The controversial decision by referee Mathieu Raynal to ping Bernard Foley for time-wasting in the last minute of the Wallabies’ clash with New Zealand, allowing the All Blacks to win the game with a last-play try, has met a typically restrained, understanding and tolerant reaction from Australian fans.
Nah, just kidding – everyone has gone absolutely troppo.
Fair warning, too – there’s some salty language ahead.
After Jordie Barrett made the most of the All Blacks’ awarded scrum feed to score in the corner and seal a 39-37 win in a Bledisloe Cup epic, and secure the trophy yet again, social media quickly became a firestorm.
Wallabies’ veteran assistant coach Laurie Fisher was stunned.
And commentary legend Greg Clark had never seen the likes of it before.
Fans and reporters were non plussed.
Leading the charge was former Wallaby Matt Giteau, the incensed 39-year old describing Raynal’s decision as ‘the worst I’ve seen’.
Giteau wasn’t the only prominent Australian athlete to take issue with the call – fittingly considering the game was played in Melbourne, prominent AFL players Mason Cox and Nic Naitanui joined in the growing tirade.
Cox’s description of the decision as ‘insane’, and mild accusation of corruption on Raynal’s part, quickly proved one of the tamer reactions to the last-minute controversy.
Raynal’s performance was subject to a barrage of criticism, with the Frenchman accused of taking centre stage with the extremely ware time-wasting penalty against the Wallabies.
Former Wallaby Tim Horan added his voice to the host of furious Australians, telling Stan Sport that Raynal’s decision was ‘disgraceful’, and saying the ref ‘cracked under pressure’.
“It was a disgraceful decision, and World Rugby need to look at it,” Horan fumed.
“Even if that was against the All Blacks, I’d still be disagreeing with the decision. We’ve got to move on, but I tell you what, a lot of people were stung by it.”
Even New Zealand commentators and former players were aghast by the decision, Sky Sport broadcaster Karl Te Nana admitting that the All Blacks had got extremely lucky.
“I’m actually on your guys’ side – that’s a shocking call!” Te Nana exclaimed alongside Aussies Drew Mitchell and Sean Maloney on Stan Sport.
Meanwhile, former Wallaby Morgan Turinui called for Raynal to face consequences.
“That referee should be sanctioned,” he said.
“If I’m Hamish McLennan, I’m the chairman, if I’m Andy Marinos at Rugby Australia, I am on the phone to World Rugby right now.
“Dave Rennie will probably get an apology on Monday morning… when a Victorian crowd who probably don’t know everything about rugby are throwing golden cushions onto the field at the end of the game in disgust, I think it shows that the referee’s got it completely wrong.
“That situation at the end of the game is not part of rugby. That shouldn’t be able to decide a Test match.”
Other fans were quick to throw their support behind a looming Rennie press conference tirade, with calls quickly emerging for Australian rugby fans to ‘pitch in’ should he be fined.
Others quickly made joking comparisons to Australia’s infamous submarine deal stoush with the French government last year, suggesting Raynal and France president Emmanuel Macron had worked together to get revenge and that the whole thing was really Scott Morrison’s fault after all.
Between calls to let the players play, criticism of Raynal’s over-zealous umpiring and despair that the call had cost the Wallabies a famous win, the fire burned on and on throughout the night – and it wasn’t only Australians incensed.
All Blacks coach Ian Foster also attracted criticism for his post-match reaction to the call, describing it as ‘clear cut’ and defending Raynal.
“They were delaying the kick. He said time off,” Foster said in his media conference.
“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.”
However, not all the criticism was directed at Raynal’s decision. Many took to social media to defend the call, instead laying blame on Bernard Foley for taking too long to kick.
Praise also came for Raynal’s boldness in making such a massive decision in the last minute, with the call described as ‘brilliant’ and ‘ballsy’.
Whatever side of the debate you’re on, perhaps the only universally agreed truth out of the match was the shame that such a brilliant match – without doubt one of the finest Bledisloe Cup clashes in many a year – could be so completely overshadowed by the controversy of the final moments.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
I suspect it’s usually 20 secs or so. If we cut out penalty kicks for goal outside the 22 I reckon we’d save 9-10 minutes every match.
Suzy Poison
Guest
The worst ref decision in the history of Rugby Union. The whole world knows Australia won that game. The players need to decide the outcome, not the ref. If the ref was so convinced that the Wallabies were time wasting, and wanted to make a point, he could have given Foley a yellow card, but still allowed the Wallabies to have the penalty. Instead he handed the AB's the game on a platter. The ref decided the outcome of this game. This from a South African who hates losing to the Wallabies. The only good thing was not a World Cup game, I would hate to see a game ever decided again in this manner.
Peter Darrow
Roar Guru
Mark Stafford @stafnz Times taken to kick to touch after penalty awarded. (No HIAs or injuries) NZ 20, 14, 20, 15, 13 Aust 25, 18, 22, 30, 35, 10, 35 (warned) 18, 22, 47 (37 +10 time off and warned) and still hadn’t kicked it
ScottD
Roar Guru
Yeah, it isn't functioning like it used to. There seems to be a code problem.
ScottD
Roar Guru
:silly: “Unprecedented” literally means there was no precedent. Given the laws of the game reference it and it’s not the first time players have been pinged for deliberately wasting time , it clearly isn’t “Unprecedented” at all. “Unusual” maybe, “Surprising” perhaps “Uncommon or Rare”, definitely. Another good word would be “Stupid”, which relates to Foley refusing to listen to the ref warn him three times to get on with it. Another one would be “Poor”, which relates to the defence that let the try in that lost the game.
Colvin Brown
Roar Guru
Davey, it would be interesting to see stats on the time needed for line kicks as distinct for place kicks.
Jezdexter
Roar Rookie
Actually, the difference is that in the Laws of rugby there is a set time limit with which to take a kick at goal. 60 seconds from the time the team elects to have that shot. As soon as the clock goes past 60 seconds it should, by the laws of the game result in a scrum feed to the opposition. There is no discretion, the time is set. Free kicks on the other hand have no written time limit, they simply say “without delay” allowing for discretion. Yes different parts of the game, if the ref is going to call out time wasting in one part he needs to call it in every part.
Passit2me
Roar Rookie
Unprovoked? :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: Bunce elbowed Brials in the Jaw as he went in for the tackle, but the commentators didn’t see it. Those were the days when you could throw some punches and stay on the field :stoked:
kgbagent
Roar Rookie
"10" is the number on his jersey - others complain when refs seem to 'personal' with the players lol
kgbagent
Roar Rookie
"Mounga taking 71 seconds to kick his penalty in the 70th min should have resulted in an Australian scrum given it was over the 60 seconds allowed. Mounga taking 70 seconds to kick his penalty in the 10th minute should have resulted in an Australian scrum given it was over the 60 seconds allowed." You, like many others, are confusing the difference between those quoted examples and Foleys folly. Mounga was taking a shot at the posts and discretion is applied for how long the choice to kick at the sticks, bring the tee on, decide it is windy and needs a player to put a pinky on the ball and do some bizarre lyrebird mating ritual before kicking the ball all takes time and so excess of 60/90 secs seems to be normal. Not that I think that is a good thing - indeed I think it is blatant peacocking. Foley example was not in the same situation at all - he was kicking for touch - I have yet yet to see any complaints about either side mucking about kicking to the line from a penalty.
kgbagent
Roar Rookie
35m from a Foley kick center field near the posts? Can I have what you are smoking? That would be a first.
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
Yeah that's a fair point. Too much time definitely wasted in the 80 minutes. And to manage Foley slowing the the play, the ref then slowed play to explain his decision and then set another slow-setting scrum. BTW: congrats on the win. Not your prettiest but I'm sure it's just as sweet
Michael
Guest
Teammates yelling at Foley to heed the refs call,were fearful of what was to eventuate! Why Yell? the ref heard. Besides, A Bs had to score,they did! now all the reasons for losing or winning to a great game making headlines.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
We are talking mainly about the last minute or so. What about earlierm 3 yellow cards, two together meaning we were down to 13 for ten minutes. Two lineouts lost on our throw, one withi 10 metres of the AB tryline. Not saying Raynal was right or wrong but we stuffed ourselves earlier.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Im 100% agreeing with you scrum. Im not agreeing with the decision or saying I would think it fine if it happened to NZ. What Im saying is if it had happened to NZ you and all the Aus fans would be saying it was a great decision and NZ fans would be angry at the decision just like all you Aus fans are. The decision is exactly the same no matter who it is made against but your support or non-support of the decision is all dependant on who it favoured. Im no different. And Id say if it happened to SA or to England we would both be supportive of the decision. In fact Id say that you would get close to 100% agreeance with the decision by every other set of fans other than the team it happened to. The law is a good one and Id like to see it a lot more and it appears Foley had had enough warnings but for it to be used in the timing it was is the unfair bit so use it a lot more and it will help rugby. 1 thing thats not debatable is that the ABs won that game from scoring a try not from a refs decision and I can garrantee that if NZ had not scored and Aus had held on the anger at the decision would not be so strong.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Yep precisely and you would think it was a great decision. Thats my whole point Nutter. But whether it happened to the Abs or the Wallabies it would still take the winning try to be conceded for the team that benefited from the decision to win the game
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Yes I always get amused at people who rubbish others then react badly to the exact same words used back at them. :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: You cant afford a rock. :happy: :happy:
Dahl
Roar Rookie
That should have been a red. Wright’s yellow for not rolling when he tackled Caleb Clarke and had his leg pinned under the player should only have been a penalty. No need to blow up. The time wasting call in the last minute was a completely different level of intervention, and quite reasonably outrageous for many given the context.
Fiddlestix
Guest
Legend has it that Nic Whites moustache is still complaining about this for days!
Lazza
Guest
I check out all the major British sports sites everyday and not one mention of this anywhere? Isn't this the country that invented Rugby? All these sites have one thing in common though, they're all about 90% soccer or FOOTBALL as our mother country likes to call their favourite sport. Who's actually reacting? Would that be Tonga and other pacific holiday resorts maybe?