Australian coach Michael Cheika on Tuesday led condemnation of World Rugby for declaring that referee Craig Joubert was wrong to award a last-gasp penalty that put the Wallabies into the World Cup semi-finals.
An angry Cheika warned that World Rugby’s move to publicise the South African referee’s blunder in the Australia-Scotland quarter-final risked opening up a floodgate of complaints.
Other leading rugby figures also leaped to the defence of Joubert who ran from the field at the end of Sunday’s game amid abuse from some Scottish fans.
World Rugby chief executive Brett Gosper said critics of Joubert had been “excessive.” But Wallaby great David Campese said that whoever in the world body released the statement on Joubert “should be shot.”
Joubert, who will not take part in any of the World Cup semi-finals this weekend, gave Australia a penalty for an offside.
Bernard Foley then scored with a last-minute kick to give Australia a 35-34 win over Scotland. They play South Africa on Sunday for a place in the final.
In a rare move, a World Rugby review committee said Monday that the “appropriate decision” would have been for Joubert to give a scrum rather than a penalty.
“I genuinely feel for Craig Joubert. It’s so unfair. No other referee has had this stuff put out there like that and he’s a very good referee,” said Cheika.
“I am not sure why that decision had to be publicly reviewed and put out there.”
“We have the right principles in the game, but now will other teams be drawing up a list of things to review: the Samoans about a Scottish knock-on before their winning try?” he added.
“Each team will have a list as long as your arm.”
– Repeat blunders –
David Campese, one of Australia’s greatest all-time players, also waded in.
“I have been in games where referees have made real blunders, but whoever put that statement out saying the referee got it wrong should be shot. Now you’re actually saying the referees are bad,” Campese told British radio station talkSPORT.
“One of the biggest problems in world rugby is trying to get referees, and if they’re going to cop abuse every game – meaning there will be no referees – then we haven’t got a game.”
Joubert has also been defended against tough comments made after Sunday’s game.
Former Scotland great Gavin Hastings said: “If I see referee Craig Joubert again, I am going to tell him how disgusted I am. It was disgraceful that he ran straight off the pitch at the end like that.”
Another former Scottish international Andy Nicol said Joubert was a “coward” for running off at the end.
Former England scrum-half Matt Dawson, a World Cup-winner in 2003, said on Twitter: “Craig Joubert you are a disgrace and should never referee again!!”
“Some of these comments have been very excessive,” said World Rugby’s Gosper.
“Mistakes are made on a rugby field and not just by officials. People should understand that.”
“I have been a little saddened by some of the comments made towards the referee as that doesn’t have a place in our game,” said former England captain Lawrence Dallaglio.
Though Joubert is unlikely to take any role in the rest of the World Cup he remains one of the game’s leading referees.
Joubert was a banker who followed his father, who was also a top referee.
Former South African captain Bobby Skinstad said: “His dad made such an impact on so many schoolkids’ lives.
“He actually passed away from cancer and Craig had 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. I’d feel really sad if any of this has got to him as a person given he has given so much to the game,” he said.
World Rugby referees chief Joel Jutge said: “Despite this experience, Craig has been and remains a world-class referee and an important member of our team.”