It all came down to whether or not the Jac Morgan clearout on Carlo Tizzano in the build-up to Hugo Keenan’s last-minute try was illegal or not.

Morgan cleared his fellow replacement flanker out of a ruck with some force and Western Force man Tizzano wheeled away from the breakdown clutching his head in quite dramatic style.

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While the incident was checked by the TMO, referee Andrea Piardi ruled there was no foul play, saying “both players arrive at the same time”.

Here’s all the reaction to the decision.

Lions reaction to Jac Morgan clearout

Victorious Lions head coach Andy Farrell thought it was a good clearout and praised Morgan’s performance along with the rest of his replacements. Big Faz, as he’s being called by the squad, said: “I thought it was a brilliant clear out. It depends which side of the fence you come from. I can understand people’s opinions. I thought Jac  was brilliant when he came on and so were the rest of the bench.

“I thought it was a good clearout live. I couldn’t understand what they were going back for. They seem to go back for absolutely everything these days, don’t they? I’m so pleased that the referee held his nerve. The right decision in my opinion. Honestly, sheer joy. What a box to be in. The coaches were through the roof, as you could imagine. Something that’ll stick in my mind for the rest of my life.”

After Keenan’s try was awarded on-field, Wallabies skipper Harry Wilson saw the replay and then raced over to plead his case to the ref, while Lions captain Maro Itoje also engaged to put his side of the argument across.

Itoje said: “Naturally, their captain was trying to get his point across and, in my view, argue for something that didn’t happen. I guess I was just arguing for something that did happen. Fortunately Jac was accurate with what he was doing and everything was fine.”

Fly-half Finn Russell went as far as to describe the technique Morgan used as “textbook” and saw no issue. The Bath man said: “They were trying to get anything at that point. I think that was a brilliant clearout, pretty much a textbook clearout. When he’s gone in over the ball Jac has hit him hard, and that’s how it is.

“I was just outside the ruck and saw the great clearout that it was. I think when Tizzano goes down holding his head it was obviously going to be questioned but I think when you saw it back it was just a textbook clearout and a brilliant clearout from Jac.

“Tizzano is over the ball, which is good play from him but I think Jac just cleared him out really well. It’s almost the aggression that he cleared him out with that’s what the question mark was almost, which should be a question mark in rugby.

“He obviously holds his head and tried to get a penalty from it, but nah I think it was a brilliant clearout.”

Australia reaction to Jac Morgan clearout

Wallabies boss Joe Schmidt was understandably frustrated in his post-match press conference and descirbed referees as humans who make mistakes while pointing to World Rugby’s law 9.20, which states: “A player must not make contact with an opponent above the line of the shoulders. Head contact and cleanouts around the neck must be penalised.”

Schmidt said: “I think everyone can make their own decision on that. You just have to read law 9.20 and you just have to listen to the description from the referee and then watch the vision when two players are described as arriving at the same time. Just watch the footage.”

He was also candid in his view that it made a difference that it was the last play of the game when the incident took place.

The Kiwi was then asked how the refs could get it wrong (in his view), adding: “Cause they are human. Players make errors. Match officials make errors. Our perspective is we felt it was a decision that doesn’t really live up to the big player safety push that they are talking about.

“You cannot hit someone above the levels of the shoulders and there’s no bind with the left arm, his hand is on the ground. That’s what we have seen. We have watched a number of replays from different angles so it is what it is. We just have to accept it.

“I spoke about one incident and in a world of player welfare I think that decision….you only have to look at law 9.20. It’s what they are there to enforce. A player who dives off his feet and is clearly beaten to the position over the ball, makes neck contact…it was a tough one to take.”

Some went as far as to accuse Tizzano of diving with captain Wilson confirming after that “Carlo was pretty sore after it and he was straight down.”

While Farrell praised Piardi for holding his nerve, the Italian ref was slammed by former Wallaby turned Stan Sport man Morgan Turinui, who suggested the match officials were “too weak” to make the call.

Not everyone saw it the same way on TV as former three-time Lions heads coach Warren Gatland described it as a ‘rugby incident’ on Sky Sports.

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