Wallabies legendary winger David Campese brands rugby 'a joke' - and blames the match officials for it.
"It's a farce," he told Daily Mail Australia.
"The referees think they are the most important person on the field. They think it's about them, but it's not. It's about the game. It's about the players and the supporters.
"People don't pay their money to watch a referee blow his whistle. They go to watch a game of football. They want to see tries, not penalty goals. It's sad. The way things are now, it's a joke.
"I know I talk about the good old days but it's hard not to. I'm an old fart, I admit that, but I've always been outspoken, and I can't say things are good if they are not.
"The TMO [Television Match Official] and referees are ruining the game."
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Rugby’s greatest ever XV named as David Campese picks Englishman as captain
David Campese has named an Englishman as captain of his immense all-time World XV.
The line-up also includes six Australians, three South Africans and one from Fiji.
BACK-THREE:
- 15. ANDRÉ JOUBERT (South Africa) - Fantastic attacking player, who posed a threat to opposition defences every time he had the ball
- 14. JOE ROFF (Australia) - Great finisher, who effortlessly covered fullback when he had to
- 11. NEMANI NADOLO (Fiji) - At full tilt, is nigh unstoppable, and his skills add another dimension to his powerful running game
CENTRES:
- 13. PHILIPPE SELLA (France) - Epitome of French flair. Excellent link between the inside and outside backs
- 12. TIM HORAN (Australia) - Great runner and strong in defence. Wonderful anticipation.
HALFBACKS:
- 10. JOEL STRANSKY (South Africa) - There was nothing he couldn’t do under pressure. One of the best Springbok fly-halves
- 9. NICK FARR-JONES (Australia) - Great visionary and very unselfish player. One of the great Wallabies captains
FRONT-ROW:
- 1. OS DU RANDT (South Africa) - His scrummaging technique would have complemented McKenzie and Lawton well
- 2. TOM LAWTON (Australia) - Played for the Sharks for a couple of seasons. Had a big frame, but did what was required of him
- 3. EWEN McKENZIE (Australia)| Solid in the scrums and good all-round player on the park. ‘Mr Reliable’ in his heyday
SECOND-ROW:
- 4. MARTIN JOHNSON (c) (England) - Few players demanded respect on the field like him. A great leader and my team’s captain
- 5. IAN JONES (New Zealand) - Pretty smart for a lock forward and one of the greatest lineout exponents of our game
BACK-ROW:
- 6. MICHAEL JONES (New Zealand) | Rugby’s original ‘Iceman’. He was an unbelievable player
- 7. WILLIE OFAHENGAUE (Australia) | A tough player, who never took a backward step. His brute strength took the team forward
- 8. KIERAN READ (New Zealand) | Silky skills, but his work rate off the ball and hard graft in the trenches make him the best in this position
