Lions reject golden point, bristle at ‘southern hemisphere’ sledge

The British and Irish Lions have rejected a proposal from Rugby Australia to use golden point in next month’s Test series against the Wallabies, leaving open the possibility of the teams sharing the spoils in a tied series.

As reported by this masthead, Rugby Australia boss Phil Waugh pitched the idea of golden point to their Lions at recent meetings, in an attempt to ensure the three-Test series would have a winner.

In 2017, the Lions and the All Blacks shared the series trophy 1-1 after a draw in the third Test, with no provisions to play any extra time.

That is set to be the case again in the 2025 series against the Lions, after the Lions board decided to not back RA proposal.

The playing conditions are set to remain unchanged, and follow those of a normal Test match series. The games will not have extra time provisions, as seen in the finals of Rugby World Cup, where two extra-time periods totalling 20 minutes – and a third 10 minutes of golden point – are played to find a winner.

RA’s proposal was based on the successful golden point Super Rugby Pacific, known as “Super point”, which was introduced this year for regular season matches. A 10-minute period of golden point was played and if no winner emerged, the game was a draw.

Darby Lancaster takes to the air to score the golden point try against the ForceCredit: Getty Images

The Western Force played in two matches with “Super point”; the first against the Hurricanes stayed a 17-all draw and the second saw a spectacular try in the 90th minute by the Waratahs to snatch the win.

Waugh said he understood and accepted the Lions’ decision.

“Given the nature and history of the British and Irish Lions, there’s obviously an appreciation and respect for the history of the game, and when you go into such important series, there’s probably a recognition that going to a golden point could somewhat diminish the importance of the test match,” Waugh said.

Extraordinary: New Zealand captain Kieran Read, left. and Lions captain Sam Warburton share the spoils after an epic three-Test series.Credit: AP

Meanwhile, a throwaway line by Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt about “Southern Hemisphere” players in the Lions team has exposed a raw nerve in the touring side, with assistant coach Richard Wigglesworth defending a big group of Lions squad members who grew up south of the equator.

Andy Farrell’s Lions squad features eight foreign-born players: three raised in Australia (Sione Tuipulotu, Mack Hansen and Finlay Bealham), three raised in New Zealand (James Lowe, Jamison Gibson-Park and Bundee Aki) and two from South Africa (Pierre Schoeman and Duhan Van der Merwe).

Tuipulotu and Aki will start in the centres for the Lions in their clash against Argentina in Dublin on Saturday morning (AEST), and when asked about the big pairing on Thursday, Schmidt described them as a “Southern Hemisphere centre pairing”.

Canberra-raised prop Finlay Bealham passes at the Lions’ captains run in Dublin.Credit: Getty Images

He then heaped praise on them and the whole Lions squad, and Schmidt has previously defended Aki as a passionate Irish player, having worked with him as Ireland coach.

But the comment caused a stir in Dublin, with the numbers of Southern Hemisphere players in the Lions squad a sensitive issue which has been criticised by ex-Lions like Willie John McBride and Danny Care.

“I don’t know if they [Australia] are questioning their commitment because you would argue … their journey and how committed they have been to their country, whether that be Scotland or Ireland, England or Wales, everyone has earned the right to pull on the Lions jersey,” Wigglesworth said to UK media.

“They are, to a man, incredibly proud to be here. It is not your background or how you have got here… it is what sort of player are you and what sort of man you are and we have got great men and great players.”

Wigglesworth said he believed the Schmidt comment may have been made to cause a media stir, and distract the Lions’ focus away from their goal of winning.

Aki, Schoeman, van der Merwe, Lowe and Gibson-Park qualified for their countries via three years of residency. Lowe even played against the Lions in 2017 for the New Zealand Maori side.

Melbourne-raised Junior Wallaby Tuipulotu qualified for Scotland via his “Greenock Granny”, and Bealham’s grandmother was Irish. Mack Hansen qualified for Ireland given his mother was born in the country.

Having both grown up in Canberra, Hansen moved to Ireland after playing for the Brumbies but Bealham left when he was 18, after playing for the Australia A schoolboys side but missing out on a spot in the Brumbies academy.