SYDNEY — The Wallabies say they have no problem standing up for their third Test against the British and Irish lions as they are seeking some clarity about the controversial decision that saw Rugby Australia (RA) won a match in Melbourne on Saturday night.
The Lions rounded out their first series victory since 2013, with fullback Hugo Keenan trying it out on the clock at 79.10.
However, the results were balanced for a few minutes as Italian judge Andrea Piardi and his assistant delved into one phase of Jack Morgan’s Carlo Tisano’s clean-out vision.
The conflict was eventually cleared by officials, but Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt later unleashed the decision, claiming that Morgan’s clean-out was clearly violating Act 9.20.
On Sunday, RA boss Phil War said the national agency would seek “accountability” for decisions made by World Rugby.
“I was a player. I make a lot of mistakes, players make errors. The referees sometimes interpret things differently,” Waugh told Codesport.
“We are utmost respectful by respecting the judge’s decision.
“But I think there’s the level of accountability and explanation that comes with it, and we’re looking forward to it.”
The increase in feedback RA from World Rugby may be kept private, but World Rugby CEO will be quized about the incident this week in Sydney media.
The defeat left Schmidt Livid and his Wallabies player, but scrum half Jake Gordon said his team would take a positive out of their performance, claiming Australia was heading in the right direction.
“As a result, we’re definitely improving as a team, which is a shame,” Gordon told reporters after a three-point loss in Australia’s MCG. “It’s probably consistency to control the backend in the second half. We just brought them back into the game.
“When they got the quickball, they found out that in the first half it was making it really difficult to be like us as much as we did. We definitely feel we’re improving as a team. We’re another big crowd in Sydney.
Gordon said despite the fact that they lost their second straight series to the Lions following a tourist victory in 2013, the Wallabies would have no problem happening in Saturday’s series finale.
“It’s pretty easy (to wake up) and I hope our fans are proud tonight tonight,” he added. “But we have another big test match. It’s an opportunity for Wallabies to play the lion. I don’t think it’s a difficult game to stand up.”
Gordon may have missed the second half normally, but the replacement scrum half-tate McDermott had already been rolled out due to Winger Harry Potter’s hamstring injury and Australia’s 6-2 bench split. That is, Gordon had the front row seating in the final match definition sequence, but Veteran No. 9 was barely apart when asked about Morgan’s clean-out.
“I just saw it live and didn’t have the opportunity to look back, but they are the conversations that the coach and the umpire boss have, and I can’t comment.
“The thing about rugby is that it’s very contested. There’s always an opinion about that. You had to slow it down and have the right look and I had no chance to do it.”