physical commitment.”
Defeat means the tourists have secured the series with a game to spare in Sydney next week as they bid to become the first Lions to complete a 3-0 whitewash.
Head coach Andy Farrell disagreed with Schmidt’s assessment of the crucial incident, though admitted that he understood the alternative view.
“I thought it was a brilliant clear out,” Farrell said. “It depends which side of the fence you come from. I can understand people’s opinions. I thought Jac was brilliant when he came on and so were the rest of the bench.
“I thought it was a good clear out live. I couldn't understand what they were going back for. They seem to go back for absolutely everything these days, don't they? I'm so pleased that the referee held his nerve. The right decision in my opinion.
“Honestly, [it was] sheer joy. What a box to be in. The coaches were through the roof, as you could imagine. It’something that I'll stick in my mind for the rest of my life.”
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