Boks show empathy for Joubert
The Springboks have voiced support for SA referee Craig Joubert, after his wrong decision ended Scotland's World Cup.
|||London – Beleaguered South African referee Craig Joubert may be hiding in the deepest and darkest hole in all of England but he will find solace in knowing that he is not alone as he contemplates life after his wrong decision on Saturday knocked Scotland out of the Rugby World Cup.
Like a man running for his life, Joubert sprinted off the turf at Twickenham and into the tunnel moments after awarding a match winning penalty to Australia instead of a scrum and that was the fatal blow for Scotland who had looked at pulling off a major upset with a slender one point lead.
Joubert has been castigated by many of Scotland’s rugby greats including Gavin Hastings while being publicly tried, judged and executed in the media for the decision that also saw an uncharacteristic move by Joubert’s bosses of releasing a statement that confirmed that the man from Pietermaritzburg had made the wrong decision.
However, Joubert has received some words of empathy from his compatriots with Springbok wing Bryan Habana speaking highly if Joubert’s competence as a referee.
“It is difficult. Craig has helped us out a lot in the past four years but unfortunately the circumstances that happened on Saturday we have no control over. Unfortunately the decisions that he made have been brought under the microscope but for me personally the standard of refereeing in the tournament has been generally of a high standard,” said Habana from the Springboks team hotel in Guilford.
At the same time, though, Habana also sympathised with the Scots who were denied their greatest moment at a World Cup and it would have been more special against one of the teams touted as contenders to win the tournament.
Habana spoke of the Springboks pain in being dumped out of the 2011 Rugby World Cup in the quarterfinals by Australia with New Zealand referee Bryce Lawrence also taking a lot of criticism for his poor officiating of the game.
“We feel for Craig in a way but that is something we can’t comment on, it’s a decision we didn’t make and a decision that we weren’t a part of. We were there in 2011 so we know how Scotland feel. There might be one or two messages sent to Craig but for us what is important now is the match coming up this Saturday against the All Blacks,” said Habana.