Wallabies Coach Laments "Wicked Backlash" of Disputed Try

The Wallabies were left devastated after a last-minute try by the British and Irish Lions denied them victory in the second test on Saturday. The Wallabies had led 23-5 in the first half, but the Lions fought back to secure a 29-26 win and an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt was critical of the match-winning try, asserting that it should have been disallowed. He explained that Lions flanker Jac Morgan had struck Wallabies backrower Carlo Tizzano on the back of the neck in an illegal cleanout at the breakdown, from which the try stemmed. However, the referee ruled that the players had arrived at the ruck at the same time, allowing the try to stand.

"We led for 79 minutes and I couldn't quite believe that we didn't get a decision at the end to lead for 80," Schmidt said in a television interview. "That's the wicked backlash that sport can have sometimes but I'm incredibly proud of the performance the players put in."

Lions replacement flyhalf Owen Farrell, who was on the field during the incident, acknowledged that "there will always be two sides to the story." Despite the heartbreaking loss, Schmidt praised his team's performance, stating that he was "incredibly proud" of the Wallabies.