World Cup Scots were robbed by rugby ref
Penalty decision was wrong, say sport’s chiefs
SCOTLAND crashed out of the Rugby World Cup after a referee wrongly awarded a penalty to Australia in the dying moments of the game, it was confirmed last night.
The Wallabies clinched a dramatic 35-34 victory at Twickenham on Sunday after a pivotal late call from Craig Joubert awarded them a penalty.
Last night, the sport’s governing body admitted that, following a review of ‘all available angles’, it was clear the wrong decision had been made.
But fury remained at the outcome of the game, along with dismay over South African Joubert’s decision to dash off the pitch as he blew the final whis- tle, without shaking hands with any of the players.
Scotland rugby legend Gavin Hastings described his disappearance as ‘despicable’, saying: ‘That is the worst thing I have seen on a rugby field in a very long time. He is not prepared to face up to the players, that is not rugby and that is not the spirit of rugby.’
Former England international Matt Dawson said Joubert – who suffered fierce criticism over his handling of the 2011 World Cup Final – was ‘a disgrace and should never referee again’.
World Rugby chief executive Brett Gosper added fuel to the fire by suggesting Joubert may
have fled the pitch after the controversial outcome to go to the toilet.
‘Maybe he was keen to get to the bathroom, who knows?’ Gosper said. ‘I’m sure as a referee he sensed a bit of hostility. When you have a hostile 82,000 people, for whatever reason, who knows how that affects behaviour?
‘Craig Joubert is a superb referee and has been for a long time and he’s a good man. There will be reasons for whatever Craig did.’
But World Rugby last night admitted that Joubert, one of its most senior referees, effectively cost Scotland a place in the semi-finals.
Its statement, which came after a review of the match, said it was clear that Australian player Nick Phipps had touched the ball, thus making Scotland’s Jon Welsh onside and, therefore, no penalty should have been given.
The statement added: ‘It is important to clarify that, under the protocols, the referee could not refer to the television match official in this case and therefore had to rely on what he saw in real time.
‘In this case, rugby law should have been applied, putting Welsh onside. The appropriate decision, therefore, should have been a scrum to Australia for the original knock-on.
‘Overall, it is widely recognised that the standard of officiating at Rugby World Cup 2015 has been very high across 44 compelling and competitive matches to date.’
World Rugby failed to explain, however, why Joubert sprinted down the tunnel after
‘There will be reasons for whatever he did’
blowing the final whistle, although it is understood he may have wanted to avoid any heated discussions on the pitch with devastated Scottish players.
The refereeing appointments for this weekend’s semi-finals were announced last night – and Joubert was not among them.
The 37-year- old took up refereeing as a teenager, following in the footsteps of his father Des. He spent five years in banking before becoming a full-time referee.
In 2011, Joubert took the World Cup Final between New Zealand and France in Auckland. But his performance attracted a great deal of criticism, especially from outside New Zealand, after the All Blacks won 8-7.
He refereed Australia’s 2014 Super Rugby final between the Crusaders and the Waratahs, which went the Waratahs’ way after Joubert awarded them a last-minute penalty.
The under-fire official received support from some quarters last night.
Former South Africa captain Bobby Skinstad said: ‘I know Craig very well. He is a man of unquestionable integrity and is a fantastic referee.
‘Craig is a very tough guy and a good guy. His background is a lot more complex than people realise.
‘His father Des was an outstanding referee and made a decision from a young age to take up refereeing full time. He made such an impact on so many schoolkids’ lives and he was a bit of a legend in the KwaZulu-Natal area.
‘Des passed away from cancer and Craig has dedicated his refereeing career to the memory of his father. Craig is a quality individual and all the stuff around the decision has been blown out of all proportion.’
Australia head coach Michael Cheika also came to the defence of the beleaguered Joubert, saying: ‘Some decisions you’ll get and some decisions you won’t.
‘Someone threw a bottle at him when he was leaving, didn’t they? I’d be racing off too if I saw a bottle coming. I don’t think anything of him going off quickly. I don’t like the way that people are making something out of the way he ran off the field.’
The Scottish Rugby Union did not wish to comment last night.