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"Probably the most gutting way to finish a game”

Just a few seconds of gameplay have put the Bledisloe Cup out of reach of the Wallabies yet again after losing to the All Blacks by just two points following a controversial call from the referee. The Australian team had recovered from an 18-point deficit to lead 37-34 with just a minute left on the clock. When they were awarded a penalty just five metres from the goal line, the Wallabies chose Bernard Foley to take the kick, with referee Mathieu Raynal warning him not to use delaying tactics. As the clock ticked down on the final 60 seconds of the match, Raynal penalised Foley for time wasting, giving the All Blacks a free kick. “I say to your player, I say switch on the time and you play immediately and he wait, he wait, he wait, so that’s a scrum for the All Blacks,” Raynal told stand-in captain Nic White. Raynal’s call drew criticism from the commentators, with Stan Sport commentator Tim Horan describing the call as “ridiculous”. "I thought it was a disgraceful decision from the referee," Horan told Nine. "There's 90 seconds left in the game and he cracked under pressure, in one of the biggest games here in Australia. "It's a disgraceful decision and World Rugby need to look at it. "The big referees make decisions at that late part of the game and are calm about it. The All Blacks then used the penalty to their advantage, with fullback Jordie Barrett scoring and securing victory for the Kiwis. With a final score of 39-37, the All Blacks have continued the winning streak they’ve held since 2003. The loss devastated the Aussies, as fullback Andrew Kellaway described it as a “hard one to swallow” and captain James Slipper added that they “just fell short”. “Absolutely gutted,” Slipper said. “I actually don’t know what to say but we really wanted to put in a performance tonight and we just fell short there. “That is probably the most gutting way to finish a game in my opinion.” Wallabies coach Dave Rennie also shared his players’ disappointment. "I'm gutted for our men because I reckon we deserved better," he said. "It was a hell of a game of footy.” The Bledisloe Cup will see the Wallabies jet off to Auckland for their next match against the All Blacks to face them once again on Saturday, September 24. Image: Getty Images

News

15-year-old charged with attempted murder over Wallabies stabbing

A 15-year-old boy has been charged with the attempted murder of Wallabies player Toutai Kefu, after the boy and two other armed youths allegedly robbed the star’s home. Queensland Police believe the Kefu’s Brisbane home was being burgled when the trio were confronted by an adult family member, who had woken to noises at about 3.15am on Monday morning. The offenders allegedly threatened the family with violence if they didn’t hand over their car keys, according to police. “During this time, very significant injuries occurred to the family as a result of what we will allege were the actions of the offenders who had broken into the family’s home,” Detective Superintendent Tony Fleming said. Kefu was allegedly stabbed in the stomach and was initially in critical condition. After undergoing hours of emergency surgery, Kefu is expected to survive. <img style="width: 500px; height:281.53846153846155px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843187/dd51b742ea83b10d04d21b32ed7fd7c1b5826267-16x9-x0y0w1920h1080.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/8342161cd1124b7c95f1efbb803c2e6d" /> Image: 7NEWS According to Fleming, Ketu’s wife suffered “very, very serious lacerations to her arm and I’m told her wounds are very significant”. Two of the couple’s children, aged 21 and 18, were also injured. “The adult male suffered terrible wounds to [his] arm and back and I understand one of the female children has cuts to her hand and arm,” Fleming said. “Whilst the outcome is absolutely tragic and I’m appalled by the injuries this family has suffered in their own home in the middle of the night, all credit to all those people coming to the aid of each other.” Olivia Kefu, the rugby player’s other daughter, shared an update on her family’s condition on Tuesday morning. “Hey everyone! Just wanted to give a quick update. Both Josh and Dad had their surgeries yesterday and are recovering well,” she wrote. “Madi and Mum will have their operations this morning. “Thank you to everyone for all the kind messages and support, it means the absolute world to use all.” A woman who attempted to stop a car from being stolen, which police believe was used to arrive at the scene and flee, was also “shoved over”. Police said they charged one of the teenagers late on Monday afternoon with four counts of attempted murder and three counts of assault causing grievous bodily harm, as well as one count each of unlawful use of a motor vehicle, break and enter, burglary, and deprivation of liberty. The teen was refused bail and is expected to appear in Brisbane Children’s Court. A second 15-year-old boy has also been taken into custody after he went to South Brisbane Hospital with injuries. Police have also located an axe, but Fleming said a machete was also allegedly involved due to the nature of the injuries. <img style="width: 500px; height:178.46153846153848px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843186/5f944b014b66fa656e80db57a34d8827918c8b35.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/a8ecca71c6094bc790486cb209328a70" /> Image: Queensland Police Police are appealing for anyone who may have seen the stolen silver-coloured Hyundai, taken from Forest Lake, to come forward. Members of the rugby world have since rallied around Kefu and his family, while Premier Anastacia Palaszczuk also sent the family her thoughts and prayers.

Legal

Wallabies legend rushed to hospital after home stabbing

Former Wallabies star Toutai Kefu is in hospital after suffering serious injuries during an alleged home invasion at his home in Coorparoo, Brisbane on Monday morning. Three members of Mr Kefu's family were also rushed to Princess Alexandra Hospital after reportedly being attacked as well. Mr Kefu is the Tongan rugby union team head coach, and reportedly sustained an abdominal wound. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843145/toutai-kefu-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/6f7d17686a4d4bd29a6be533da31bdb5" /> Image: Getty A man in his 20s will also allegedly need to undergo medical care for lacerations to his abdomen and back, while a woman in her 40s received an arm injury. A teenage girl also has a hand injury. Police say the attack happened after men broke into a house on Buena Vista Avenue. One man was restrained and has been taken into custody. The other offenders fled the scene in a car that sped off toward Woolloongabba. Two men have been taken into custody but police say they have not been charged just yet. Queensland Rugby Union (QRU) has released a statement following the “shocking incident" involving Mr Kefu. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Toutai and his family at this time," the QRU said. "We offer our support to them and the wider Queensland rugby community who are affected by the incident." Mr Kefu is a legendary sportsman in his own right, competing in 60 tests in the forwards for Australia, during his seven-year international career. The 47-year-old made his debut for the Wallabies against South Africa in 1997 in Pretoria. In 2001, he scored the match-winning try against the All Blacks, which gave Australia victory in the Bledisloe Cup. He finished as the most capped Wallaby number eight of all time, with 58 tests. He has been the head coach of the Tongan national rugby side since 2016. He coached the squad through to the 2019 World Cup in Japan.

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Carrots and sweet potatoes dropped from helicopters to feed fire-affected wallabies

Thousands of kilograms of sweet potatoes and carrots have been dropped to fire-ravaged areas to help feed affected wallaby populations. The National Parks and Wildlife Service took to the skies to dump thousands of kilograms of vegetables over bushfire-ravaged regions in NSW to help provide food for native brush-tailed rock-wallabies. “The wallabies typically survive the fire itself, but are then left stranded with limited natural food as the fire takes out the vegetation around their rocky habitat,” said NSW Energy and Environment Minister Matt Kean. “The wallabies were already under stress from the ongoing drought, making survival challenging for the wallabies without assistance.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> Operation Rock Wallaby 🦘- <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NPWS?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NPWS</a> staff today dropped thousands of kgs of food (Mostly sweet potato and carrots) for our Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby colonies across NSW 🥕🥕 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bushfires?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#bushfires</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZBN0MSLZei">pic.twitter.com/ZBN0MSLZei</a> — Matt Kean MP (@Matt_KeanMP) <a href="https://twitter.com/Matt_KeanMP/status/1215900857436270592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2020</a></blockquote> Operation Rock Wallaby has delivered food to Kangaroo Valley and the Capertee and Wolgan valleys as well as the Yengo, Jenolan, Oxley Wild Rivers and Curracubundi national parks. The operation is one of the NSW Government’s “key strategies” to support the recovery of the endangered species, <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/operation-rock-wallaby-food-drop-for-bushfire-affected-animals/653e1a50-81bd-49c0-aa5f-3000bb0738d6">9News</a> reported. OverSixty, its parent company and its owners are donating a total of $200,000 to the Vinnie’s Bushfire Appeal. We have also pledged an additional $100,000 of product to help all those affected by the bushfire crisis. We would love you to support too! Head to <a href="https://donate.vinnies.org.au/appeals-nsw/vinnies-nsw-bushfire-appeal-nsw">the website</a> to donate.

Family & Pets

“Dad, everything is dying”: Boy’s heartbreak after discovering dead wallaby from the bushfires

“Dad, everything is dying.” Those were the heartbreaking words from Matthew Faulkner, as he held a dead wallaby whose habitat was destroyed by the bushfires. His dad Tim Faulkner, who is president of NSW animal protection organisation Aussie Ark, shared the photo in an emotional video posted to Facebook as he revealed the not-for-profit’s aim to help save the brush-tailed rock wallaby. Established in 2011, Aussie Ark began as an initiative to help save the Tasmanian devil from extinction and has since grown. They are now setting food and camera traps to feed the animals amid Australia’s devastating bushfire crisis. Matthew found the dead wallaby when his family began to check the traps as Barrington Tops in the Hunter Region of NSW. “Matt picked it up and said, ‘They’re all dying dad’,” Mr Faulkner wrote in the video. “Watching him cradle the wallaby felt like I was showing him his future. “Shortly on the drive home, we saw another. To flee the fires, they are coming closer to roads and being hit by drivers.” <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Ftimswildlife%2Fvideos%2F1484948351669438%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> Speaking to Yahoo News, Mr Faulkner said the gut wrenching moment brought him and his partner to tears. “The wallaby looked like it just died, his mum and I were both crying It was very moving in that regard,” he said. “Matty is really empathetic and felt like he needed to cradle and look after it.” He said Aussie Ark was working non-stop to help save the wallaby population but was in need of help from the general public. “Although some have died, the food drops are showing promising results,” he said. “We are working hard to save them. We will continue until they are safe.” OverSixty, its parent company and its owners are donating a total of $200,000 to the Vinnie’s Bushfire Appeal. We have also pledged an additional $100,000 of product to help all those affected by the bushfire crisis. We would love you to support too! Head to the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://donate.vinnies.org.au/appeals-nsw/vinnies-nsw-bushfire-appeal-nsw" target="_blank">Vinnie's website</a> to donate.

Family & Pets

Israel Folau and Rugby Australia reach million dollar settlement

Rugby Australia and disgraced sportsman Israel Folau have reportedly ended their bitter legal battle after months of back and forth, for a reported $8 million. According to reports, RA apologised to the former Wallabies fullback star in an out-of-court settlement on Wednesday to avoid a lengthy court battle. Folau, whose contract was terminated after writing “hell awaits” gay people, among others, in an Instagram post in April, was seeking $14 million in compensation. While the exact amount is still to be revealed, The Daily Telegraph reported Falou agreed to an $8 million settlement. Rugby Australia chief executive Raelene Castle told stakeholders the details of the settlement were confidential. “The terms of the settlement are confidential but importantly Israel's legal claim has been withdrawn and whilst we were very confident in our legal position, this outcome provides certainty for Rugby Australia and allows us to avoid incurring ongoing legal costs and the risks and distractions of a lengthy trial,” she said. RA maintains they firmly disagree with the post made by Folau in April. Folau says he and his wife Maria feel “vindicated” by Wednesday’s settlement. “We are extremely pleased with the settlement reached today," Folau said in a video. “Maria and I would like to thank God for his guidance and strength,' he said. “Thank you to our supporters for their thoughts and prayers, in particular our families, our congregation as well as Martyn Iles and the Australian Christian Lobby.” Folau hopes their case will lead to greater religious freedom. “We started this journey on behalf of all people of faith to protect their rights of freedom of speech and religion,” he said. “We now look forward to the federal government enacting the legislation necessary to further protect and strengthen these rights for all Australians.” Rugby Australia issued a statement where they said: “The social media post reflected Mr Folau's genuinely held religious beliefs, and Mr Folau did not intend to harm or offend any person when he uploaded the social media post.” <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7RPbOWqlA74" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> Folau has released his own apology where he said he wants all Australians to know “that he does not condone discrimination of any kind against any person on the ground of their sexuality and that he shares Rugby Australia's commitment to inclusiveness and diversity. “Similarly, Mr Folau did not intend to hurt or harm the game of rugby and acknowledges and apologises for any hurt or harm caused.” While the former cross-coder footballer did not announce any plans to return to his beloved sport – he says he looks forward to “moving on with his life” to “focus on his faith”. UPDATE: Castle fronted media speculation on Thursday to refute the “wildly inaccurate” settlement amount reported. "Folau settlement numbers are confidential but numbers being speculated are wildly inaccurate," Castle said in a tweet on Thursday morning. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Folau settlement numbers are confidential but numbers being speculated are wildly inaccurate — Raelene Castle (@raelenecastle) <a href="https://twitter.com/raelenecastle/status/1202322497661616128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2019</a></blockquote> Castle further reiterated the nature of the settlement is strictly confidential and cannot be discussed in detail. "I can't talk about the settlement numbers, but we're in a better position than if we went to court," Castle said. "We had a number that we knew was more cost effective to us to settle." Castle said the decision was a "commercial decision" and a "normal process" aimed at avoiding the risk of paying more if court proceedings didn't go their way. "It allows us to not have the uncertainty of a trial," she told reporters. "We didn't get it wrong. "At the end of the day we stood up for the values of Rugby Australia of inclusiveness."

News

Peter FitzSimons slams Israel Folau’s “absurd” claims

Peter FitzSimons has laid waste to Israel Folau’s claims he could have captained the Wallabies to a World Cup win. Earlier this year, Folau was let go from his contract with Rugby Australia for anti-gay comments made on social media, and is in the process of demanding $14 million in damages, further claiming he could have been a Wallabies skipper The star lodged an updated statement of claim in the Federal Circuit Court, where he has upped his compensation demands from $10 million to $14 million. Former rugby star turned journalist and author FitzSimons has laid waste to Folau’s claims and has Gina step further to slam his “worrying” beliefs about gay marriage and bushfires. “It just gets ever more absurd,” FitzSimons incredulously told TVNZ. “From a distance, I just thought, ‘What? Captain?’... but Michael Cheika, who was the Wallabies coach of course, he moved through seven vice-captains. “Now, if Michael Cheika had seven vice-captains and Israel Folau wasn’t one of them, I think by definition he was a very unlikely man to be captain.” FitzSimons said he and a current Wallaby team member, who he decided not to name, discussed Folau’s captaincy claim and the player “burst into laughter”. "The last time Australian rugby had a fullback as captain was in 1980. It was Paul McLean, it was one Test, and after that the theory in Australian rugby was that fullback was too far from the main game to be the captain, so the tradition in Australian rugby is we don’t have a fullback as a captain,” FitzSimons said. “I find the claim absolutely absurd.” Folau made headlines again recently for claiming Australia’s bushfires, which took six lives over its tenure, were a result of legalising same-sex marriage and abortion - a claim FitzSimons has labelled as worrying. “It doesn’t have the closest grip on reality and I worry about that kind of stuff,” he said. “If he actually believes that, then I respectfully submit his remaining friends need to sit him down, give him a hug and say, ‘C’mon mate, we’ve got to get you some help here. This is not real’.” Folau said his contract termination will cost him $4.2 million from 2019-2022, as well as $300,000 in match payments from 2019-2021. He also has made claims he stood to make up to $1.5 million a season with an overseas club for two-to-three years when his contract with RA was up. Lost sponsorship dollars, the missed revenue of competing at World Cups and the possibility of captaining the national team were also used to justify the controversial star’s new $14 million demand.

News

“Utter disbelief”: Wallabies player’s mother involved in Israel Folau scandal

Wallabies players are said to be in “utter disbelief” after a mother of young Wallabies star Jordan Petaia has admitted to “infiltrating” Israel Folau’s church. Helen Petaia confessed to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/wallabies-mother-infiltrates-church-run-by-israel-folaus-father/news-story/8ba7761db554bea22040c64a981e1037" target="_blank">The Herald Sun</a> that she was the anonymous parent who had gone undercover in Folau’s church to learn more about it. She explained that she became concerned when Folau started inviting players to the church that was set up by his father Eni in 2013. The church is called the Truth of Jesus Christ Church. "I honestly do not want my son involved in what I have come to understand is false teachings and counterfeit Christianity,” she told The Herald. Helen explained that it “disturbed her greatly” after deciding to attend the church for herself. “I’ve gone, I’ve checked it out and I would call them an isolated hate group.” However, her actions might have had the opposite effect as the Wallabies camp has sent a flood of messages of support for Folau. According to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/mother-of-wallabies-star-jordan-petaia-infiltrates-church-run-by-israel-folaus-father/news-story/582fd00bbcfc19736916671db0f5ac72" target="_blank">The Australian</a>, “many of the messages expressed players’ disappointment and ‘utter disbelief’ that Petaia’s mother had gone to such ‘extreme lengths’, going to the media to warn of Folau’s religious beliefs and her concerns about his influence on young rugby players.” Helen has since spoken out about the controversy, saying that Folau’s father Eni has said that she’s “going to hell”. “I have no doubt many Christian parents would be concerned if their child was to become entangled in the false teachings and religious practices Israel Folau endorses,” she told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/rugby/rugby-world-cup-2019/jordan-petaias-infiltrated-israel-folaus-church-to-protect-her-son/news-story/1815de9c460381a387a6c4e6584de084" target="_blank">The Daily Telegraph</a>. “There are many Christian leaders who agree with my assessment of the Folau church.”

News

“Complete joke”: Wallabies World Cup “disgraceful” move

Wallabies star Samu Kerevi has said he would consider a switch to the NRL after being penalised for a controversial tactic - a move that contributed to Australia’s 29-25 loss on Sunday. The sportsman was whistled for a penalty after his fend-off of Welsh fly half Rhys Patchell appeared to slip up to the opponents throat. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B28Z4N2j9Fe/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B28Z4N2j9Fe/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by SAMUELÁ VATUNIVEIVUKE (@samukerevi_)</a> on Sep 27, 2019 at 10:52pm PDT </div> </blockquote> Captain Michael Hooper became clearly frustrated after the third penalty was awarded against the Wallabies in the first half. The match referee Romain Poite’s explanation for the penalty was given following an extensive number of replays. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7831302/wallabies-rugby-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/1bdac0888bce471bb3e872d1a060431f" /> Samu Kerevi was penalised for leading with the arm against Wales' Rhys Patchell. They deemed Kerevi had dangerously raised his forearm into Patchell's chest/neck area. However, he believes he has done nothing wrong and slow motion replays had worked against him. "I've been playing with that for my whole career. It's the first time I've heard that I can't lead with my arms and bump," he said. "The worrying thing is if he's falling and I keep moving forward, which I would normally do, I could touch his head." "What do we do in that split second? ... I might as well just stop." While Patchell missed the resulting penalty kick, Wales scored a dubious try on a missed offside call just seconds before half time. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B2_ftE0DnPP/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B2_ftE0DnPP/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Wallabies (@wallabies)</a> on Sep 29, 2019 at 3:40am PDT </div> </blockquote> Wales led 23-8 at the break and Fox Sports commentator Phil Kearns shared his opinion on the officiating clear. “The whole refereeing display has been disgraceful,” Kearns said. “Just embarrassing.” Hoover couldn’t hold back his own fury after the penalty was called by Poite and TMO. “Can we not run into the tackle anymore?” he asked. “That is terrible tackle technique, he’s (Kerevi) just done a very good carry. “We can’t carry if that’s going to be the ruling.” Wallabies fans took to social media to share their own opinions with one deeming Poite’s call as a “horrible decision”. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Horrible decision!! How can Kerevi control where the opposition tackles. Penalty for poor tackle technique. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvWAL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvWAL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/rugbyworldcup2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#rugbyworldcup2019</a> — Dean Mumm (@DeanMumm) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeanMumm/status/1178226634941288449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Rugby now officially a complete joke. What a farce. Runners now have to protect tacklers doing stupid things.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvWAL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvWAL</a> — Mark Riley (@Riley7News) <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley7News/status/1178226984939245568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> What's going on with rugby? You can't run into player and fend them off now? It's a contact sport. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvWAL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvWAL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RWC2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RWC2019</a> — Arvind Hickman (@ArvindHickman) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArvindHickman/status/1178226899287511040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2019</a></blockquote>

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Mixed emotions in Folau household as Maria and Israel face their weekends

The Folau couple have endured very different weekends as they have usually reserved Sunday nights for sport. Israel Folau was forced to watch on as his former Wallabies teammates secured a record-setting win over New Zealand at a whopping 47-26. This means that they are in the running to win the Bledisloe Cup. The Wallabies have secured bragging rights for the first time since 2002 and was a surprising outcome for Aussie fans and rugby players alike as they were forced to watch the same outcome for the last 17 years. One can only imagine how Israel felt as his former teammates have put on a memorable performance at the sport he used to play. Many rugby fans were curious as to how the Wallabies would fill the backline hole that was left by Israel’s absence, but if the rugby team can continue to perform as they did on Saturday night, he might not be as missed as much as everyone thought. As Israel continues to fight for his $10 million payout saying that he did nothing wrong and that he shouldn’t be punished for his post on Instagram saying that gay people are destined for hell if they don’t repent for their sins, it appears that the national team has moved on without him. Things were looking up for his wife, Maria, as she led the Adelaide Thunderbirds to a 71-59 win over the Queensland Firebirds on Sunday. Maria was efficient on the court, finishing with 35 goals from 38 attempts in front of a packed stadium in Queensland. “I was a fangirl of her when I was growing up and still am,” Thunderbirds centre Hannah Petty said of the New Zealand international to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/sport/rugby/israel-folau-and-wife-maria-endure-mixed-fortunes-over-the-weekend/news-story/996810094793fe53267232ee8468ec75" target="_blank">news.com.au</a>. “She's full of confidence and helps everyone around her. “Maria's the calmest customer I've come across. Every time you look at her when you're feeling a bit rattled, she says take a deep breath. “She makes everyone play better.”

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Police chase rogue wallaby across Sydney Harbour Bridge

In scenes that would seem to confirm every tourist’s stereotype about Australia, police have apprehended a wallaby that was found bouncing along Sydney Harbour Bridge this morning, after shocking motorists on their morning commute. <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fnswpoliceforce%2Fvideos%2F10155559323521185%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> Traffic controllers monitored the marsupial as it hopped across the bridge, before taking the Cahill Expressway exit to Macquarie Street where it was eventually stopped by police. Drivers who couldn’t believe their eyes called into <a href="https://www.2gb.com/" target="_blank">2GB </a>to report the sighting. 'I was driving along the Harbour Bridge, I'm slowing down to 40 when I see a wallaby just sitting there, it was pretty small, might have been a wallaby,' a listener named Jesse said. Another listener named Ray added: “There was a little rock wallaby in the middle of the road just minding its own business with a police car there with flashing lights.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> 'It doesn't get more Australian than that!': Police rescue wallaby making its way into Sydney after crossing over the Harbour Bridge <a href="https://t.co/eyWALbDzFw">https://t.co/eyWALbDzFw</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/7News?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#7News</a> <a href="https://t.co/w9C6eHUDvt">pic.twitter.com/w9C6eHUDvt</a> — 7News Yahoo7 (@Y7News) <a href="https://twitter.com/Y7News/status/953006374828630019?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2018</a></blockquote> After the wallaby was pinned down, animal welfare officers took the out-of-place marsupial to Targona Zoo for veterinary assessment. Police believe it made its way to the bridge from a golf course in Cammeray. What are your thoughts? Have you ever seen anything more Australian than this? Hero image credit: Facebook / NSW Police

Insurance

Exhausted wallaby rescued at sea

<div class="yiv1372129280" id="yiv1372129280yui_3_16_0_1_1449783217967_65344"> A group of marina biologists have rescued a wallaby almost a kilometre off the New South Wales north coast in Australia. The creature- whom they affectionately named "Swampy"- was confused and exhausted, found treading water out at sea. “We see this thing swimming – it’s like a hairy thing,” says Laura Sanchez-Peregrine, who spotted the stranded wallaby. “At first I thought it was a seal, but we came closer and it was a big wallaby, maybe a 25-kilogram wallaby — a big male,” she said in an interview with the Australian Women’s Weekly. Laura and her fellow students managed to hoist the exhausted wallaby on board their small tin boat, bobby off-shore in Coffs Harbour. “At first, it was very difficult: he was defensive (and wallabies have huge claws), and we almost gave up and left it all in hands of Natural Selection,” she said on her Instagram account. “But we tried hard and we managed to bring him up on board, tied his legs up with a rope, put a towel on his head to calm him down. And he was all calm and still on the way back to the shore, not complaining much.” When they got to the shore, it was clear the poor guy was exhausted. After a few moments of recovery, and no doubt glad to be on solid ground, he bounded away. “And then yeah, he just went- hopped off and waved goodbye.” Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2015/11/clever-cop-saves-dog/">Clever cop saves dog with a moment of inspiration</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2015/12/happiest-dogs-in-the-world/">The happiest dogs in the world</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2015/11/interspecies-animal-friendships/">15 unlikely friendships that will melt your heart</a> </div>

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Rescued wallaby enjoys lunch from syringe

Like any of us, Scotty, the teeny tiny baby wallaby loves lunch, but this tammar wallaby is enjoying 11ml of specially formulated mix straight from a syringe-turned-bottle. Scotty was recently rescued on Kangaroo Island, South Australia, after his mother was killed on the road. Staff at Exceptional Kangaroo Island, an animal encounter tour operator on the Island, found Scotty and are currently looking after the little guy. They’ve created a Facebook page for him to chart his progress and to source expert advice on raising the little guy. Related links: <a href="/lifestyle/pets/2015/08/signs-your-pet-is-sick/">10 signs your pet is sick</a> <a href="/lifestyle/pets/2015/07/dog-is-a-picky-pooper/">Why is my dog such a picky pooper?</a> <a href="/lifestyle/pets/2015/06/why-cats-groom-people/">Why do cats groom people?</a>

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Mixed emotions in Folau household as Maria and Israel face their weekends

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Rescued wallaby enjoys lunch from syringe

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