The Wallabies were left fuming by the officials in a gutting second Test loss to the British and Irish Lions and their sense of injustice will be spiking again after No.10 Tom Lynagh was knocked out of the third match in Sydney.
Lynagh was the victim of a shoulder to the head from Lions hooker Dan Sheehan in the 32nd minute with the Wallabies leading 8-0.
He looked up and saw Sheehan arrive in time to plough into his head.
South African TMO Marius Jonker must have missed the incident, but Lynagh was forced off and failed his HIA.
“The clean out from Dan Sheenan, oh [Lynagh] looked up too. He’s hit him with a shoulder on the head. Marius Jonker has missed that and Tom Lynagh’s not coming back on the field.”
Tom Lynagh of Australia during the second test match between Australia and the British & Irish Lions at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo By Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
The lightly built flyhalf has been targeted in Super Rugby and suffered several concussions. In the opening Test of the series, led 2-0 by the Lions, Lynagh was taken out in the air by Tom Curry, who only received a penalty.
His Queensland coach Les Kiss commented last year on foul play directed at Lynagh that “if that’s becoming a trend, we’ve got to stamp on it straight away, what you permit, you promote.”
The Wallabies were furious after the second Test loss when the TMO refused their calls for a late penalty for a clean-out by Jac Morgan on Carlo Tizzano before the last-minute try.
Fans and reporters on social media reacted with surprise that Sheean faced no sanction.
