Lions hooker cited for elbowing Lynagh, Suaalii cleared

3 months ago 20

British and Irish Lions hooker Dan Sheehan has been cited for elbowing Wallabies five-eighth Tom Lynagh in the head during the third Test in Sydney, highlighting the giant blunder of match officials missing the foul play and allowing the act to go unpunished in the game.

But the Wallabies will be breathing a sigh of relief, with Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii escaping any further scrutiny for a contentious tackle late in the game, leaving him free to travel to South Africa later in the week for the Rugby Championship.

Even though the Suaalii tackle on Tadgh Beirne in the 77th minute did not attract a penalty, there was some nervousness in the Wallabies camp that the citing commissioner could take a different view.

The Wallabies claimed a much-needed win at Accor Stadium but it could have an easier task if Sheehan’s illegal shot on Lynagh in the 32nd minute was seen and earned him a red card.

With Lynagh prone at a ruck, Sheehan came from distance and tucked a shoulder to clean him out, and then made contact with the Wallaby’s head with his elbow. It was dangerous and Lynagh was identified immediately afterwards as needing a HIA, which he failed.

For reasons that are still unclear, TMO Marius Jonker did not spot the Sheehan elbow and refer it to the referee, despite protocol around HIA’s meaning the match officials must search for any foul play that could have caused it.

Dan Sheehan makes contact to Tom Lynagh’s head at a ruck.

To be cited by World Rugby, and enter a judiciary process, an incident must meet a red-card threshhold.

World Rugby issued a release on Sunday, saying: “British & Irish Lions player Dan Sheehan will have a citing complaint reviewed by an Independent Foul Play Review Committee (FPRC) after being cited by the independent citing commissioner Adrien Menez for an act of foul play contrary to Law 9.20 (a) (a player must not charge into a ruck or maul…) in the Australia v British & Irish Lions third test in Sydney on Saturday, 2 August.

“In line with World Rugby’s expedited off-field sanction process, Sheehan’s case will be considered by the on-duty Independent Foul Play Review Committee (FPRC) comprising Wang Shao-ing (chair), Val Toma and Mike Mika on Sunday, 3 August 2025.”

After slamming the contentious decision to not penalise Jac Morgan in the second Test in Melbourne, Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt gave Jonker the benefit of the doubt when asked about Sheehan’s shot on Lynagh.

“I’d rather not comment on it until I’ve seen it but there’s always a difficulty for a TMO I guess,” he said. “He’s watching in the main, the TV broadcast and then if he doesn’t pick it up there then he doesn’t access the other angles because everything is happening so quickly.”

Lions coach Andy Farrell said there were many moments that could be scrutinised.

“I haven’t seen that back, there’s all sorts of rugby incidents that we can pull apart, I’m sure I’ve seen quite a few more incidents as well so I suppose we’ll always go to the right channels,” he said.