As the fallout from Thursday’s controversial Bledisloe Cup match between the Wallabies and All Blacks continues, players, pundits and fans alike are calling for an explanation of the rule that paved the way for New Zealand’s victory.
Australia led 37-34 in the 79th minute when they were awarded a penalty by Lalakai Foketi five meters from their goal line.
That’s where things started to get messy.
The key moments
Referee Mathieu Raynal allowed 25 seconds of celebration before telling fly-half Bernard Foley, on his return to the side after a three-year absence, to continue playing. Foley elected to kick for touch.
After 31 seconds, Raynal blew the timeout. Seven seconds later, he started again, noisily telling Foley it was time to play.
The sideline camera showed Foley’s teammates motioning for him to hurry up and kick the ball.
Foley looked behind him, apparently not hearing the restart, but saw the hasty calls from his teammates and prepared to kick.
But before he could, Raynal blew the whistle again – 39 seconds after the penalty – and awarded a penalty to New Zealand.
“What is happening?” said the broadcast commentator as play was stopped and both Foley and scrum-half Nic White demanded an explanation from Raynal.
“I said, first, make a quick play,” Raynal can be heard telling White over the microphone on the field.
“Then I make time; turn off the time.
“I tell your player, ‘I turn on the clock and you play immediately.’ And wait, wait, wait.
“This is a scrum for the All Blacks.”
The All Blacks won the ball from the ensuing scrum and laid it out to fullback Jordie Barrett, who scored in the corner for a 39-37 victory.
What are the rules for wasting time?
According to Law 20, Part Five of the World Rugby rulebook, “a penalty kick or free kick must be taken without delay”.
However, there is no specific time period in which a penalty or free kick must be taken.
Therefore, it is completely at the discretion of the referee.
So while Raynal was technically correct in his decision, the obscurity and rarity of these decisions being made, and particularly in the last minute of a tense game, is what has caused the ‘buzz in the rugby community.
“I haven’t seen a decision like that at any level,” Wallabies coach Dave Rennie said afterwards.
“I think you have to have an idea of the game and the situation. So if you feel a team is wasting time, then you stop the clock, then they throw it out, and then you play the game and the teams decide it.
“I spoke to Bernard [Foley] after the match I had the impression that time had passed.
“The referee had told him to play and at no time was he told or believed that he was going to call a scrum from that.
In most situations, the watch is off and the watch stays off, so it looks like the watch was turned off and then turned back on.
“The disappointing thing from our point of view is that it was a fantastic game of football and we should be celebrating the game rather than talking about a last-minute referee’s decision.”
All Blacks say fair play
However, All Blacks head coach Ian Foster saw things differently.
“I thought it was very clear,” he said.
“They were delaying the kick. [Raynal] he said free time. He warned [Foley]then he said “free time”, and then he said “speed up” and then he said “free time”.
“He then asked her twice to kick her. I understand there is a controversial nature to it, but it was very clear from the opposition.
“Part of your game management is listening to the referee. So when the referee says ‘time-out’ you have to play it. I just saw it out there. I heard very clearly what the umpire. So I think ‘I just have to be careful.’
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However, Foster is in the minority. Much of the reaction in the media and online reflected the bewilderment of World Cup winner Tim Horan, who said on the post-match broadcast what most were thinking.
“I’ve been refereeing for over 20 years and I thought it was a disgraceful decision by the referee – he cracked under pressure,” he said.
“I think you could have had 15 more referees, great World Rugby referees, who would have taken it in their stride and not been checked by experience.
“Ninety seconds left in the game and he broke under pressure in one of the biggest moments, one of the biggest games here in Australia.
“It was a disgraceful decision and World Rugby needs to look at it. It was terrible.”
what happens now
The Wallabies have publicly demanded an explanation of the decision from World Rugby, although experts suggest the governing body will likely uphold Raynal’s decision and cite the laws of the game.
The result means the All Blacks retain the Bledisloe Cup for another year, having not lost it since 2003, and have kept alive their hopes of claiming the Rugby Championship as the win moves them to the top of the table with 14 points against Australia’s 10. after five games.
The two teams will meet again in the sixth and final round at Auckland’s Eden Park on September 24.