French rugby referee Mathieu Raynal is standing by the controversial time-wasting call he made in the dying stages of the first Bledisloe Cup test earlier this month.
Wallabies first five Bernard Foley pleads with French referee Matthieu Raynal, Bledisloe Cup test, Melbourne 2022. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The Wallabies looked to have secured a come-from-behind win in Melbourne when they won a late penalty on their own line.
But first-five Bernard Foley was pinged for time-wasting as he prepared to make the kick for touch, with Raynal awarding the All Blacks a scrum.
The visitors capitalised on the opportunity as Jordie Barrett scored a match-winning try after the fulltime siren to help the New Zealand side retain the Bledisloe for a 20th straight year.
The decision didn't go down well across the Tasman, with two-time World Cup-winner Tim Horan labelling it a "disgrace".
But, speaking after being named French rugby's referee of the season, Raynal was not backing down from the call.
"I take total responsibility for what I did, 100 percent," he told local media.
"I had a necessary reason for making the decision even if it was a strong one which caused people to talk. I try to do what is the most fair. That's at the heart of my job.
"Sometimes it creates tensions, frustrations, arguments but I take responsibility over what I do.
"I told a player five times to kick the ball to touch. I couldn't do otherwise. It's not me who decided to make the decision, it was the player who forced me to make it."
Horan wasn't the only former Wallaby to hit out, with Matt Giteau saying it was the "worst call" he had seen.
The backlash was also strong in the public and media, but Raynal said he never saw any of it.
"To be honest I deleted newspaper and social media applications.
"I had just CandyCrush and the clock on my phone.
"I didn't follow what happened.
"To keep my head, it was the best thing to do to keep focused on the second match. My job finishes once I leave the field."
Raynal was an assistant referee in the return match in Auckland last weekend, where the All Blacks thumped the Wallabies 40-14.
