Wallabies star the target of ‘online abuse’ as Joe Schmidt rubbishes Carlo Tizzano ‘diving’ accusations
Carlo Tizzano during the second Test match against the British and Irish Lions and an inset of Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt
Joe Schmidt has rubbished claims that Carlo Tizzano dived during the second Test match between the British and Irish Lions and Wallabies.
The Australian flanker pilfered over the ball in the final play of the match in an attempt to win a penalty for his side, but rocketed backwards after a clear-out by Jac Morgan.
Carlo Tizzano accused of diving
That breakdown has been hotly debated in the aftermath of the Test match, with Hugo Keenan going on to score the match-winning and series-deciding try, with arguments over whether Morgan should have been penalised.
The manner in which Tizzano shot out of the ruck has also been slammed, with former England and Lions flanker James Haskell accusing the Wallaby of simulation.
“The 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,” Haskell said in an epic rant on The Good, The Bad and The Rugby.
Lions skipper Sam Warburton added in his Times column that “Tizzano made a real meal of it, something I really don’t like.”
Lock Nick Frost defended his Wallabies teammate earlier this week and said: “All those things we have spoken about, it’s another thing to add into the pot to get up for the game, I guess. Maybe it is disappointing that they say that. We are hoping to go out and put our best foot forward as a team and as a nation.”
Wallabies issue response to allegation that Carlo Tizzano ‘dived’ against Lions
Now, head coach Schmidt has added his view on the incident, explaining the force that his flanker endured with that contact and revealed that Tizzano had been left out of the team for the third Test because of the online abuse he received.
Joe Schmidt rubbishes claims
The flanker is usually rather busy on social media but ‘not this week’, the coach confirmed after discussing the force that was measured at that breakdown.
“He has had a tough week and copped a lot of online abuse. What I will say in his defence is that just over 54gs of force went through his neck along with 2200 rads [radians] of rotational force, which is enough to cause serious injury, not to a rugby player who is as well conditioned as Carlo, but he is probably best left to rest,” Schmidt said.
“I think we are aware of Newton’s third law that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. When that force hits him and the speed of his head collapsing down, he recoiled out the back of the ruck.
“I don’t think he wanted to recoil like that, but that’s the nature of force… For Carlo, it’s better that he sits this one out. We weren’t sure about him on Tuesday; he was still sore, and today, he was great and right back to the character that he is.”
Schmidt confirmed that Tizzano did not sustain a concussion but believed that he was not in the right headspace to feature in the third Test match, courtesy of information passed on from the squad.
“No, it’s more come from other players,” he said.
“I’ve advised Carlo to stay away from the media, full-stop, and the opinions that are out there, because we’ve tried to just deal in the facts.
“And the facts of what’s law and what forces occurred, and to let him know that we know what caused the equal and opposite reaction. And we have faith in him, and that will continue.”
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