No one involved had ever seen a decision like it but New Zealand coach Ian Foster insisted referee Mathieu Raynal got it right when he produced a time wasting call to hand the All Blacks an incredible victory in Melbourne.
The Australians had roared back from 18 points down and led with 90 seconds on the clock when they won a penalty in front of their posts. Bernard Foley delayed his kick and the French ref stunned everyone by blowing a scrum to the All Blacks. From the ensuing play they crossed for the match winning try.
The Australians were devastated but got no sympathy at all from the visitors.
“I thought it was very clear cut,” said Foster. “They were delaying the kick. He said time off. He warned him then he said time off and then he said to speed up then he said time on.
“Then he asked him twice to kick it. I understand there is a contentious nature about it but it was very clear cut from the opposition. They other one that wasn’t clear cut was when [Andrew] Kellaway scored a and the TMO wanted to look at what was a very suspicious forward pass and yet the conversion was allowed to be taken.”
What did we just watch? The Roar Rugby experts Brett McKay, Jim Tucker and Harry Jones try to make sense of it
Foster and lock Sam Whitelock said the Aussies only had themselves to blame.
“I haven’t had that happen to me in a game whether for or against the side I’m playing for,” Whitelock admitted.
Australian captain James Slipper said he had never seen the law invoked in 125 Tests.
“You’ve got to make sure you’ve got a good plan to close out the game whether you’re up by one point or by more. Slips and I have known each other for a long time and he said ”look, we’ve just got to be better than that’ and he’s spot on.
“It’s something that I know that they will review and look at it and they’ll make sure that it doesn’t happen again.”
Foster added: “Part of your game management is listen to the referee. So when the referee says time on you have to play it.”
Asked if he had ever seen a similar decision, Foster shot back: “I just saw it out there. I heard very clearly what the ref said.
Referee Mathieu Raynal speaks to Nic White and Bernard Foley. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
“So I think we’ve just got to be careful. If people think that decided the Test match then you’re going to go through and analyse all the other decisions in the game too. So I thought the ref was very clear about what he did. So whether people agree or disagree, he certainly had a very clear mind about it.”
It is the very point that no one had seen the decision given previously, only for it to have such a staggering impact on an epic Test, that riled Dave Rennie.
“The rule book’s complex, isn’t it,” said Rennie when asked if he knew the rule existed.
“There’s surely something in there somewhere that is never reffed upon. It’s an incredibly disappointing way to finish because down 31-13, down to 13 players, showed a huge amount of character to come back into that game and then get our nose in front. So to lose it, in that fashion, massively disappointing.”
Rennie struggled to understand what he’d witnessed.
“I spoke to Bernard after the game. He was under the impression time was off. The referee had told him to play and at no stage was he told or did he believe he was going to call a scrum from that.
“Most situations the clock is off and the clock stays off, so it sounds like the clock went off and then he started it again. As we know, a team scores a try late and you take your time getting back to halfway and they stop the clock and wait until you kick off.
“The disappointing thing from our point of view is it was a fantastic game of footy and we should be celebrating the game as opposed to talking about a ref decision in the last minute.
“I think you’ve got to have a feel for the game and the situation. And so if you feel a team’s wasting time then stop the clock, and then they kick it out, and then you play the game and the teams decide it. So just a real lack of feel for the situation.”
He said Foley was “bewildered and shocked by the decision.
“Obviously he’s had a great performance and he feels like he’s let people down. He’s gutted.”
Slipper, who suffered a calf injury and is doubtful for the second match in Auckland, described the scene in the Wallabies rooms.
“The boys are just gutted, that’s probably the biggest thing, I don’t think there is much chat going on in there,” Slipper said.
“Im sure we’ll get together as a group after this and we’ll talk about it, but at the moment there’s a lot of silence. I guess the disappointing thing is that there’s a sour taste in our mouth, because it was a good game, it was a cracker, great crowd, right to the wire – I just feel unfulfilled, bit weird.
“I’ve played 120-odd Tests and I’ve never seen it, and it would be interesting if that would be the call 10 minutes into the game, same thing. But at the end of the day he made a call.”
Rolando
Roar Rookie
I suppose its a matter of puting perspective on these things as it seems many players push boundaries of what is and isn't allowed. I wondered if what BF did was within the usual range of what payers do but I don't make excuses for it.
piru
Roar Rookie
I have to say, having rewatched it from a different angle, it does look like he heard but was waiting for Slipper to direct him. He kept looking over his shoulder at the forwards huddling. The ref goes "you play" or something similar, Foley starts to kick it and he pings him. Just weird all round
U
Roar Rookie
You believe he didn’t hear him? Lol
U
Roar Rookie
What excuse does Bernie have for ignoring the ref the other times?
U
Roar Rookie
He wasn’t beginning a kick at all.
U
Roar Rookie
Lol. Did the ref make the kiwis score as well?
U
Roar Rookie
Foley ignored the ref all game and paid the price
U
Roar Rookie
If they wanted it so much, they wouldn’t have been childish with the ref at the end
U
Roar Rookie
If it was so important, why did they time waste after being told to play?
U
Roar Rookie
Some of the dumbest play I have seen from foley
U
Roar Rookie
The game was waved on. It’s his fault
U
Roar Rookie
That stupidity had kept him away from the team for 3 years. Didn’t help when he was brought back
U
Roar Rookie
Watch the video again. Watch the whole game. Foley had ignored the ref many times that game. He now looks like a fool
U
Roar Rookie
He did call time out. Foley was told multiple times to play on. His teammates were urging him to play on. He let the team down. A reason why he hasn’t played for Australia in years was shown
Merlin
Roar Rookie
I was a Razor fan but its great to see Foster growing a pair - more power to him
Brendan Lee
Roar Rookie
With an inconsistent referee, you don't get to choose when you are advantaged or disadvantaged by this. Both the Wallabies and All Blacks had to contend with this for more than 80 minutes. Inconsistent or not I don't think referees should be refereeing according to the "feel" of a game, they aren't conducting an orchestra or DJing in a club. What "feeling" does Rennie mean? The sentiment of the crowd? or Dave's feeling that his team should be allowed to win? Foster's comment that it was clear cut makes more sense: it was the imposition of an actual rule and Foley's teammates can be seen reacting to the referee's actions, so clearly on the field there was understanding of the ref's directives, unfortunately, it would seem not on the part of Foley. The great furore that followed of "when have you seen this ruling made?" has nothing to do with it. The coaching staff need to ensure their players know the rules, all the rules, and they need to ensure they know what the ref is like and they need to ensure their players understand that the referee is the sole adjudicator, that's pretty basic stuff, isn't it? Raynal has a reputation for controversial actions. It was the player's decision or indecisiveness that led the ref to intervene and as Foster and others have said this is about game management. Foley is the 10, so supposedly a key strategist, and supposedly completely focused on winning but the ref must ensure the players do this within the laws and the spirit of the game. From the refs point of view the team who at that time had the scoreboard advantage has been awarded a free kick with time almost up. In effect, Foley has 2 decisions to make (technically I think he can kick it from a tee, a drop kick or call a scrum) but realistically he can kick it and leave it in play (very unlikely), or kick it into touch, so his team can defend the line out and then force a mistake. With the latter, it may still have swung the ABs' way and they still could have scored and won. So, simple enough, any hesitancy and refusal to follow the ref's direction can only be one of few things, perhaps a brain freeze or more likely gamesmanship i.e time-wasting. To the ref, it would appear that the 10 is trying to manipulate the game at a crucial juncture and is flagrantly refusing to follow his directives. . The ref would be pretty certain that the 10 can hear him because he is close enough and can see his teammates are yelling at the 10 to take the kick, so should the Ref ignore what appears to be a flagrant refusal to follow the ref's instructions, which is an act that is contrary to the principles of the game? I think not, if anything that is the "feel" that he should fundamentally be enforcing. Moreover, at the time, the Wallabies were awarded the free kick they hadn't won or lost, nor had they won or lost when the AB' were awarded a scrum, but they led on the scoreboard. They lost their lead and the game when they failed to defend their line against the successful All-Black attack which resulted in a legitimate try, and which was, bar the successful conversion the final act of the game. So where is the controversy?
Kent Dorfman
Roar Rookie
"Clear cut call" - well Fozzie has to try to get something positive out of the game - and that's about it
frisky
Roar Rookie
Foley is correct - he let his side down. Maybe he was tired, but I suspect that he was trying to steal a few seconds.
frisky
Roar Rookie
The players behind Foley and the ref can be seen shouting at Foley to hurry up, so they heard the ref and expressed their frustrations. Very interesting to look at the replay. It changed my opinion
Dawie
Guest
:cricket: