Glaring truth about explosive ref spray; why Samoa’s World Cup act went too far — Crawls

Fox Sports columnist Paul Crawley argues that Shaun Johnson was justified in criticizing referee Adam Gee after Australia's 44-12 World Cup semifinal victory over Samoa. Crawley asserts that while Australia was the superior side, several controversial decisions went against Samoa, including a failed captain's challenge and disallowed tries. Crawley also criticizes Samoa's pre-match Siva Tau, claiming players crossed the line by getting directly into the faces of Kangaroos players.

Crawley highlights Australia's dominant forward pack, praising standout performances from Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, Pat Carrigan, and Jacob Preston. He also writes that coach Kevvie Walters was vindicated in selecting Tom Dearden and Reece Walsh, whose hat-trick helped set up a World Cup final clash against New Zealand.