Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt says flanker Carlo Tizzano has been the target of online abuse following the controversial clear-out which decided the series in Melbourne. Tizzano had been accused of diving in the aftermath of the Jac Morgan clear-out, with ex-players such as James Haskell and Sam Warburton criticising that sort of behaviour in rugby.
Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt says flanker Carlo Tizzano has been the target of online abuse following the controversial clear-out which decided the series in Melbourne.
''He's had a really tough week," said Schmidt. "He's copped a lot of online abuse. We'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.
Tizzano had been accused of diving in the aftermath of the Jac Morgan clear-out, with ex-players such as James Haskell and Sam Warburton criticising that sort of behaviour in rugby. But Schmidt dismissed the claims.
''We're all aware of Newton's third law. For every action there's an opposite reaction. When that force hits him and the speed of his head is collapsing down, he recoiled out of the back of the ruck. I don't think he wanted to recoil like that but it's the nature of force.''
Despite being fit to be selected and not suffering concussion, Tizzano has been left out of the team for the third Test in Sydney.
''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 and sit this one out," said Schmidt.
Schmidt confirmed any findings of the review conducted by World Rugby would remain private.
Category: General Sports
