Nic White and Bernard Foley plead their case with referee Mathieu Raynal. Photo / Getty
Nic White and Bernard Foley plead their case with referee Mathieu Raynal. Photo / Getty
Wallabies playmaker Bernard Foley has denied deliberately wasting time in his side's loss to the All Blacks and hit out at Ian Foster for his "disappointing" comments.
Foley was adjudged to have taken too long over a penalty while the Wallabies were clinging to a slender lead in the dying moments of last night's Bledisloe Cup test, with referee Mathieu Raynal awarding the All Blacks a free kick.
When Jordie Barrett crossed for the match-winning try moments later, Raynal's decision was guaranteed to attract the majority of post-game attention.
While Wallabies coach Dave Rennie said it was "incredibly disappointing" for the game to be decided in that manner, Foster took a different view and laid some of the blame at Foley's feet.
"I thought it was very clear cut," Foster told media after the match. "He warned him. Part of your game management is to listen to the referee."
Foley today said the volume of the Marvel Stadium crowd made it difficult to do just that and expressed his dismay over Foster's reaction.
"I did see [his] comment," Foley told Australian media. "If you get away with one, you probably would have a no comment. But for him to speak about it in that regard was a bit disappointing.
"There was a lot of confusion throughout the game. I wasn't trying to slow it down, but I was just trying to get really clear and concise about what we were trying to do at that next lineout.
"At the end, it was very loud in the stadium, but there was no sense there was going to be a call like that."
Nic White and Bernard Foley plead their case with referee Mathieu Raynal. Photo / Getty
Some of Foley's teammates seemed to have that sense, seen in television footage to be imploring the No 10 to kick the ball into touch. Midfielder Lalakai Foketi – who had won the crucial turnover penalty – was one of those players and Foley suggested that might have played a part in the referee's call.
"I think Lalakai maybe got a reaction from the ref," Foley said. "In my dealings with [Raynal], he asked [me] to hurry up but had turned the clock off. He never told me he turned it back on or there would be other repercussions.
"It was pretty loud in the stadium there with 55,000 people. [I am still] trying to digest the whole situation."
Foley, recalled to the test team for the first time in three years, was also frustrated that Raynal's call had detracted from what had been a thrilling contest, and he backed the Wallabies to make next weekend's rematch at Eden Park just as memorable.
"The problem is we're talking about that," Foley said. "Two sides both played a great game and we're talking about a referee decision. That's become a little too frequent in test match rugby these days.
"There's still a lot to play for. It's a bit disappointing and bittersweet that we're not playing for trophies and championships.
"To go over there and win at Eden Park is a massive carrot for us as a team. It's also a chance to build on what we laid down yesterday. The guys will recover, take a few days to get the bodies right and then we'll rip into the preparation."
