Rugby Australia boss Phil Waugh has backed Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt over his post-match spray about the controversial decision to not penalise the Lions for foul play before their match-winning try at the MCG, and said RA would be seeking “a high level of accountability” from World Rugby about the referee’s calls this week.

Waugh’s firm stance came after Schmidt slammed Italian referee Andrea Piardi for not awarding a match-defining penalty in the 79th minute of the Lions’ 29-26 win in Melbourne.

Lions fullback Hugo Keenan scored in the last minute to secure a series-clinching victory, but Schmidt came out swinging over an incident at the previous ruck, where Welsh flanker Jac Morgan cleaned out Carlo Tizzano with a hit on the back of the neck.

The Wallabies argued Morgan should have been penalised for breaching Law 9.20, which prohibits contact above the shoulders at a ruck. With the Wallabies leading by two points, a penalty would have likely seen the series go to a decider on Saturday at Accor Stadium.

Piardi reviewed the incident but ruled it was not foul play because both players had arrived at the same time and Morgan had not used a shoulder.

Schmidt said Piardi appeared unwilling to make a big call in the last minute, and the decision “doesn’t really live up to the big player safety push that they [World Rugby] are talking about.

Harry Wilson of the Wallabies speaks to referee Andrea Piardi about the last try.

“That decision, you only have to look at law 9.20. It’s what they’re there to enforce. A player who dives off his feet is clearly beaten to the position over the ball, makes neck contact, it was a tough one to take.”

World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin and chairman Brett Robinson were guests at the MCG, ahead of 2027 Rugby World Cup events with Waugh and RA this week in Sydney.

But Waugh said the Wallabies would be seeking clarity and explanations from World Rugby and referees boss Joel Jutge, who was also at the MCG, through regular channels.

“Joe’s comments at the press conference were 100 per cent aligned with mine as a CEO and a former Wallaby,” Waugh said.

Hugo Keenan is chaired from the field after scoring the winning try.

“You’ve got to obviously give credit where it’s due in terms of the way the Lions fought back into the game and were able to seal victory, but our position on that particular decision is consistent to what Joe outlined in his analysis of that last breakdown.

“Clearly there’ll be the usual process, which is what happens after every Test match, and we’ll certainly be looking for a level of accountability from World Rugby over the next period of time.

“The game has come a long way [on player welfare] and it will continue to be one of the biggest focuses, so consistency around player welfare is critically important.

“We’ll go through the official channels for post-Test match reviews, and will expect a high level of accountability around some of the decisions.”

Jack Conan. Owen Farrell, Ronan Kelleher, Maro Itoje and Ellis Genge of the British & Irish Lions celebrate victory following the second test of the series

World Rugby declined to comment about Piardi’s decision and refereeing performance, or whether Schmidt may face sanction.

Questions have been asked about why World Rugby appointed Piardi for such a huge match, with the Italian having only handled 11 Tests before the MCG clash.

Senior World Rugby officials had sympathy for the frustrations of Australia after the game at the MCG, according to sources with knowledge of the matter who are not authorised to comment publicly.

Waugh declined on Sunday to share what communication between RA and World Rugby had occurred. He said his pride about the Wallabies’ performance in the narrow loss extended to the way the team handled the disappointment post-game.

Nick Frost taps down a lineout at the MCG.

“All contacts we have between Rugby Australia and World Rugby should stay between those two parties,” Waugh said.

“We obviously respect the governing body, and the way we should behave and integrity is one of our key elements of what we’ve been trying to drive and instil in the organisation, and how we behave on and off the field is very important to us.

“You saw the class the players showed in clearly a very high-pressure situation and with a high level of disappointment.”

Waugh said he’d been inundated with messages from people expressing pride in the Wallabies’ performances, and said the atmosphere of a record 90,307 crowd at the MCG had created one of the most memorable sporting events seen at the venue.

“And a lot of the feedback that I’ve received from people who travel the world going to sporting events, was that match was as good as they’ve ever been anywhere in the world,” Waugh said.

The RA boss expressed confidence the third Test in Sydney would still be a massive event despite being a dead rubber, and though some tickets are still available, the game is on track to sell out.

All nine matches of The British & Irish Lions Tour to Australia are live & on demand on Stan Sport, with Wallabies Tests in 4K. All Test matches live and free on Channel 9 & 9Now.

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