Joe Schmidt has confirmed that Carlo Tizzano, the Australia flanker cleared out by Jac Morgan in the much-disputed final ruck of the game last Saturday when the Lions completed their biggest never comeback in a Test to win 29-23 at the MCG, has been the victim of online abuse.
“He’s had a really tough week, Carlo,” Schmidt said of the flanker, whom many felt had exaggerated the impact of Morgan’ clearout. “He’s copped a lot of online abuse, and the only thing I’d say in defence of Carlo is that just over 54Gs of direct force went through his neck, along with almost 2,200 revs of rotational force, which is enough to cause serious injury. Not to a rugby player who’s as well conditioned as Carlo, but he’s probably best just left to take a deep breath.
“I think we’re all aware of Newton’s third law, that for every action there’s and equal and opposite reaction,” added Schmidt, as only he can. “When that force hits him and the speed of his head collapsing down, he recoiled out the back of the ruck. I don’t think he wanted to recoil like that, but that’s the nature of the force, there’s an equal and opposite reaction.
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“For Carlo, it’s better that he sits this one out,” said Schmidt, although he concurred that Tizzano did not suffer concussion despite being replaced in the Australian matchday squad on the bench by Zane Nonggorr.
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“We weren’t sure about him on Tuesday. He was still pretty sore. He was great today, he was right back to the irrepressible character that he is.
“I’ve advised Carlo to stay away from the media full stop and the opinions that are out there. We’ve tried to deal with the facts, and what forces occurred and to let him know that we know what caused the equal and opposite reaction, and we have faith in him, and that will continue.”
In the fallout from last Saturday’s second Test a seething Schmidt implied the decision not to penalise Morgan “doesn’t really live up to the big player safety push that they [World Rugby] are talking about” and while he didn’t row back from that remark, he struck a more conciliatory tone toward the match officials.
“I actually feel like Andre Piardi had a good game. There’s a couple of decisions we not agree with, but I thought he refereed well. We’re not looking at refereeing decisions.”
Taniela Tupou will play his first Test of the year in next Saturday’s third Test in Sydney’s Stadium Australia after Schmidt called up the Racing-bound, 29-year-old tighthead in place of the injured Alan Alaalatoa.
The 59-Test prop is one of four changes to the Wallabies’ starting side, with Exeter-bound loose-forward Tom Hooper also replacing the injured Rob Valetini. Nic White is named ahead of Jake Gordon, who misses out on the matchday squad altogether despite a strong, try-scoring 80-minute performance, in what will be the 35-year-old’s final Test.
The other change sees Dylan Pietsch, who shone for the Western Force against the Lions in their tour opener five weeks ago, replace the hamstrung Harry Potter.
Schmidt has also reverted to a traditional 5-3 after last weekend’s 6-2 split backfired somewhat after the 20th minute loss of Potter meant replacement scrumhalf Tate McDermott played an hour on the wing. Outside back Andrew Kellaway returns to the matchday squad.
Fully four days on from losing the second Test and the series, Schmidt still looked more than a little saddened by the loss, and scarcely disguised how difficult he and his squad found the fallout.
“There was a real deflation of the players. My belief is that 18 months ago, no one gave us a chance of challenging the Lions. I think in total it’s three tries apiece [in the first Test] and four tries to three [in the second Test] and not nearly as much between the teams as maybe people might have expected,” said Schmidt, unusually for him making a factual error, given the tally was five tries to three for the Lions. Or was he inferring it should have been 4-3?
But he conceded: “It’s an incredibly deflated group. Tuesday was tough actually to get them up off the canvas and today there was a little bit of an upswing. We’ve just got to keep that momentum. Hopefully they can be sharp at the captain’s run tomorrow and then springboard their way into the Test match.”
“It is a challenge because all that emotional and psychological energy that was expended, the way things finished, the sense of frustration. It’s almost like a grieving process by the time they’ve gone through those first few days. Giving them time to breathe a bit and then try to elevate the spirits and the tempo.”
AUSTRALIA: Tom Wright; Max Jorgensen, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Len Ikitau, Dylan Pietsch; Tom Lynagh, Nic White; James Slipper, Dave Porecki, Taniela Tupou; Nick Frost, Will Skelton; Tom Hooper, Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson (capt).
Replacements: Billy Pollard, Angus Bell, Zane Nonggorr, Jeremy Williams, Langi Gleeson, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Andrew Kellaway.
