Wallabies coach Dave Rennie was frustrated with the referee's decision. Photo / Photosport
Wallabies coach Dave Rennie was frustrated with the referee's decision. Photo / Photosport
By Liam Napier in Melbourne
Nine tries, four yellow cards and, yet, the captivating Bledisloe Cup battle in Melbourne was overshadowed by one highly controversial decision from French referee Mathieu Raynal.
Following the dramatic encounter that finished with boos ringing around a packed Marvel Stadium, All Blacks coach Ian Fosterand Wallabies counterpart Dave Rennie expressed polar opposite views on Raynal's decision to free kick Bernard Foley for time wasting.
Wallabies players, including midfielder Lalakai Foketi and fullback Andrew Kellaway, can be seen screaming at Foley to kick the ball into touch before Raynal awarded a free kick to the All Blacks.
From the resulting scrum, the All Blacks swung the ball wide for Jordie Barrett to claim the match-winning try in the corner.
Wallabies players protest after the referee penalises Bernard Foley for time wasting. Photo / Photosport
Rennie spoke to Foley, recalled for his first test in three years, after the heart-breaking 39-37 defeat that ensures the All Blacks retain the Bledisloe for a 20th straight year.
"He's a bit bewildered and shocked by the decision. He's had a great performance and he feels like he's let people down," a frustrated Rennie said.
"He was under the impression time was off and the referee told him to play. At no stage was he told or did he believe he was going to call a scrum from that. In most situations the clock is off and it stays off. 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. They stop the clock and wait until you kickoff. The disappointing thing from our point of view is it's a fantastic game of footy. We should be celebrating the game instead of talking about a ref's decision in the last minute.
"I haven't seen a decision like that at any level. The rule book is complex. I'm sure there's something in there somewhere that is never reffed upon. It's an incredibly disappointing way to finish. The boys in the changing room are hurting.
"You've got to have a feel for the game and the situation. If you feel a team is wasting time, stop the clock, and then you kick it out. Let the teams decide the outcome. There's a real lack of feel for the occasion."
Asked whether he believed Raynal's decision cost the Wallabies the match, Rennie said: "We were leading prior to that weren't we? We kick to touch, our lineout throw, so we're in a strong position to hang on from there."
Wallabies coach Dave Rennie was frustrated with the referee's decision. Photo / Photosport
Wallabies captain James Slipper struggled to conceal his exasperation.
"I've played 120-odd tests and I've never seen it," Slipper said. "It'd be interesting if that would be the call 10 minutes into the game. We have a bit of a sour taste in our mouth. It was a great game, cracking crowd, right to the wire. I feel unfulfilled."
Foster contrasted Rennie's immediate reaction, believing Raynal gave Foley ample time – thought to be 11 seconds – before awarding the free kick that turned the match after the All Blacks blew their 18-point second half lead.
"I thought it was very clear cut," Foster said. "They were delaying the kick. He warned them then he said time off, then he said to speed it up then he said time on and then he asked him twice to kick it. I understand there is a bit of contentious nature about it but it's very clear cut from our position.
"Part of your game management is listening to the referee. When the referee says time on you have to play it.
"If people think that decided the test match then you have to go through and analyse the other decisions in that game too. I thought the ref was very clear in what he did. Whether people agree or disagree he certainly had a very clear mind about it."
In another example of Raynal being a controversial figure, Foster pointed to the Frenchman allowing Foley's rushed conversion to stand following Kellaway's second try despite indicating the officials were checking the final pass.
"The other one that wasn't clear cut was when Kellaway scored and the TMO wanted to look at a very suspicious forward pass and yet the conversion was allowed to be taken so there's a bit of swings and roundabouts in both cases, it is what it is. He was telling the guy not to kick the conversion because they were checking something."
All Blacks coach Ian Foster celebrates the win with players. Photo / AP
The All Blacks lost captain Sam Cane and David Havili to head knocks during the first half while Chiefs second five-eighth Quinn Tupaea is expected to be ruled out for the season after suffering a suspected ACL injury as a result of an incident that saw Darcy Swain yellow carded.
"We've got a big issue with it," Foster said. "We've got a player who is probably going to be out for nine months and you're not allowed to target legs on the side on the cleanout past the ball so the rules are pretty clear."
Rennie, however, offered a different view of the Swain card.
"I'm not convinced on Darcy Swain's. There's certainly nothing intentional. Ironically he got neck rolled prior to him cleaning out and that wasn't picked up."
Foster, while pleased to walk away with the Bledisloe and notch successive wins for the first time in this turbulent 4-4 test season, conceded the All Blacks were exposed defensively and needed to vastly improve their ability to close out the match.
"We'd like to think we'd finish a game off better than what we did. We got ourselves in a position to do that. Perhaps what was our strength two weeks ago became our weakness in that last quarter where we let through a couple of tries through tackles that should have been made and weren't.
"We'll go away and look at that. But I'm delighted with the character we showed in the last few minutes where we had to come from behind in a match we should have had more control of."
