WATCH: Wallaby duo take shots at referee Mathieu Raynal in tasteless game at Australian Open

Jared Wright
The Australians haven’t let Mathieu Raynal off the hook for his time-wasting call on Wallabies flyhalf Bernard Foley in the Bledisloe Cup last year September. Wallabies internationals Nic White and Ned Hanigan took shots at Raynal while attending the Australian Open over the weekend.

The Australians haven’t let Mathieu Raynal off the hook for his time-wasting call on Wallabies fly-half Bernard Foley in the Bledisloe Cup last September.

Wallabies internationals Nic White and Ned Hanigan took shots at Raynal while attending the Australian Open over the weekend.

The pair were interviewed before being invited to take part in a challenge where they fired tennis balls at the French referee.

Background

Last year, the Wallabies hosted the All Blacks in Melbourne and were looking to go 1-0 up in the Bledisloe Cup in the hope of ending their long wait to get their hands on the trophy.

A pulsating match went right down to the wire, with the Australians leading 37-34 into the final minute of the match.

The Wallabies won a penalty near their try-line after a monumental defensive shift.

Foley was tasked with finding touch with his penalty kick but was blown up by French referee Raynal for time-wasting, allowing the All Blacks one final chance to snatch a win from the jaws of defeat, which they took, winning the game 39-37.

The hugely controversial call was hailed and criticised throughout the rugby world, and White argued with Raynal after the match, telling the referee that his decision ‘just cost them the Bledisloe Cup’.

Tasteless tennis

The Australians have yet to forgive and forget as White and Hanigan took part in a rather tasteless game while attending the Australian Open.

The Wallabies duo had a chance for ‘revenge’ when they took part in a gimmicky game where they could hit a tennis ball into a screen where Raynal was pictured, with the presenter adding, ‘that was the man who robbed you of victory’.

Stan Sport Rugby’s Twitter account shared the clip and was met with criticism.

French journalist Thomas Corbet responded by tweeting: ‘That’s not a good look…’

With another response reading: ‘terrible. no reason to do this’.

The Wallabies’ Twitter account joked: ‘Stick to footy fellas’.

Australia last tasted Bledisloe Cup success in 2002, during Eddie Jones’ first tenure as the Wallabies head coach.

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Mathieu Raynal Ned Hanigan Nic White Australia

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