England’s winger Ryan Hall rejected claims by Australia’s coach that he knew he had not scored an historic last-ditch try in SundaySunday’s Four Nations thriller at AAMI Park because he had not celebrated it.
Hall, who reached over the Australia full-back, Greg Inglis, with a minute left, referred to screen captures on Twitter in claiming that the try which the video referee, Gerard Sutton, chalked off would have been allowed in Super League.
Had that touchdown been given and converted, Australia’s first consecutive defeats at home in 44 years would have condemned the World Cup holders to missing a major final for the first time since 1954.
But the Australia coach, Tim Sheens, said: “Had it been a try, I think Hall would have been celebrating – but he wasn’t.
“If he scores, he’s jumping up and down and they’re shouting for a try but they all went back for a line drop-out, didn’t they? We got the right decision.”
The Australia captain, Cameron Smith, added that when the incident was referred to the video official: “I think they were trying to bluff the referee, pretty much.”
But Hall responded by admitting he may suffer sleepless nights over the incident: “I knew I touched it but I didn’t want to make a song and dance about it because I didn’t see myself touch it. I didn’t know if it was on the floor or not.
“Looking at the video, I’d say it was a try if we’re playing Super League rules. In Super League it’s a try but obviously it wasn’t to be.
“There’s a picture going around on Twitter that shows my hand on the ball when it’s on the floor but it will send me mental if I talk about it any more. I remember in the World Cup where I had a chance for an intercept and I dropped it … and that kept me awake for three months.”
The incident also brought into focus the issue of why the National Rugby League video refereeing model – in which the official upstairs has to disprove the referee’s opinion of a possible try – is being used in international matches.
The England coach, Steve McNamara, said: “I’m not sure whether it has completely worked for the referees this year.”
McNamara said he preferred a system under which the on-field official’s opinion came into play only when the video referee was unable to make a decision.
“Maybe he should have got up and celebrated because his finger certainly looked as if it was applying some pressure to the ball while the ball was on the ground,” McNamara said.
“Ryan said he knew he’d touched it but he wasn’t sure whether it was on the ground when he touched it. That’s why he didn’t over-celebrate.”
The result, which came after England led for 35 minutes and came tantalisingly close to their first win over Australia since the Home Nations began competing separately in 2008, means all four sides can still make the final in Wellington on 15 November.
England must beat New Zealand in Dunedin next Saturday, by a margin of 10 points or more, and then wait for the result the next day between Australia and Samoa in Wollongong.
It will be the first meeting between England and New Zealand since Shaun Johnson scored with 20 seconds left of the World Cup semi-final at Wembley last November and converted his own try to give the Kiwis a 20-18 victory.
“We owe the Kiwis a bit from last year,” Hall said. “I don’t want to bring it up too much but there is a bit of vengeance there.”
The England captain, Sean O’Loughlin, and his Wigan team-mate Liam Farrell were each placed on report for incidents early in the Test. O’Laughlin was accused of tripping Australia’s captain, Smith, who said: “You know when someone throws a leg out and whether it was just a reaction or something. A trip’s a trip.”
But O’Loughlin – who made a successful return from a quad strain – commented: “It was just a reaction thing. I got stepped and I tried to put him down. I don’t know what the score is over here on how hard they come down on that.”
Farrell’s offence was to make an alleged ‘chicken wing’ tackle on the Australia, full-back, Greg Inglis. “Should he be in trouble?” said Sheens. “For sure. That’s an ugly tackle and Inglis is still not well with it. Whether it’s an accident or not, it’s an ugly tackle.”
Disciplinary results are expected some time on Monday afternoon. McNamara said that if a number of incidents from the first week of the tournament had not attracted charges, then neither should these two.
Despite the outcome McNamara said he was proud of his team’s performance. “It’s a tough one to take,” he said. “Ryan Hall put in a world-class performance and we had 17 warriors out there.
“I thought we were the better team and were in control for large parts of the game.”
