Andy Farrell and Joe Schmidt disagree over ref call as Lions clinch series win

Andy Farrell and Joe Schmidt took opposing views of the refereeing call that cleared Hugo Keenan’s decisive final-minute try as the British and Irish Lions completed a series triumph over Australia.

The Lions clinched a 29-26 victory in the second Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground but there was high drama in the closing seconds as the match officials examined a potentially-dangerous clearout by Jac Morgan earlier in the move.

Captains Harry Wilson and Maro Itoje attempted to influence referee Andrea Piardi during the decision-making process before it was eventually judged that Morgan’s contact with Carlo Tizzano was legal.

If Keenan’s try had been chalked off, the series would have gone to a decider in Sydney next Saturday. Instead, the Lions have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead.

“It was a brilliant clearout. I couldn’t understand what they were going back for,” Lions head coach Farrell said.

“They seem to go back for absolutely everything these days, don’t they? I’m so pleased that the referee held his nerve. The right decision in my opinion.”

Furious Australia boss Schmidt felt the outcome reached by Piardi was at odds with the game’s push to improve player safety and accused the Italian of failing to implement the laws.

“Just watch the footage,” said Schmidt, who insisted the incident taking place in the final minute influenced the verdict.

“You just have to read law 9.20 and you just have to listen to the description from the referee and then watch the footage when two players are described as arriving at the same time.

“You cannot hit someone above the levels of the shoulders and there’s no bind with the left arm, his hand is on the ground. That’s what we have seen.

“We have watched a number of replays from different