Rugby: Craig Joubert has no regrets over 2011 World Cup final

Referee Craig Joubert in the All Blacks and Argentina Rugby Championship test match at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton. Photo / Jason Oxenham.

South African rugby referee Craig Joubert has offered insight into the process of refereeing tight games, after he was quizzed on the 2011 Rugby World Cup final.

"Often you get games which come down, there's only a point or two in it for the last couple of minutes and then a lot of scrutiny comes on," Joubert told Radio Sport.

"That game was really unique, in that for 25 minutes there was one point in it.

"That doesn't often happen, that you've got 25 minutes of forensic scrutiny on every decision and non-decision."

Joubert, who recently announced his retirement from refereeing the 15-a-side game to take up a role with World Rugby, insisted that focusing on what's in front of you is the most important thing when refereeing close games.

"You've got to just stay connected with what you're seeing in front of you. You've got to referee the clear and obvious. You've got to make sure you remain committed to only what's clear and obvious, and I think that was really important to me that day," said Joubert.

39-year-old Joubert, who was in charge of 69 tests and 103 Super Rugby games, also commented on the high level of consistency found in New Zealand rugby.

"I think there's a real consistency amongst the whole of New Zealand Rugby around the way New Zealand plays. In your franchises there's a consistency around the way the teams are conditioned, the way that teams apply their skillset and how they play the game.

"I think that's beneficial for the All Blacks. When you put all the franchise players in and then up high to the All Blacks they're all coming from a skillset which is pretty well co-ordinated by New Zealand Rugby as a whole. What that does is it gives them confidence, and confidence is a priceless commodity.

"I think that you've probably seen that, they can play with confidence, they can get themselves out of holes and only confident teams are able to do that."