French captain under fire over Koroibete’s sending off
Brisbane: Wallabies star James O’Connor and coach Dave Rennie have accused France captain Anthony Jelonch of the ultimate rugby sin- football-style gamesmanship in what they viewed as a successful act to get Marika Koroibete sent off in a gripping third Test.
Rugby is no stranger to baffling refereeing decisions but Ben O’Keeffe reaching for a red card after five minutes was genuinely jaw-dropping.
You feared Australia would melt, Cadbury-style, without one of their top three players but instead they somehow played better with 14 men, winning 33-30 and the series 2-1.
Injured playmaker O’Connor called Jelonch out for covering his face and crumbling to the Suncorp Stadium turf after Koroibete rocked him with his shoulder.
“It’s pretty frustrating,” O’Connor told Nine and Stan Sport at halftime, with scores locked at 20-20 in another remarkable Test match.
“If you’re playing in the spirit of rugby that’s not something I guess you do.”
Cross-code legend Sonny Bill Williams said Koroibete’s send- off was a reminder that World Rugby needs to take on a “common sense”approach.
“Very disappointing that a referee’s decision can potentially determine the outcome of such a big game,” Williams told Nine during the half-time break.
“Yes we need to protect a player’s safety, but we need to protect the game too.
“What I would like to see is a common sense rule come into play.
“The punter watching at home, he knows
Jelonch is going to be able to get up and play the rest of the 80 minutes.
“Why for contact like that, when he can carry on playing the game, are we going to rule out Koroibete for the rest of the game? It doesn’t make sense to me.”
The decision to send Koroibete from the field resulted in severe frustration from fans across social media.
Former Wallaby Lote Tuqiri, who was one of many left scratching their heads, took to Twitter and labelled the decision as “embarrassing.”
The Wallabies had the last laugh, however, going on to win 33- 30 and claim the series 2-1
Pivac frustrated as Pumas win series
Wales head coach Wayne Pivac revealed his frustrations at the unforced errors which allowed Argentina to wrap up a series victory in Cardiff.
Pumas followed up the 20-20 draw last weekend with a 33-11 victory as they took advantage of a poor Wales display.
“We were very frustrated, as I think everyone watching would have been,” said Pivac.
“There were too many unforced errors, dropped balls and inaccurate passing which was particularly disappointing.”
It was very hot at Principality Stadium, although Pivac insists he would not use that an excuse.
“I’m still cooling down, I’ve just been pitchside and it’s 46 degrees down there, I couldn’t believe it actually, it was a warm one,” added Pivac.
“They were extreme conditions, I’ve just walked out on the pitch for a cap presentation and I’m dripping in sweat.
“It was very difficult, but there are some players that are disappointed in the changing room.” – Wide World of Sports/