In world rugby, the referees have one of the toughest jobs. Every one of their decisions could have a major impact on the outcome of the game, and possibly the season.
Every referee has to make difficult decisions and will get criticized at some point in time by players, coaches and most often, the fans.
The best referees around are those who can live with criticism and can make the correct decision most of the time.
However, there have been a number of blatant blunders by officials in the past. Here are five of the worst errors.
Worst refereeing decisions in rugby:
1. Speargate on the Lions Tour
The Lions tour of New Zealand kicked off with a storm of controversy as a brutal spear tackle on Captain Brian O’Driscoll halted his tour within mere minutes. In a shocking display, O’Driscoll was lifted by two players in the ruck, a clear violation of the rules, yet the referee allowed play to continue.
This pivotal moment reverberated throughout the world of rugby, prompting a significant response from authorities to tighten restrictions on such dangerous tackles.
2. Mark Cueto's try
Matthew Tait sliced open the Boks defence and hurtled towards the line. Andy Gomarsall moved it quickly to Mark Cueto on the left wing who dived through the tackle of Danie Rossouw and over the line.
Alain Rolland called for the TMO. It was tight. Impossibly tight. No try.
England were instead awarded a penalty which Wilkinson slotted, and roused by Cueto’s diving effort they had the momentum.
But the Springbok nut was impossible to crack. Montgomery’s boot kept a huffing and puffing England at bay, guiding his side to a 15-6 win.
South Africa were deserved World Champions, England the plucky, dethroned former kings.
But if Cueto’s ghost try had stood, it all could have been so different.
3. Wayne Barnes - NZ v France 2007 RWC
Many Kiwis still haven't gotten over Barnes' performance in the 2007 RWC quarter-final against France.
Barnes missed a clear forward pass from Damien Traille to Freddie Michalak in the lead up to a France try.
It led to the All Blacks' earliest ever exit from a World Cup.
4. Scotland v Australia a the 2015 World Cup
Scotland were heavy underdogs in this game and yet a Mark Bennett interception try with seven minutes to go, seemed to have given Scotland the victory and place in the semi finals.
With 2 minutes left to play, Scotland make a hash of their lineout, the ball bobbles around a few times and Joubert awards a penalty to Australia for Scotland playing the ball in an offside position.
At the time, the TMO couldn’t be used to review these sorts of incidents, so Craig Joubert was left to make a decision based on what he saw in that split second. Unfortunately for him, the penalty incident was replayed on the big screen as the kick was taken and the crowd could see the ball had hit an Australian player.
The game finished with Joubert beating a hasty retreat from the ground, after Foley had kicked the penalty to give Australia a 35-34 point victory.
World Rugby later released a statement saying that Joubert had got it wrong.
5. Third test of the British and Irish Lions 2017 tour
The ball comes forward from Liam Williams and Ken Owens momentarily catches the ball before dropping it. Referee Romain Poite immediately signals for a penalty for a deliberate offside, and in such a kickable position the series looks to be New Zealand’s.
After demonstrations from the Lions’ captain Sam Warburton, Poite decides to ask the TMO to check the incident.
After talking to the TMO Poite seems to be happy with his original decision that it was a deliberate offside and therefore a penalty, but by the time he has walked over to the two captains, his view has changed and he deems Owens’ intervention to be accidental and therefore just a scrum.
Make your own mind up. Did Read fairly challenge Williams in the air? Did the ball come forward off Williams? Was Owens’ contact accidental or deliberate?
