Craig Joubert: The Scots, like the French in 2011, will not forgive referees’s mistake easily

The TMO issue has left World Rugby, the governing body of the sport, in an advanced state of frustration

Craig Joubert was quick to exit the Twickenham pitch after his late penalty decision cost Scotland dear (Getty)

Craig Joubert was quick to exit the Twickenham pitch after his late penalty decision cost Scotland dear

“If Craig Joubert is still running, he’ll be at the Channel Tunnel by now.” So remarked a wisecracking observer less than an hour after the South African referee had sprinted from the Twickenham pitch like a jet-propelled Bryan Habana, leaving a bunch of seething Scots to contemplate the injustice of their quarter-final exit in the absence of the man who had inflicted it upon them.

Joubert is hardly the first referee to whistle himself into the crosshairs of World Cup controversy: Derek Bevan of Wales, Wayne Barnes of England, Alain Rolland of Ireland… they’ve all been there in the firing line, in big knockout matches on the grandest stages. It is also worth pointing out that while his late penalty decision against the Scotland prop Jon Welsh was incorrect, the 37-year-old corporate banker (oh dear!) was no more wrong than the army of pundits, some of them very well paid indeed, who publicly criticised him for not consulting the television match official – a course of action that was not open to him under tournament regulations.

The TMO issue has left World Rugby, the governing body of the sport, in an advanced state of frustration. Not unreasonably, given that considerable steps have been taken to remind broadcasters of the relevant protocols concerning the use of video technology, the organisation feels that some of the criticism aimed at Joubert in the immediate aftermath of the match was unwarranted.

Yet he should have known better than to award the Wallabies that decisive shot at the sticks, not least because he has such rich recent experience of officiating at the highest level. As one of the sport’s most accomplished referees, now retired, commented: “I always took the view that I didn’t want a match to be decided on a call of mine that wasn’t absolutely unavoidable.

“If I’d been Craig, who I consider to be a very bright referee, I’d have said to the players that I didn’t know exactly who had been in contact with that ricocheting ball or who’d touched it last and that, as a result, I’d restart the game with an Australian scrum. That would have given the Wallabies another shot and given the Scots a chance to defend their lead.”

South African officials have had an interesting time of it in major World Cup games down the years. Andre Watson’s handling of the 1999 final between the Wallabies and France did not attract rave reviews and, when he was given another go in Sydney four years later, his refereeing of the England-Australia decider so infuriated the red-rose coach Clive Woodward that the future knight of the realm was still incandescent the following morning – even though he had the trophy in his hand.

Joubert himself controlled the 2011 showpiece in Auckland and the French, who lost by a point to the All Blacks, have still to forgive him for what they considered a deeply flawed performance.