'This isn't sour grapes' - Healey says Biggar cajoled ref and says he'd have walked off pitch
Despite six days having passed, former England utility back Austin Healey is clearly still fuming after England’s Guinness Six Nations upset loss to Wales at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
What’s more, Healey said he’d have walked off the pitch if he had been treated the way the England captain Owen Farrell was by referee Pascal Gauzere during England’s controversial loss to Wayne Pivac’s Wales.
Writing in his column in The Telegraph, Healey lambasted the referee and applauded Dan Biggar for his quick thinking and ‘cajoling’ of the French official.
“That was some of the worst officiating I have seen in my 30 years in rugby. This isn’t sour grapes. We don’t know what the outcome would have been had Wales not had a 14-point headstart,” wrote Healey.
“Most of the England team had their backs turned to Dan Biggar, who I’m not criticising at all by the way, he almost cajoled the referee into putting time back on and it was very clever. If I was Owen Farrell there, I’d have felt like walking off the pitch.
“If the referee hasn’t got the respect to talk you through his decision, I’d have wanted to take the tee and said right, off we go.”
Healey likened it to a childhood incident when he had a try taken away from him for a spurious reason.
“We’re not playing with that. It wasn’t even close to being right. I’ve never seen such a bad decision since I was 12 years old and had an 80-metre try disallowed because my laces were undone.”
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After the game England head coach Eddie Joens refused to directly criticise the decision, but did say Wales were awarded points that they didn’t deserve.
“They [Wales] get points that maybe they don’t deserve and we got to fight hard to get back in the game. It makes it difficult and you have got to be good enough to be able to overcome that. They were worthy winners and we have got to be able to handle those circumstances as unusual as they might be.
“Whenever you get beaten and you get beaten by a penalty count it’s an issue but there were bigger issues in the game than that and I think you hit on them initially, so I will let you discuss them.”
“They are huge decisions, aren’t they? Look, we can’t debate it, mate, as you know. We are not allowed to debate it. All I will end up with is a fine and that doesn’t help anyone. The dog won’t be able to eat its food, wife won’t be able to eat so I can’t say anything… as I said, mate, I want my dog to eat food so I’m not allowed to say anything. I’m sure you guys [the media] can make commentary how you wish to on it.”
Gauzere appears to have acknowledged it as a mistake, with World Rugby’s Head of Match Officials, Joel Jutge, making public a conversation the pair had earlier this week. “I believe one has to be transparent and not let things drag on and say what one thinks. There were two unfortunate events during the match which were tough cases to handle. Pascal Gauzere recognised as such when he spoke to me on the phone,” Jutge said.
Comments on RugbyPass
“We need eight or nine new players, who are hard-wearing and durable and experienced Premiership performers”. So why are they scouting a retired fullback who himself admits that his “body is broken”?
1 Go to commentsBrumbies hand, knocked a Crusaders hand. Therefore, knock on in goal. Crusaders, goal line drop out should’ve been awarded. most likely after that 24 each at full time, so extra time would’ve been the right an entertaining outcome. Act Jim
1 Go to commentsSpeell cehck
1 Go to commentsColeman is gaawwwwnnn.
1 Go to commentsnext SA head coach?
3 Go to commentsGreat try by van Poortvliet.
1 Go to commentsThey have been cruelled by injuries but almost nobody (Sevu Reece and Fletcher Newell big exceptions) has played above himself which regularly happened before. Surely Scott Robertson had maintained the recruitment programme and it looks like a reasonable squad. Last in this competition will stall a lot of careers. Penny seems likeable. But it’s not enough even though this was better. We haven’t been good enough and it’s not helped by the “it’s been 15 years since… “etc “after nearly every match. Seems somehow a soft gifting of something once valuable. Kieran Read giving comments last week almost choked describing the easy surrender of possession by the forwards. I’d love to think that the senior players some of whom are back can show enough pride in the jersey to test the Blues next week.
3 Go to commentsWho will Joe select for the back three with so many in form candidates? Just hope he doesn’t get shafted like Dave Rennie and to a lesser extent Deans.
6 Go to commentsAlways reluctant to blame a coach when losses rack up, but Penney must go. The backline is dysfunctional and the coach must carry the can. No cohesion, no idea and in many cases, minimal skill. The trains out of Roma St depart faster than the ball from Crusaders’ set pieces. Wouldn’t be surprised if the forwards went on strike.
3 Go to commentsAdding to earlier comment. Cullen Grace has been playing great at no6. Lio-Willie , who was on fire a few weeks ago, had a bad game. I think Cullen should have been moved to 8 earlier, Dominic Gardiner on earlier. Feel for Quinten Strange , put in a big shift .
6 Go to commentsWe dominated the scrums Ben Curry was all over pitch again .Surely James Harper got to be one of best English tightheads
1 Go to commentsRoos is a better option at 6 than 8 for the boks. Needs to work on his windgat though.
1 Go to commentsThe Sharks’ 2nd team maybe?
1 Go to comments‘radical’
1 Go to commentsCome back to Christchurch Robbie, please!
1 Go to commentsI think there is zero chance Sam Cane will be selected for another Test. There is simply no point except sentimentality. Razor is not sentimental- ask Wyatt Crocket. Razor is a ruthless selector
5 Go to comments> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
5 Go to commentswhat’s happening to Ian Peel?
1 Go to commentsAs a Crusaders fan , so disappointed , again.But I think Fergus Burke was all class for the Crusaders in his first game since October last year. Fletcher Newell , was so good at prop. Johnny McNicoll has been gold since returning from Wales. Noah Hotham brilliant , in a coming of age second season for the Crusaders.Jone Rova did really well at centre. The end of the game was tough.Sevu Reece , what a game/season in tough times.
6 Go to commentsFellas a balloon
3 Go to comments