Craig Joubert joins a long list of referees who've had a howler at the Rugby World Cup. Photo / AP
Want a tasty sporting controversy, then dial into any Rugby World Cup.
Those wanting more help for referees could mount a dossier going back to the initial tournament in 1987 when the confident Aussies looked as if they were heading for the final until French fullback Serge Blanco scored a
late try.
Those were the days when the referee, Brian Anderson from Scotland, with some minimal impact from his touchjudges was in charge of every decision. Blanco looked to have cut the sideline in Tommy Lawton's desperate attempt to prevent the try in an incident which would have been an automatic referral to the TMO.
Every tournament since there has been some major dispute.
• 1987 Blanco's disputed try.
• 1991 Dave Bishop manhandled by angry French captain Daniel Dubroca in the tunnel.
• 1995 Derek Bevan awarded gold watch by Bok supremo Louis Luyt after his display in semifinal when he ruled French lock Abdel Benazzi was stopped a foot short of the Boks line in the waterlogged Durban test.
• 1999 Paddy O'Brien admits he erred in making three crucial decisions which all favoured France and allowed them to escape with a 28-19 win against Fiji and a rest before the playoffs.
• 2003 Jonathan Kaplan continued to referee a game between England and Samoa when England had 16 men on the field. While there were calls for England's expulsion they were fined 10,000 pounds instead.
• 2007 Wayne Barnes and the infamous forward pass in France's win against the All Blacks.
• 2011 Bryce Lawrence admits to multiple mistakes especially in the scrums while the Boks seethed about his breakdown rulings when they dominated their quarterfinal but lost 11-9 to the Wallabies.
• 2015 Craig Joubert's offside decision against Scotland allows Wallaby Bernard Foley to kick the winning penalty-a ruling which World Rugby criticises.
