Australia Coach Certain Morgan Clearout Was Penalty

Australia coach Joe Schmidt says nan determination not to penalise Jac Morgan for his clearout successful nan lead-up to nan British and Irish Lions' match-winning effort successful nan 2nd Test goes against nan sport's "push for subordinate safety".

Hugo Keenan's people successful nan last play of nan crippled snatched a 29-26 triumph for nan tourists and secured a first Test bid triumph for nan Lions since 2013.

The Television Match Official checked Morgan's clearout connected Carlo Tizzano astatine nan last ruck earlier nan effort and agreed pinch Andrea Piardi's first determination to grant nan try.

"I deliberation everyone tin make their ain determination connected that," Schmidt said.

"Players make errors, lucifer officials make errors. Our position is we felt it was a determination that doesn't really unrecorded up to nan large subordinate information push that they're talking about.

"You cannot deed personification supra nan level of their shoulders and there's nary hindrance pinch nan near arm, nan hand's connected nan ground.

"That's what we've seen, we've watched a number of replays from different angles. It is what it is, we conscionable person to judge it."

Schmidt said you person to "read rule 9.20" to understand why it should person been a penalty.

Law 9.20 states: "A subordinate must not complaint into a ruck aliases maul without binding onto different player."

It besides states that "making interaction supra nan statement of nan shoulders pinch an force is simply a vulnerable play and is prohibited".

Fly-half Finn Russell said Morgan, who came connected arsenic a replacement for Tom Curry early successful nan 2nd half, produced a "textbook" clearout.

He added that he felt Tizzano's guidance was to effort to get nan people overturned.

"When he goes down holding his head, there's ever going to beryllium a question," Russell said.

"But I deliberation erstwhile you saw it back, it conscionable shows that it's a textbook clearout. I deliberation it's a superb clearout from Jac.

"He's gone successful location and Tizzano's complete nan ball, which is simply a bully play from him. But I deliberation Jac's conscionable cleared him retired really well. It's almost nan aggression that he cleared him retired with.

"That's what nan mobility people was almost. It shouldn't beryllium a mobility mark. He evidently holds his caput and tries to get a punishment from it."

The fly-half's position is akin to nan 1 held by Lions caput coach Andy Farrell.

"It was a superb clearout. I couldn't understand what they were going backmost for," added Farrell.

"They look to spell backmost for perfectly everything these days, don't they? I'm truthful pleased that nan referee held his nerve. The correct determination successful my opinion."

Former Lions tourer Andy Nicol was besides successful statement that Morgan, who is nan only Wales subordinate remaining connected nan travel and was making his Lions Test debut, did "nothing wrong".

Nicol told BBC's Rugby Union Weekly: "He was ever low. The 'jackaler' went successful and put his caput successful a vulnerable position and Jac cleared him out.

"I was watching successful nan stands and said if this is turned over, it's nan extremity of rugby.

"That was a classical rugby incident. That's really Jac Morgan and each subordinate is taught and coached to clear retired a ruck.

"Just because nan subordinate went flying backmost and highlighted wherever it was connected nan backmost of nan neck, that's wherever existent injuries hap truthful they are looking astatine it, but that was a cleanable clearout."

The Lions went into nan crippled arsenic favourites to seal nan bid aft a comfortable first Test triumph successful Brisbane, wherever they astatine 1 constituent led 24-5.

The Wallabies vanished good location to suffer 27-19 and continued that shape into nan 2nd crippled successful Melbourne.

Schmidt's broadside grabbed 3 first-half tries - 2 successful speedy succession pinch England's Tommy Freeman successful nan sin-bin - to lead 23-5.

A decider successful Sydney, arsenic location was successful 2013, looked to beryllium connected nan cards until nan Lions fought backmost from 18 points down to triumph nan crippled pinch nan last play and get successful beforehand for nan first clip successful nan match.

Despite nan crushing defeat, nan Wallabies - who for nan first clip successful their history grounded to suffice for nan knockout stages of a Rugby World Cup successful 2023 - showed they were a worthy lucifer for Lions.

"It's painful, I'm truthful proud of nan squad and really we bounced back," Wallabies skipper Harry Wilson said.

"We played immoderate terrific footy and to not get nan consequence and spell to a bid decider hurts everyone."