Wallabies coach bats for Joubert
Print Edition
AUSTRALIA coach Michael Cheika has again come to the defense of South African referee Craig Joubert, saying it was “unfair” that Rugby World Cup officials had singled him out over his decision to penalize Scotland in Sunday’s quarterfinal.
World Rugby issued a statement on Monday confirming it had reviewed the decision and agreed that Joubert had made a mistake in awarding the penalty, which Australia kicked to win the match 35-34, instead of a scrum.
Cheika, who has had a series of highly-publicized disputes with referees over the years, said yesterday that he hoped other referees would stand by Joubert.
“I did feel for him. It is a bit surprising because no other decision in the tournament has been reviewed,” Cheika said. “I really feel for the ref. It is so unfair. No other referee has had his stuff put out there like that and Craig Joubert is a very good referee.
“Genuinely I’ve never seen that before. I am not sure why that decision had to be publicly reviewed and put out there. I really hope his fellow referees stand by him.”
Joubert awarded Australia a last-minute penalty when Scotland knocked on at a lineout and Jon Welsh caught the ball in an offside position. But television replays showed that Australian scrumhalf Nick Phipps touched the ball just before Welsh, so the Wallabies should have been awarded a scrum rather than a penalty.
Joubert was first criticized for not referring the incident to the TV match officials but World Rugby said that under RWC rules, he was not permitted to ask for a review.
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