Lions Clinch 2-0 Lead as Wallabies Claim Late Try Was Stolen

The British & Irish Lions have secured a 2-0 lead in the best-of-three series against Australia, but the Wallabies are left seething after a disputed late refereeing call denied them victory. The series-deciding match ended with a thrilling last-gasp try from Hugo Keenan, who scored the decisive try in the 80th minute, but Australia’s head coach, Joe Schmidt, strongly criticized the decision not to penalize the Lions’ replacement Jac Morgan for a ruck clear-out.

Schmidt claimed that Morgan should have been sanctioned after taking out Carlo Tizzano shortly before Keenan scored the winning try. “You only have to look at law 9.20,” Schmidt said. “It’s what they are there to enforce. A player who dives off his feet and is clearly beaten to the position over the ball, makes neck contact… it was a tough one to take.”

Morgan Turinui, a former Australia centre-turned-pundit, also sharply criticized the decision, calling it “100% completely wrong.” “His two assistant referees got it wrong,” Turinui said. “Joël Jutge, the head of the referees, is out here on a junket. He needs to haul those referees in and ask for a please explain.”

The incident occurred in the 77th minute, when Morgan cleared out Tizzano, who was attempting to retrieve the ball. The Wallabies argued that Morgan’s tackle was reckless and should have been penalized, but the referee, Andrea Piardi, allowed play to continue. The Lions took advantage of the favorable call and launched a counter-attack that resulted in Keenan’s winning try.

However, the Lions’ head coach, Andy Farrell, hailed his side’s composure after they overcame a 19-point deficit, the biggest in Lions Test history. “These lads have dreamed of being a British & Irish Lion all their lives,” Farrell said. “To get to the point when we come to the MCG with 90-odd thousand people with a dramatic finish like that to win the series is what dreams are made of.”

Farrell praised his team’s ability to stay focused and composed under pressure. “We’ve talked about it all week,” he said. “We knew it was going to be a tough game, but we believed in our ability to stay in the fight. And we got what we deserved.”

Keenan, who scored the winning try, said that he was always going to back himself, despite his head coach’s pleas to pass the ball. “Andy mentioned it after,” Keenan said. “I think he backed me in the end. Jack was outside and he would have finished it himself, but where there’s a will there’s a way.”

The disputed refereeing call has left Australia reeling, but the Lions are celebrating their historic win. The series decider will be remembered for its dramatic finish, but also for the controversy surrounding the refereeing decision. The incident has sparked a heated debate about the role of referees in the game and the need for greater consistency in decision-making.

The Wallabies will now regroup and prepare for the third and final match of the series, which will take place on July 31. The Lions will look to seal the series and secure their place in history as the first British & Irish team to win a series in Australia since 1971.