‘Should have been red carded’ – Ex-British and Irish Lion in epic rant over series-winning try controversy
Wallabies flanker Carlo Tizzano and the player that cleaned him out in second Lions Test, Jac Morgan.
Former British & Irish Lions and England flanker James Haskell has defended Jac Morgan and criticised the antics of the Wallabies’ Carlo Tizzano.
The second Test in Melbourne ended in controversy after Hugo Keenan touched down in the last minute to win the game, and therefore the series, for the tourists.
Australia were left angry, however, as in the build-up Tizzano was seen clutching his head after being cleared out by Morgan, but the officials didn’t feel there was any foul play.
Haskell agreed with Andrea Piardi and the rest of the refereeing team in how they saw that incident and instead laid into the Wallabies flanker, with the ex-Lions back-rower, who toured New Zealand in 2017, calling out the 25-year-old for alleged play-acting.
Haskell’s rant
After being asked on The Good, The Bad and The Rugby whether Wallabies boss Joe Schmidt was right to feel aggrieved, he responded: “Absolutely not.
“Honestly, I never get that passionate about stuff, but I could not believe from every fibre of my being that it was even a thing.
“Only bit of foul play and nonsense in that incident was the Australian player diving. That should have been red-carded because that is utter crap.
“There is no physical way to clearout a player that is that low over the ball. The only way you used to be able to do it was put your head underneath him, but you go head on head.
“When you’re that low over the ball, you’ve got a small window and you either get your arms underneath him, or you get your head underneath him. You have to hit where he hit.
“That was a clearout I did every day, every game for 20 years. It is the only way to clearout, there is no other way to do it.
“If you go in the side to get an angle, you end up doing a croc roll. It is utter, utter bollocks, it is people clutching at straws.”
Wayne Barnes wades into the heated debate over Jac Morgan’s Lions clear-out of Carlo Tizzano
Mike Tindall’s view
Haskell was joined on the show by Mike Tindall, who agreed with his fellow ex-England star about the incident.
Tindall believes that Morgan’s technique is the “norm” and, given the position of Tizzano at the ruck, was the only thing he could do.
“It is also because they arrived at the same time, so what Hask is talking about is splitting arms and going underneath him. That’s when they’re already on it,” the 2003 Rugby World Cup winner said.
“When you’re both racing to the space, that’s it. The only way you can change that is change that you can’t have two feet behind and go over the top of the ball because there is nowhere to clean out, there are no entry points apart from smashing the top of your back, and that is the norm.”