Craig Joubert named touch judge in Scotland Six Nations clash

Craig Joubert has been named as first touch judge for Scotland’s clash against Ireland in Dublin on the final weekend of this season’s RBS 6 Nations.
Referee Craig Joubert will once again face Scotland in the Six Nations next year. Picture: TSPLReferee Craig Joubert will once again face Scotland in the Six Nations next year. Picture: TSPL
Referee Craig Joubert will once again face Scotland in the Six Nations next year. Picture: TSPL

The appointment means that the South African referee will take control of proceedings if French referee Pascal Gauzere is unable to complete the match for any reason.

Joubert earned notoriety during the World Cup for the way he handled Scotland’s agonising quarter-final defeat to Australia, and specifically his late decision to award a penalty against Jon Welsh after ruling that the prop had collected the ball in an offside position following a miscued line-out.

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That allowed Bernard Foley to kick the three vital points which earned the Wallabies a last-gasp victory.

Joubert then compounded the situation by running off the field of play at the end of the game rather than shaking hands with the players.

World Rugby made the unusual decision to release a statement which said Joubert had made the wrong decision over the late penalty, further inflaming Scotland’s sense of injustice.

Joubert was unable to use the Television Match Official at the time, a rule which is being reviewed.

Joubert, whose role at theAviva Stadium on 19 March is bound to come under intense scrutiny, has also been named as referee for England’s clash with Wales at Twickenham on 12 March, his first major appointment since the controversy at the World Cup.

Among the other appointments announced yesterday, Nigel Owens, who was referee for the World Cup final, will touchjudge a couple of matches before 
whistling the clash between France and England in Paris.