Referee Mathieu Raynal warns Bernard Foley to play the ball, one last time. Photo / Sky Sport
Referee Mathieu Raynal warns Bernard Foley to play the ball, one last time. Photo / Sky Sport
Former Wallabies centre Tim Horan has weighed in on the controversial refereeing decision that helped hand the All Blacks victory over Australia on Thursday, claiming Bernard Foley couldn't have heard the referee's pleas to kick the ball, given "he was 15, 20 metres away".
New Zealand's 39-37 defeat of Australia on Thursday turned out to be one of the most controversial rugby test matches ever witnessed after the All Blacks were saved from the clutches of defeat by a rarely, if ever, seen call from French referee Mathieu Raynal.
A long-range Nic White penalty goal had given Australia a lead for the first time with three minutes remaining after the side surged back from 31-13 down on the scoreboard. The All Blacks then had a chance to level with a late penalty but opted for a try from an attacking lineout and conceded a penalty themselves.
Raynal then awarded the match-turning infringement against Foley for taking too long to kick the ball from the penalty.
Speaking to D'Arcy Waldegrave on NewstalkZB on Friday, Horan attempted to explain why Foley's teammates were seen shouting and urging the five-eighth to kick the ball into touch by claiming Raynal was too far away to hear, whereas the vocal members of the backline were closer.
"The referee was standing out that side, near the two centres, and that's why they were screaming, because they could hear him but Bernard Foley, who's 15, 20 metres away, he couldn't hear him," Horan said.
"In a closed stadium, 50-odd thousand people, the referee's got to communicate that better: run over to Bernard Foley, stop the clock and say 'Bernard, you've got to kick this out in the next second otherwise I'm gonna give a penalty'.
"If he gets to Bernard Foley, he explains it, there's no problem, Bernard Foley kicks the ball out with 60 seconds to go and the All Blacks still have a chance to win that lineout and to win the test match."
However, footage circulating widely on the internet appears to show that Raynal, in fact, communicated with Foley exactly the way that Horan suggested and that Foley was the closest player to him - and certainly much closer than 15 metres - on the field by a margin.
Mathieu Raynal first tells Bernard Foley to play the ball. Photo / Sky Sport
Raynal stops the clock to tell Foley that "We play. I will switch on the time and we play now". Photo / Sky Sport
Referee Mathieu Raynal warns Bernard Foley to play the ball, one last time. Photo / Sky Sport
In fact, the only difference between the way Horan recommends Raynal - who has officiated the Six Nations and multiple top tier internationals over the past several years - should have acted and how he did, was that Raynal's first language is French not English.
"The difficult thing is that it was a ridiculous decision but I understand there's laws in the game, I get all that, but... there would have been 10 referees around the world, the bigger referees that do all Super Rugby and do the big championship games, Six Nations in Europe, like a Wayne Barnes," Horan said.
"Wayne Barnes would have been calm and collected, he would have blown time off and he would have been a lot closer to Bernard Foley and said 'Bernard listen, I'm going to blow time back on, you can't waste any time and I want you to kick the ball straight out'."
Swain's tackle on Quinn Tupaea has ruled the All Black midfielder out of the rest of the season with major damage to his knee ligaments. However, Horan believes Swain had no option but to attack Tupaea's leg in the ruck.
"He's just trying to clean a body out... it was reckless but I just don't see he would have done it on purpose but that's all he saw to clean out, that was the only option he had to clean out.
"You can't go attacking someone's leg like that and Darcy would probably know that, but it was the right call by the referee, yellow card was the right way to go."
MCL rupture and partial ACL tear for Quinn Tupaea.
Horan finished the interview by saying he was looking forward to the rematch at Eden Park September 24, a venue with a reputation he believes the Australian side can overcome.
"I think this Wallabies side, on their day, they don't have much fear about any ground they play at but it depends on what Wallabies team turns up... they understand the history of Eden Park but I don't think it'll worry them too much."
