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NZ Herald
27 minutes ago
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Wallabies v Lions: Referee call highlights rise of theatrics in rugby
Hugo Keenan, of the Lions, scores the series-winning try in Melbourne. Photo / Photosport What else to think because no one with decision-making powers wants to learn from the past or plot a better future, and the game is trapped in this spiral of making the same mistakes. Round and round it goes – with inexperienced referees appointed to take charge of the biggest games, TMOs given confusing and ever-changing remits, a refusal to unify the best officials under one employer, and a failure to align expectations across competitions and between hemispheres. Rugby sets itself up to fail and yet is always surprised or enraged when incidents like the one in Melbourne on Saturday occur. Shock horror, an inexperienced referee – in this case Italy's Andre Piardi – ruled that there was no foul play when Lions flanker Jac Morgan made direct contact with the neck and head of Tizzano in a clean-out in the build-up to Hugo Keenan's match-winning try. Piardi is bright, he's decisive and he's going to be a good test referee – but his first major assignment was in last year's Six Nations and his appointment for the Lions series came too soon. Maybe not surprisingly, under intolerable pressure, he decided that Morgan and Tizzano arrived at the breakdown simultaneously and therefore the collision was fair. He stacked his narrative up to at least give his decision an evidential rationale but the footage is beyond dispute – Tizzano won the race to the ball, he was legally over it, about to steal it when Morgan smacked into the back of his neck. Under every interpretation of the law, it was a penalty to Australia and a huge learning moment in the career of a young referee who is perhaps being fast-tracked to promote a narrative that rugby has a greater geographic footprint than it actually has. The shame of it is that Piardi was having a great game otherwise, and more important, the game had an abundance of drama – the good, compelling kind when live sport is at its theatrical best – and didn't need a dose of self-inflicted controversy to have everyone hooked. The farce of it was that after Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt expressed his frustration that such a critical mistake had been made, World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin called for more respect to be shown to referees. Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt expressed frustration about the decision that allowed the Lions to score a last-minute try. Photo / Photosport He's right to say that, but it is also ridiculous for World Rugby to make inappropriate appointments, manage the officiating the way it does, and then get all tsk-tsk with coaches whose teams are the victims of this continued merry-go-round of nonsense. And the sadness of it was the way so many turned on Tizzano. He quite dramatically milked the moment with a bit of theatrics to ensure that by flinging himself back while clutching his head there was reason for the incident to be reviewed. The fact he did that has seen him cast as the pantomime villain, but he's not some rogue actor eroding the last of rugby's Corinthian spirit of fair play. He's the product of the culture rugby has encouraged because of the grey areas around TMO intrusion, the volatility of having inexperienced referees in charge and the inconsistency of decision-making that results every time there is a head collision. Rugby, whether it wants to admit it or not, has facilitated a culture of histrionics and built an appetite for players to try to dramatise – almost fictionalise – incidents to try to manipulate officials. Those of a certain vintage will have indelible memories of football World Cups being dominated by players lolling around in supposed agony at the merest hint of contact. Hugo Keenan celebrates with Lions supporters. Photo / Photosport Rugby is becoming much the same, but instead of hirsute, slightly effeminate South Americans doing the acrobatics, it's chisel-jawed, oversized farm boys throwing themselves about. In the 2023 Rugby World Cup final, several All Blacks players heard Jesse Kriel's teammates tell him to drop after they realised that he'd been hit in the head by Sam Cane. How often now is it the case that someone will kick high from the backfield and then tumble dramatically if there is any contact from a defending player? And it has become standard fare now every time a try is scored for the captain of the team that has conceded the score to approach the referee and implore him to look for some perceived incident. Rugby loves its drama, but it needs to be thinking more Netflix crime thriller than Mexican soap opera and to start making decisive and consistent efforts to fix its refereeing issues. Gregor Paul is one of New Zealand's most respected rugby writers and columnists. He has won multiple awards for journalism and written several books about sport.
Extra.ie
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Extra.ie
Watch: Katie Taylor leaves inspirational message for Lions
The British & Irish Lions have won their first tour series since 2013 after a thrilling 29-26 win against the Wallabies in the second test. The match will forever be remembered for its dramatic finish as the Lions worked their way up the pitch from the halfway line in the final moments before Hugo Keenan dove over with the final act of the game to win all the marbles. It was the climax to what had been an amazing comeback from the Lions who, after going down 23-5 and with 14 men, executed a clinical comeback where they scored with nearly every chance they got while also holding the Wallabies to just three further points from the 30th minute onwards. Hugo Keenan celebrates following test series win. Pic: INPHO/James Crombie One of the best aspects of the Lions is the unprecedented access, as fans can truly get behind the scenes. As most clubs and national sides are quite secretive about how everything runs, the Lions have constant dressing room coverage. It leads to some great moments, including a motivational message the Lions received from none other than Katie Taylor. Pic: The British & Irish Lions via YouTube In the latest video in The Ultimate Test series on YouTube, we see Andy Farrell show the squad a video 'The Bray Bomber' filmed off the back of her trilogy win over Amanda Serrano in Madison Square Garden. 'Every athlete knows that there are so many variables on any given day, and for reasons I can't fully control, you know, sometimes I feel sharp and strong and my timing is perfect, sometimes it isn't. And this can lead to performance anxiety. 'But regardless of those things that some of which are hard to control, I know that even if it's not pretty, I am 100% confident that I'll go to the trenches if necessary. That's a controllable. Pic: The British & Irish Lions via YouTube 'And that's a matter of will. So here's my message. Prepare to win by skill, but be ready to win by will. In both our sports it's often the case that the biggest will to win takes the spoils. So I hope that all of the things that you have practiced and all the tactics you have contemplated go your way. 'I hope that all the performances are worthy of your skills, but if not, I'm confident that your will and your courage will be enough. 'And after all, what else could it mean to be a Lion? So we're with you all the way. Best of luck guys, God Bless. Bye.' "Prepare to win by skill, but be ready to win by will." Thanks for sharing your inspiring message with the boys, @KatieTaylor 🙏 Tap the link below to watch the latest episode of The Ultimate Test 🦁#Lions2025
RTÉ News
10 hours ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Cheers to Sam Maguire as Sydney pores over 'The Incident'
I don't think I ever fully appreciated the extent to which Ireland's twenty-somethings have flocked to Australia until Sunday night. After a week in Melbourne, we moved up the road to Sydney for the last leg of this Lions tour, and after dinner on Sunday night, the Irish and English press packs bonded over our collective need to find some TV screens; us for the All-Ireland football final, and them for England's Euro 2025 final against Spain. As of 2025, there are a reported 103,000 people born in the Republic of Ireland who are currently living in Australia, and my rough estimation would be that 99% of them were in 'Cheers' bar on George Street in Sydney on Sunday night. It felt like being in 'The Big Tree' on Dorset Street, with Kerry and Donegal jerseys crammed into what was a pretty large pub. As enjoyable as it was to experience a first All-Ireland from the opposite side of the world, it was jarring to think that this was just a small sample size of two of Ireland's 32 counties, almost all of whom appeared to be between 20 and 30-years-old. Much like in Melbourne, the sight of Lions jerseys has been slow to arrive early in the week. Those on the big tour groups tend to travel around the country and explore some of the other things Australia has to offer before moving into the big cities closer to game day. I've been lucky to experience some incredible games in jaw-dropping stadiums in this job, but Saturday night at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was extraordinary. We had a gunslinging first half where the Lions and Wallabies shared six tries and 40 points, followed by a tense, error-strewn second half where Australia held out until the 80th minute, and while it was a shame that such a game had to be decided by a lengthy TMO decision, it only added to the suspense. The decision to allow Hugo Keenan's try hasn't gone down well here in Australia, and it was all over the back pages at the newsagents in Melbourne airport on Sunday morning, with the Sunday Telegraph in particular leaving their readers in no doubt as to their take (below). It's not quite on the same level as Thierry Henry's handball against the Republic of Ireland in 2009, but it's not far off. All week, that final play of the game has been dominating the sports conversation in Australia. On Monday, we went across to the quiet city suburb of Double Bay, where the Wallabies have based themselves for the week, with Nick Frost and Max Jorgensen again having to field questions about what the Australian journalists have simply started calling "The Incident", as if they were here to talk about a chemical spill, or a mass data breach. They did their best to straight-bat the questions and shift the focus to Saturday's final game at Accor Stadium but later on Monday, Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh threw petrol onto the flame when he called for "accountability" from World Rugby. As luck would have it, World Rugby Chair Brett Robinson, and CEO Alan Gilpin would be at Sydney harbour the very next day as the organising committee for 2027 World Cup announced its ticketing strategy. The trio stood together alongside each other during that presentation on Tuesday morning, although we weren't close enough to eavesdrop on the small talk. Surprisingly, Gilpin began his address by discussing the elephant in the room, and expressing World Rugby's "support" for their match officials, although he stopped short of revealing the governing body's stance on whether or not the officials got that decision right. "Suffice to say, we won't be taking any further questions on that today, because we're here to talk about what will be a fantastic ticketing program", Gilpin added, before later taking just under seven minutes worth of questions on it from the assembled media. Tuesday was a day when Sydney was just showing off. That morning event was held at the Museum of Contemporary Art, which offered the most sensational view across the harbour at the Sydney Opera House (see above), and we soon packed our bags to head for Shore School in the lower north side of Sydney, where the Lions were training. Given Sydney's layout, the easiest – and cheapest – way from south to north is often by ferry, the price of which was just $1 (roughly €0.57) to get from Circular Quay to Milson's Point. Pound for pound, there isn't a better way to see the city, jetting alongside the Opera House and under the Harbour Bridge. On this tour, the Lions have trained at some impressive schools, and Shore School was the latest of those, where the rugby facilities would leave Ireland's big-hitters blushing. And then there was the view from the schoolyard (below). With the series sewn up, there was a sense of fun around the Lions camp, and no mention of 'The Incident'. Maro Itoje, normally reluctant to open the curtain to the inner workings of the squad, was in rare form. The players he's enjoyed getting to know the most? Finlay Bealham, who seems to be one of the most common names appearing on these lists, and Jamie Osborne, whose nickname, Itoje revealed, is 'Showbiz'. The people, and those relationships, Itoje said, were what would define this tour for him, rather than the wins and losses. "There is a verse, that I can't quite remember what book it is from in the Bible [Mark 8:36], but it says, 'What does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his soul?'" Itoje said, a verse which the uninitiated media pack had only previously encountered in the Alan Partridge movie, 'Alpha Papa'. "If we won every game and we absolutely hated one another... I think life is more than that."
Irish Times
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Gordon D'Arcy: Australia got it all wrong by relying on two players to carry the whole team
There are moments in life and sport when you want to wring every last drop out of an occasion, aware that it is a feeling that might not be replicated again and therefore should be cherished for all its worth. One such snapshot in time was at Twickenham following a fiercely contested win over England . The ice baths had long ceased to pinch the breath, the water more temperate and for a while no one moved. We just wanted to stay in that space, untouched by the outside world. We would always have Paris , too, winning the Six Nations there. A few of the lads were stuck in doping control, which bought the rest of us an unexpected hiatus – time to sit, reflect and savour what we had done, before the real world came crashing back into our lives. You could see that same desire to freeze a moment in time written all over the Lions players' faces in Melbourne as Hugo Keenan glided over the try line to seal a series win. Finn Russell's conversion attempt was an irrelevance. READ MORE The final whistle was the cue to release a torrent of emotion as the players came together to celebrate, bound up in the struggle and the shared sacrifice. You don't get many of those moments in a career. Thrilling second Test saves Lions tour from ignominy Listen | 24:20 The arguments will continue to rage about the quality of the matches on this tour. That's a fair debate but history doesn't care much for the context; it records outcomes. These men have joined an elite club. They are British and Irish Lions with a series win in the southern hemisphere. That carries weight. Australia , for their part, finally delivered a performance that represented some of their qualities as individuals and as a team. It wasn't enough to win the match, but it did salvage some pride, and arguably the series as a whole. 'Ruck-gate' has dominated the headlines in the aftermath. Opinions are a dime a dozen on both sides of the argument, whether a pundit, fan or former player. The truth is the game was not decided by a single moment. Australia's Will Skelton of Australia (right) attempts to get past Ollie Chessum of the Lions during the second test. Photograph: David Davies/PA Wire What cost Australia the win was their inability to create meaningful chances in the second half. They came away with just three points after the break, a solitary Tom Lynagh penalty that wasn't enough to see them over the line. A familiar name for all Leinster fans, Will Skelton led from the front for the Wallabies, demonstrating how much he was missed in that first Test. With Rob Valetini as a sidekick, they battered the Lions' defensive line and created chances for teammates. Skelton drew in multiple defenders and forced the Lions to contest every ruck. The pair created chaos in the tight channels. A rugby truism is that the team that wins the gainline wins games. For all our attempts to complicate things, that basic truth never changes. You either break the line by force or finesse. And for 30 minutes, Australia did both. They used tip-on passes, back-to-back carries, and targeted the Lions' biggest players and drew them into collision. They got quick ball and, in doing so, slowed the Lions' ability to set defensively. That's the virtuous circle of rugby – win the collision, win the ruck, win the next phase. In the wide channels, Australia looked slick. Scrumhalf Jake Gordon, who had a fine game, kept changing the point of attack and mostly did it off front-foot ball. That's when the Wallabies were at their most dangerous. The try that stood out came from a breathtaking counterattack. It was the first real glimpse we got of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii with space and ball in hand. And what a sight it was. He's still new to rugby union, but there's no mistaking his talent. He's not a Sonny Bill Williams clone. Sure, he has the size, but it's his balance, footwork and feel for the game that stood out. When he tore the Lions open to set up Tom Wright's try, it felt like a turning point. I thought, 'this is it'. The Lions were rattled. Australia were ahead on the scoreboard and playing with ambition. That was the moment to push on and kill the game. But it never came. Instead, they let the Lions back in, conceding two tries in quick succession before half-time. And then, like steam escaping a valve, the momentum was gone. The Lions' Jamison Gibson-Park makes a break for it against Australia. Photograph: Dan Sheridan/Inpho Valetini didn't reappear for the second half. Skelton was effectively done after 30 minutes despite staying on for 47, having emptied the tank. When you build a game plan around two forwards, even world-class ones, you're living dangerously. The 6-2 bench split suggests the plan was to batter the Lions up front. But when the game shifted to the edges, Australia didn't adapt. That's the part that stood out most for me. The lack of in-game management. From about the 32nd minute onwards, Australia stopped trying to win the match and started trying not to lose it. You could feel it in the way they played. Their energy dipped, their ambition narrowed. And slowly, the Lions reeled them in. The Lions themselves were far from flawless. They weren't dominant and this was no vintage performance. But in the big moments, their key players showed up. Russell was relatively quiet by his standards, but when he influenced the game, it mattered. Jamison Gibson-Park grew into the contest too. The build-up to Tom Curry's try, for example, came straight from the improvisational part of JGP's brain. That's not on a play sheet. That's instinct, trust and clarity under pressure. It was also the moment the Lions took control and Australia never quite recovered. The win keeps the quest for a series shutout alive and the potential to create another storied chapter in Lions history. But it also leaves plenty of questions about where Australian rugby is really at. You can't rely on two players to carry your entire team, not against this level of opposition. And when the game flips, when your power game fades, you need leaders who can see the shift, sense the opportunity and pivot accordingly. In the end, it was the Lions who had those players who made the difference. They did so in flashes and it was nothing sustained, nor was it polished. But it was enough. And sometimes in rugby, as in life, enough really is enough. Australia had their moment, and they let it slip. The Lions took theirs and closed the door.
France 24
a day ago
- Sport
- France 24
World Rugby boss disappointed in Schmidt questioning player safety push
Lions wing Hugo Keenan touched down in the last minute at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday with the match and series-winning try given by Italian referee Andrea Piardi after a video review. A furious Schmidt was adamant it should not have stood, pointing to a high clean-out in the lead up by Jac Morgan on Carlo Tizzano, with Australian rugby boss Phil Waugh backing the assessment. In his post-match comments, Schmidt insisted that contact with Tizzano was made above the shoulders, which made it illegal. "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," he said. Gilpin, in Sydney to launch the 2027 men's World Cup ticketing program, told reporters it was disappointing, but Schmidt would not face disciplinary action. "It's disappointing when the reaction is one of 'this means player welfare isn't taken seriously' because we have worked really hard on that narrative," he said. "Everyone knows we're putting player welfare in its broadest sense at the top of the agenda. "I think Joe's comments have continued to respect the fact that the match officials have got a tough job to do," he added. World Rugby has been conducting a review into the incident in conjunction with Australia, the Lions and match officials which is expected to be concluded this week. Gilpin said Piardi and his assistants were being supported amid the backlash. "In those tight contests, decisions made in crucial moments inevitably draw a lot of scrutiny," he said.
