Referee Mathieu Raynal signals his controversial decision. Photo / Photosport
The All Blacks' defeat of Australia on Thursday, one of the most controversial rugby test matches ever witnessed, has, unsurprisingly, sparked a wide range of reaction around the world.
After an incredible see-saw match which saw multiple yellow cards and action-packed tries, 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 Bernard Foley for taking too long to kick the ball from the penalty - a decision that, around the world, overshadowed almost every other aspect of the match.
Australia head coach Dave Rennie confirmed immediately after the match that he will seek an explanation from World Rugby regarding the incident.
"I haven't seen a decision like that at any level," Rennie told media post-match.
I’ve had plenty of disappointments and setbacks in 24 years of professional coaching but that takes the cake. Need to channel the hurt into a performance at Eden Park. Proud to be in the @wallabies family.
— Laurie Fisher (@LordLaurie58) September 15, 2022
However, despite a furious reaction from Australian players and fans, Telegraph UK rugby writer Charles Richardson believes Raynal made the right call.
"He [Foley] knew he was chancing his arm and that Raynal was growing impatient; if one plays with fire, one cannot complain at a scolding. And that was exactly what Foley received. A very public scolding," Richardson wrote in a column.
"Raynal has laid down the gauntlet to referees everywhere and, who knows, fly-halves might now think twice about unnecessarily running down the clock. Perhaps Raynal has just inadvertently saved rugby as a spectator sport? What a thought."
Irish Independent journalist Rúaidhrí O'Connor agreed, albeit with a caveat, with Richardson's sentiments on time-wasting writing: "If this is the beginning of a war on time-wasting then bring it on. If it's a once off, out of the blue, never to be repeated decision then it's bonkers."
The Sydney Morning Herald's Iain Payten took to Twitter to give a blow-by-blow recounting of the incident, which suggested Raynal's decision didn't come without provocation:
78.25: Penalty.
— iainpayten (@iainpayten) September 15, 2022
78.50: Raynal - "Play on please".
78.55: Raynal - "Quick play".
78.56: Raynal blows time off. "Time off.
7 seconds elapses. "You play now. Time on."
Three seconds.
78.59: Raynal "Ten?" - Foley looks back, begins kick.
79.04: Blows freekick
39 seconds had elapsed
Former England five eighth Andy Goode also defended the call, writing: "Actually a decent call in my opinion from Mathieu Raynal to penalise the time wasting of Bernard Foley. What a finish to the game! The Aussies will be raging though!"
South African journalist Brendan Nel wrote: "It was a massive call, and one that in 26 years of covering rugby I've never seen. It shouldn't have been a call that settled the game, but it was. Every AB supporter will say it was fair, every Aussie supporter the opposite. As a neutral to me it was wrong."
"A terrible result for rugby"
However, Robert Kitson, writing for The Guardian, questioned how fair Raynal's call was and its wider impact on the sport.
"Is 39 seconds an unreasonable delay? Could Monsieur Raynal have not simply added on a little more time rather than taking the nuclear option, from which the All Blacks duly scored through Jordie Barrett in the right corner?
"Of course World Rugby wants to speed up the game. Raynal had shouted "We play" on a couple of occasions as Bernard Foley waited for his pack to break from their tactical huddle behind him. The New Zealand coach, Ian Foster, called it "clear-cut". Either way it felt mighty harsh in the context of Australia's fine fightback from 31-13 down and has set a major precedent."
The Guardian's Angus Fontaine also labelled the final score a blow for rugby as a sport.
"The fickle hand of fate had turned on Australia in the cruellest way. A terrible result for rugby. Australia must now march in disbelief to Eden Park, where they have not won since 1986. Australia's crowd, coach and captains were speechless. But it was bitter defeat.
"Despite a season-best performance that was cruelled by an officiating decision that will be debated for decades, Australia now slump to their worst ever world ranking of ninth."
Stuart Barnes, writing for The Times, agreed with Fontaine's assessment.
"Whatever the laws or sub-laws of the game claim, here was a refereeing decision of abject stupidity.
"This was a brutal reminder that empathy is the most important word in a referee's vocabulary, but it's not in the law book."
Meanwhile, Planet Rugby's James White was more direct with criticism of Raynal.
"There's an unwritten rule of rugby that a good refereeing performance doesn't affect the plays of the match. Bluntly, Raynal failed every definition of this view as his interpretation of ruck laws, scrummaging and illegal play was quite shocking at times.
"It cost the Wallabies a famous win, when the hapless Frenchman, in the final throes of the match, called a bizarre scrummage as Bernard Foley was about to kick to touch from a penalty. Quite what was going through his head when he made this call is a mystery. It destroyed the result of the match and was a decision based on emotion and lack of rugby empathy over any form of legality or reason."
Jim Tucker, writing for Rugby.com.au agreed with White.
"Think about it for a moment. Forwards drop to their knees to have phantom injuries looked at to waste time. Scrums take forever to set. Endless TMO decisions waste time.
"French referee Mathieu Raynal plucked a law never sighted before to penalise Bernard Foley for a delay in taking a kick for touch in the final minute of a Test. He was a ref who wanted to own the result. Le Diabolical."
Former Wallaby Matt Giteau was similarly outraged with the game's ending.
"I've been commentating for over 20 years, I thought it was a disgraceful decision by the referee and I thought he cracked under pressure," he said as part of his television coverage of the game.
"I reckon you could have another 15 referees, big referees for World Rugby, that would have taken that calmly and wouldn't have got overhauled by the experience - 90 seconds left in the game, and he cracked under pressure in one of the biggest moments, one the biggest games here in Australia, it was a disgraceful decision and World Rugby need to look at it."
Huge call from the ref though can’t agree with it ! Sure add time stop the clock but don’t turn a penalty into a scrum for time wasting ! The All Blacks cam feel very lucky to win that
— Matt Brown (@chahuahua) September 15, 2022
What on earth did we just watch?! #AUSvNZL @AllBlacks
— D’Arcy 🐀 (@DArcyWaldegrave) September 15, 2022
Honestly, if you want to waste time in that situation, kick it out, then amble slowly over to the lineout, take time setting up, hooker pretends not to be able to hear the lineout call, then throw it to your jumper and run down the clock. Game management 101. Foley knows better.
— Jason Pine (@pineynz) September 15, 2022
I can’t get the thought of Bernard Foley’s team mates SCREAMING at him to kick out of my head
— Kate Wells (@katewellsnz) September 15, 2022
Here’s the whole footage of Mathieu Raynal penalising the time wasting. Listen to the ref, he gives him loads of warning to play and he doesn’t so the right call for me #AUSvNZL pic.twitter.com/EZZmtrUML7
— Andy Goode (@AndyGoode10) September 15, 2022
Closer to home, former All Blacks captain and Sky Sport commentator Kieran Read said the New Zealand team would be focused less on Raynal's decision and more on how the side were put in a position where they were reliant on that call for a chance at victory.
"It's remarkable, really, what happened. When the All Blacks get up 31-13, the All Blacks should be putting that game away and that's what they'll be talking about," Read said on Sky Sport.
Paul Abbandonato nicely summed up the feelings of many onlookers, writing for Wales Online.
"It was a cruel way for Australia to lose, but an incredible finish to a classic game. New Zealand were able to retain the Bledisloe Cup, and also relieve pressure on their under fire coach Ian Foster."
The 31-year-old will take up a second sabbatical in his NZ Rugby contract.