Acting Wallabies captain Nic White has been seen unleashing a stunning tirade towards the referee in unreleased footage following the farcical final against the All Blacks.
The Whites unleashed on Mathieu Raynal after the All Blacks thrashed the Wallabies 39-27 in scenes that shook the rugby world.
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Raynal shocked everyone in the stadium when he called Bernard Foley for a late game, giving the All Blacks a 5-metre scrum in the final minute of the game.
After holding out for a few phases, the All Blacks went wide and winger Jordie Barrett sealed the win for New Zealand.
This meant that New Zealand retained the famous trophy for the twentieth consecutive year.
The backlash at the end was instant, as fans around the world voiced their frustration at the ending.
Now, in newly released footage, White is seen approaching Raynal after the contest ended and delivering a verbal jab.
“Nic, I’m sorry, you know exactly what I wanted,” Raynal told White in post-match footage.
“I told you twice and then you still keep (wasting time).”
White, however, pointed out to Raynal that Foley was in the middle of his move when he whistled.
“I understand that, but I was about to kick it and for two seconds…mate, that cost us the Rugby Championship.”
White tells Raynal that he cost them the championship. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Raynal wasn’t having it and responded emphatically to the stand-in skipper as he explained why he made the call he did.
“I tell you, first, because you’re the captain and then I tell your 10 (Foley),” Raynal said.
“I warn him, I say ‘if you don’t play immediately, I will give him a scrum’. So it’s not fair what you did in the end, you just do the time and you know exactly. If you think I’m not capable of giving a scrum, you’re making a mistake. So now you know.”
The umpire’s theft sparked a backlash on social media from senior Australian figures on Thursday night, with suggestions the rules and stagnant competition continue to create a divide between the code and fans of the sport outside of the sport’s traditional fan base.
Former Australian treasurer and ambassador to the US Joe Hockey wrote on Twitter: “Rugby will die if we keep refereeing games like the #wallabies and #allblacks tonight.
“We cannot have the referees as the center of attention. The rules and referees are not bigger than the game.”
Australia’s Brent Read posted on Twitter: “He turned rugby back on in the last minute. Rugby league types think we have umpiring problems. We have nothing to do with unity. This was a debacle.
“Okay, that’s enough. I’ve changed the channel. I’ll see you again in another 10 years. Way to go my rugby union friends.”