aracer – no, a Scotland win without the penalty is hardly a given. We’d already put ourselves under massive pressure by screwing up both the restart and the line-out.

Nevertheless, it’s hardly a guaranteed Aussie win either. They had 2 minutes to score from a scrum a short way inside the Scotland half. Any turnover, handling error, infringement or Scotland merely keeping them pushed-back long enough to run-down the clock would have been enough to give Scotland the win.

Being behind with barely 2 minutes to go is a desperate, desperate situation in a knock-out game, most definitely not where you want to be! Would still have been backing Scotland at that point.

Most of them criticised him for running off rather than for the decision. Still can’t say that I’ve seen a good excuse for that.

I agree but I think Hastings over reacted to that plus he may say he felt some hostility etc given what he had just done. Not making excuses but it was nothing more than “very unusual”

Don’t know why the ref ran, we just wanted a wee chat with him…

When I was playing hockey at a reasonable level any player who challenged the umpires was promptyl told “to stop behaving like a footballer”.

Other than in cases of blatant cheating or material incompetence, I have always regarded all sporting officials to be just another factor of the game, much like the pitch conditions, the light or the weather.

I agree with Jambalaya – Joubert’s been hung out to dry.

The obvious reaction will be that the TMO is rolled out for all sorts of things. As someone who watches lots of rubgy league, I have to say it feels like the on pitch ref sends it up to the video ref too often, for too long, which creates real breaks of play.

So have I got this right. It should not have been a penalty because the Australian scrum half admitted trying to play the ball after the match? However, at normal speed the ref merely concluded it bounced off him by accident or didn’t touch him at all? Also I’m pretty sure after it hits the Aussie it then brushes a Scottish player’s shoulder before it goes forward and is picked up off the floor which I think is what the Aussie players were appealing for – doesn’t this make a difference?

Anyhow, isn’t Edwards’s contract with Wales up now? He largely did a pretty good effort with the Welsh Defence. By the time England finish their review he will probably signed something else.

This

The refs decision should stand, it’s taken numerous replays and days to determine that he was mistaken. TBH I’m not even sure he was that awful in the rest of the game – the big decision which I disagree with was taken by the TMO, and he got some things very right – it would have been very easy to have just given the Australia try rather than get the TMO to look at the knock on.

The other thing to bear in mind about that penalty which “lost Scotland the game” – they would have never have been in that situation if they’d had a better line-out. After a great game, their fate was in their own hands at that line-out.

If we’d beaten Australia we’d have gone on to beat Argentina* and meet the All Blacks in the final. Given what they did to France I shudder to think what they would do to us with the whole world watching.

This may be a blessing in disguise.

* I know what you’re going to say but it’s plausible

Something I don’t understand is when the TMO can impose himself on the game. I understand that CJ couldn’t refer the decision to the TMO but could the TMO have said ‘check check’ and then checked who the last person to touch the ball was?.

After all, if the TMO can overturn the knock on and turn it into a deliberate knock on to get Maitland yellow carded then surely he could let CJ know that he was checking the knock on at the line out and overturn the penalty if it turned out to be unintentional?

Anyway, still RWC related…. Marler is a bit simple isn’t he

I have a question about side entry to rucks. Scotland V Australia at the weekend, last ruck of the game. Number 18 comes in from the side of a ruck and then holds the opposing player on the ground. What should the “penalty” be for that? And can the TMO butt in on that one given that it’s foul play?

wanmankylung – pretty straight forward offside at a ruck. Two parallel lines of offside, both running through the back feet of the rearmost player on each side.

You can join the ruck alongside your last man, as long as your feet are no further forwards than his.

which ruck are you referring to in the vid? Got a timestamp?

Laidlaw was one of the NH players of the tournament IMO – I can forgive a bit of emotion and hurt after all that effort.

Without the penalty it still isn’t a forgone conclusions but a scrum would pretty much leave it a gotta play everything for aus. Given that the previous one took three minutes, give or take.

As for throwing to the back, was it not because the Australians loaded the front of the lineout meaning we can’t throw to front due to challenge or middle as Fraser is a flat thrower. Good choice for aus as a long throw becomes difficult in those conditions. Good thinking rugby.

Definitely this @wanman, I couldn’t believe it when everyone started running around backwards and forwards and from where we were sat it looked overthrown by the reserve hooker. Not a high percentage call and no need for attacking ball off the back just throw short/middle and secure possession and waste time. I didn’t actually see any replays if there where any at the time as my head was in my hands.

Agreed @tmh on Laidlaw

*You’re

Neither is kicking a drop-goal from an angle on a wet and windy day…

I think it was the same kind of idiot who decided to throw short for England against Wales…….

But leaving the tail option open makes it look easier and worth the risk.

Find me a team who change their line-out calldepending on where the defence loads the line-out….. it doesn’t happen.You’re over-thinking it.

The more I look at it the more I think that the TMO was not supposed to intervene for the knock on. He can only intervene if he thinks that foul play prevented a try from being scored.

If it was judged that the knock on prevented a try then the only judgment could have been penalty try.

This, to me, is way more serious an issue than the final penalty call. I have sympathy for CJ on that one. It was a snap decision that he had to make and couldn’t legally check.

If the TMO intervened when he wasn’t allowed to then that points to a lack of understanding of the laws rather than a lapse of judgment.