'The way rugby is going, I might as well join the NRL next'

Australia boss Michael Cheika said he was “embarrassed” by the decision to penalise Wallabies centre Samu Kerevi following a tackle incident during his team’s 29-25 World Cup defeat to Wales.

French referee Romain Poite and the television match official punished Kerevi after a first-half collision with Wales replacement Rhys Patchell, who appeared to catch Kerevi high.

A lengthy television match official review followed and it was decided that Kerevi had made contact with Patchell’s throat with his elbow, although it seemed unintentional.

Cheika could not mask his frustration at events after a game that was stopped several times to check the legality of tackles.

It followed Wallabies wing Reece Hodge being cited and banned for a dangerous tackle in Australia’s opening group game against Fiji last weekend.

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Cheika had already hit out at World Rugby in the wake of that and his latest comments will undoubtedly attract further attention.

Asked for his view after the Patchell-Kerevi incident, Cheika sarcastically said: “It was pretty funny because I thought I had seen that tackle before. It could have been Reece Hodge, I’m not sure.

“Our guy makes that tackle and has the high-tackle framework in his head. He gets suspended, but this guy doesn’t think about the high-tackle framework and we get penalised.