Referee center of attention after late controversial call

By DENNIS PASSA
AP Sports Writer

The Rugby Championship match between Australia and New Zealand finished with the All Blacks eking out a 39-37 win to capture the Bledisloe Cup for a 20th consecutive year. But the Australians were left confused and angry after All Blacks fullback Jordie Barrett scored after the fulltime siren to secure the win. The Wallabies had recovered from a 31-13 deficit to take the lead with three minutes to play. The Australian defense forced a penalty with a minute remaining but as flyhalf Bernard Foley went to kick the ball into touch, French referee Mathieu Raynal made the unusual call to sanction him for time-wasting. New Zealand was awarded a scrum at close range and that was the platform for Barrett’s match-winner