Your rugby evening headlines for Thursday, August 15.
Australia to contact World Rugby over ' disgraceful' call
Australia will seek an explanation from World Rugby for what has been described as a 'disgraceful' decision that ultimately cost them the dramatic Bledisloe Cup match against New Zealand.
This morning, a humdinger of a Test played out in Melbourne, where the Wallabies succumbed to a late All Blacks try, losing a pulsating encounter 39-37. But the visitors were put in the perfect position to win the match after a controversial call from referee Mathieu Raynal.
The French official awarded a scrum to New Zealand on Australia's five metre line after adjudging Wallabies fly-half to have time-wasted whilst kicking a penalty to touch. Raynal could be heard telling Foley to get on with it before deciding to award the scrum, which is within the laws of the game but a very rare occurrence.
READ MORE: 'Ridiculous' ref call shocks TV commentators and enrages Australia in crazy game
Speaking on Stan Sport, former Wallabies Tim Horan and Morgan Turinui were seething.
“I’ve been commentating for over 20 years and I thought it was a disgraceful decision by the referee. He cracked under pressure,” Horan is quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald.
“I reckon you could have another 15 referees, big referees for World Rugby, that would have taken that calmly and wouldn’t have got overhauled by the experience.
“Ninety seconds left in the game and he cracked under pressure in one of the biggest moments, one the biggest games here in Australia.
“It was a disgraceful decision and World Rugby need to look at it. It was terrible.”
Turinui insisted Raynal should be 'sanctioned'
“It’s the most disgraceful decision I’ve ever seen,” he added. “I think the mechanics of the decision are completely wrong. No one knows if he’s called time back on. There’s been no communication with the player. There’s that much time-wasting in the game as it is. When the Wallabies have won the game, you don’t contrive a situation to cost the better team the game. It’s as simple as that."
Tipuric to captain the Ospreys
Wales flanker Justin Tipuric has been appointed Ospreys captain for the new season.
The 86-cap player will return to competitive action this weekend after more than a year out with a scapula injury.
And the Ospreys have confirmed that he will wear the armband over the campaign.
Ahead of the United Rugby Championship match against the Scarlets in Llanelli on Saturday, head coach Toby Booth said of Tipuric: “I can tell you he’s playing and will captain the side.
“People have deputised for him admirably — Adam Beard, Will Griffiths, Rhys Webb. It’s great having a lot of leaders, but Justin has been the captain since I’ve been here and that will continue.”
Tipuric returned to rugby in the recent friendly with Northampton Saints, the openside coming through the match at the Brewery Field unscathed. “He was nervous as anyone would be,” reported Booth.
“But he was excited as well.
“He’s very excited to be out there and his excitement is infectious. He’s always been a person who leads by example rather than by what he says, so he’ll leave the talking to other people and lead from the front.
“That’s why we’re really pleased to have him back.”
Baxter proposes slashing the Premiership
By PA
Exeter boss Rob Baxter says the amount of Gallagher Premiership games that clash with Test rugby or international rest periods is "too much".
And Baxter also claims that it feels "difficult to be a real supporter of the England team" due to current arrangements.
A number of England players are set to miss several Premiership weekends this season because of international matches, squad training or designated rest periods.
And the Chiefs are likely to be affected, with players like Henry Slade, Sam Simmonds, Jack Nowell and Luke Cowan-Dickie all currently important figures in England head coach Eddie Jones' plans.
"The biggest argument that is becoming clear is for potentially fewer clubs in the Premiership," Exeter rugby director Baxter said.
"And I am saying potentially as I don't want to be one of these people who drops something out there and doesn't back it up, as I think there needs to be a fair bit more research into it.
"But one thing that is becoming clear - and there isn't a director of rugby in the country who won't say this - the amount of Premiership games that clash with internationals, or international rest periods, is too much.
"It feels odd that we've allowed a system in this country that it has actually become quite difficult to have internationals, especially England players.
"You do have to expect them to be away for more than half of your Premiership games. That's if they don't get injured.
"To me it becomes odd when you have a system where the clubs that provide the England players, it feels bad, difficult, to have too many.
"It feels difficult to be a real supporter of the England team. That is a bit of an odd system."
Baxter suggested that reducing the number of Premiership clubs from the current 13 could provide a solution.
"If you reduce the number of clubs, that becomes a lot more manageable," he added.
"The Premiership game remains high in people's focus, most of the games they come and watch have the top players available, there won't be players forced not to play, there won't be six, seven, eight rounds without a sniff of an international player.
"Do you have people within the Premiership who think 13 clubs is too much? Yes, you do.
"And I've said from the start, we should have maintained promotion and relegation and we shouldn't have taken the way out we did to go to 13 clubs."
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