Australia v Tonga: Valentine Holmes awarded controversial eight-point try

Daniel Ramus

Australia v Tonga: Valentine Holmes awarded controversial eight-point try image

Kangaroos winger Valentine Holmes has controversially been awarded an eight-point try after Tonga's Tevita Pangai Junior was ruled to have infringed on him.

In the dying stages of the first half at Mount Smart Stadium, Latrell Mitchell found Holmes, who went over for his second try in the corner to give Australia a 28-10 lead.

Referee Gerard Sutton sent the decision upstairs to be checked by the bunker, asking that they examine a possible obstruction along with the possibility of an eight-pointer due to Pangai Junior's contact.

The obstruction was cleared, and the bunker awarded the eight-point try after replays showed Pangai Junior made contact with the head of Holmes with his foot.

MORE: Australia v Tonga: Sipi Tau rocks Mt Smart Stadium

It could be argued, however, that there was no way Pangai Junior had time to pull out of the incident.

Pangai Junior was placed on report by Sutton.

Holmes didn't capitalise on the eight-point opportunity though, missing the first conversion attempt before adding the second from under the posts.

Watch the eight-point try below:

Fans on Twitter blew up about the decision.









Two early tries to Manly pair Daly Cherry-Evans and Tom Trbojevic took some of the wind out of the Tongan sails but Pangai Junior responded shortly after to get Tonga on the board.

It then threatened to get ugly mid-way through the first half with Holmes' first try and another to Tom Trbojevic extending Mal Meninga's side's lead to three converted tries.

Daniel Tupou then got on the end of a slick backline move to keep his team in it.

Australia had a 30-10 lead at half-time.

Tonga scored first in the second half through Solomone Kata at the 49th minute, finding space out wide after stepping past Luke Keary and Boyd Cordner.

But James Tedesco, who was rightly named man of the match, put the result beyond doubt at the 63rd minute, strolling over in the corner as Australia secured a 34-16 victory.

Daniel Ramus