5. Craig Joubert’s iffy penalty decision enrages Scots (2015)
Scotland were on the cusp of a first semi-final appearance since 1991 when South African referee Craig Joubert blew his whistle for a penalty against prop Jon Welch for accidental offside, even though video replays showed the ball had been knocked backwards by Australian Nick Phipps. This was made even worse by the fact World Rugby admitted the decision was a ‘mistake’.
6. Dwarf tossing in Queenstown (2011)
Members of the squad, including Dylan Hartley and Chris Ashton, were caught indulging in dwarf tossing in Queenstown’s Altitude bar. Matters took a further dip when captain Mike Tindall, husband of Zara Phillips (15th in line to the throne) was caught on closed-circuit TV having a cosy chat with another blonde. A tabloid feeding-frenzy ensued.
