"Probably the most gutting way to finish a game”
Just a few seconds of gameplay have put the Bledisloe Cup out of reach of the Wallabies yet again after losing to the All Blacks by just two points following a controversial call from the referee.
The Australian team had recovered from an 18-point deficit to lead 37-34 with just a minute left on the clock.
When they were awarded a penalty just five metres from the goal line, the Wallabies chose Bernard Foley to take the kick, with referee Mathieu Raynal warning him not to use delaying tactics.
As the clock ticked down on the final 60 seconds of the match, Raynal penalised Foley for time wasting, giving the All Blacks a free kick.
“I say to your player, I say switch on the time and you play immediately and he wait, he wait, he wait, so that’s a scrum for the All Blacks,” Raynal told stand-in captain Nic White.
Raynal’s call drew criticism from the commentators, with Stan Sport commentator Tim Horan describing the call as “ridiculous”.
"I thought it was a disgraceful decision from the referee," Horan told Nine.
"There's 90 seconds left in the game and he cracked under pressure, in one of the biggest games here in Australia.
"It's a disgraceful decision and World Rugby need to look at it.
"The big referees make decisions at that late part of the game and are calm about it.
The All Blacks then used the penalty to their advantage, with fullback Jordie Barrett scoring and securing victory for the Kiwis.
With a final score of 39-37, the All Blacks have continued the winning streak they’ve held since 2003.
The loss devastated the Aussies, as fullback Andrew Kellaway described it as a “hard one to swallow” and captain James Slipper added that they “just fell short”.
“Absolutely gutted,” Slipper said.
“I actually don’t know what to say but we really wanted to put in a performance tonight and we just fell short there.
“That is probably the most gutting way to finish a game in my opinion.”
Wallabies coach Dave Rennie also shared his players’ disappointment.
"I'm gutted for our men because I reckon we deserved better," he said.
"It was a hell of a game of footy.”
The Bledisloe Cup will see the Wallabies jet off to Auckland for their next match against the All Blacks to face them once again on Saturday, September 24.
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