SYDNEY -- Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has revealed that Carlo Tizzano has been the target of "online abuse" following the dramatic conclusion to the second Test against the British and Irish Lions.
Schmidt faced reporters on Thursday afternoon in Sydney, having named his team for the third and final Test at Accor Stadium this weekend. The Wallabies have made three injury-forced changes, while scrum-half Nic White has been granted a Test swansong after announcing his international retirement.
But Thursday's press conference eventually returned to last Saturday's controversial finish, when Lions replacement Jac Morgan was cleared of a dangerous clean-out on Tizzano, seeing Hugo Keenan's match-winner stand and the visitors claim a 29-26 victory and an unassailable 2-0 series lead.
Tizzano reeled out of Morgan's clean-out, but his action in doing so drew accusations he had feigned injury, with former England back-rower James Haskell even suggesting Tizzano's actions were "utter crap" and that he should have been "red carded" for "diving".
But Schmidt defended his back-rower on Thursday, revealing that the contact had not amounted to a concussion but that it had left Tizzano a little worse for wear.
"He's had a really tough week obviously, Carlo, he's copped a lot of online abuse," Schmidt said. "The only thing I'd say about Carlo and the defence of Carlo, there were just over 54 G's of force, direct force that went through the neck, along with almost 2200 rads [radians] of rotational force, which is enough to cause a serious injury, not to a rugby player who's as well conditioned as Carlo, but he's probably best just left to take a deep breath.
"I think we're all aware of Newton's third law that for every action there's an equal and opposite reaction. When that force hits him, and the speed of his head collapsing down, he recoiled out the back of the ruck, and I don't think he wanted to recoil like that, but that's the nature of force, that there's an equal and opposite reaction.
"I think for Carlo it's better that he sits this one out. We weren't sure about him on Tuesday, he was still pretty sore. He was great today, he was right back to the irrepressible character that he is."
Schmidt said it had been left to other players to report Tizzano's head space to management.
"No, it's more come from other players. I've advised Carlo to stay away from the media, full-stop, and the opinions that are out there, because we've tried to just deal in the facts.
"And the facts of what's law and what forces occurred, and to let him know that we know what caused the equal and opposite reaction. And we have faith in him, and that will continue."
Schmidt did not discuss where the review with World Rugby was at, but did say any findings would remain private. He did however provide some thoughts on the Lions' first try of the second Test, where hooker Dan Sheehan dived over Wallabies defenders Dave Porecki and James Slipper, who had both gone in to execute a low tackle.
The try was not reviewed despite the protestations of Wallabies skipper Harry Wilson but has later been the topic of widespread discussion around whether the act should be permitted with respect to the way the laws are currently written.
Schmidt said Australia had workshopped a couple of solutions should the Lions try and repeat the play in Sydney this weekend.
"I mean we can't reveal the content of those discussions, so we're just preparing as best we can," Schmidt said. "With regard to that, probably the frustration is that there's a guy offside when they tap it, and it would have been great if they'd just come back and played the scrum and maybe had a chance for us to clarify, is that dangerous play or is that acceptable?
"And if it's acceptable, try to come up with a plan to defend it. Because we've got two tacklers who are underneath Dan as he goes over, and we really need to get maybe another one in behind. But then it's going to be very hard to avoid head contact because he's head first. So we've come up with a couple of solutions during the week that if it happens we'll be ready for it.
"I guess the worry is what kids see on TV, what club players see on TV, they tend to try to emulate. And I guess that's one of the things that they try to clear up with the law clarification March 2022, and they underpin it with if there is any extent of dangerous play, then a try cannot be the reward.
"Now I'm not saying that it wasn't a try, because I'm not sure how to assess the danger. And I guess that's one of the things that World Rugby will probably go back and have a look at and try to assess, and then if they need to make further clarification we'll get feedback on that."