QF4: Australia v Scotland, 18 October

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AUSTRALIA v SCOTLAND

18 October 2015
16:00 BST (UTC+01)
Twickenham, London

Live on telly

Ref: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
ARs: Glen Jackson (New Zealand) and Pascal Gauzere (France)
TMO: Ben Skeen (New Zealand)

A. Head to Head

28 Played 28
19 Won 9
0 Drawn 0
9 Lost 19
671 Points 330

B. Recent Form

23 November 2013
Murrayfield, Edinburgh
15 – 21 to Australia

5 June 2012
Hunter Stadium, Newcastle
6 – 9 to Scotland

21 November 2009
Murrayfield, Edinburgh
9 – 8 to Scotland

25 November 2006
Murrayfield, Edinburgh
15 – 44 to Australia

20 November 2004
Hampden Park, Glasgow
17 – 31 to Australia

C. TEAMS:
AUSTRALIA

15 Kurtley Beale; 14 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Matt Giteau, 11 Drew Mitchell; 10 Bernard Foley, 9 Will Genia;

1 Scott Sio, 2Stephen Moore, 3 Sekope Kepu, 4 Kane Douglas, 5 Rob Simmons, 6 Scott Fardy, 7 Michael Hooper, 8 Ben McCalman.

Substitutes: 16 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 17 James Slipper, 18 Greg Holmes, 19 Dean Mumm, 20 Sean McMahon, 21 Nick Phipps, 22 Matt Toomua, 23 Quade Cooper.

SCOTLAND

15 Stuart Hogg; 14 Sean Maitland, 13 Mark Bennett, 12 Peter Horne 11 Tommy Seymour; 10 Finn Russell,  9 Greig Laidlaw;

1 Alasdair Dickinson, 2 Ross Ford, 3 Willem Nel, 4 Jonny Gray, 5 Richie Gray, 6 Blair Cowan, 7 John Hardie, 8 David Denton. 


Substitutes: 
16 Fraser Brown, 17 Gordon Reid, 18 Jon Welsh, 19 Tim Swinson, 20 Josh Strauss, 21 Henry Pyrgos, 22 Richie Vernon, 23 Sean Lamont.

Genuine heartfelt commiserations to all of the Scottish fans and posters. Your team did your nation proud today. I've been in your shoes a number of times with a last min Aus win. Awful feeling. Awful outcome. But I think maybe defence let you down today overall.

Well done too to Aus. Never gave up.

So cruel!

Well done Aussies, I hope you pick yourselves up and win this thing now.

Incredibly proud of that effort from Scotland, they can hold their heads up. Gutted not to have made it at the end, but a huge performance and I'm not going to be down on our boys at all after that

Now I'm gutted for Scotland. What a cruel way to lose.

Australia aren't winning this tournament without more help from Joubert.

Gutted.

Gutted, but what a performance. Think 1-15 had the best games of their careers. Outstanding effort, have done the NH proud.

Hell of a performance by your boys, have to be proud of that effort!!!

Plenty to take from this game, but ultimately the tiniest of margins went against you.

Heartbreaking. Well played Scotland.

Bad luck Scots.

My accumulator came in for all quarter-finals though, so that's something!

Heartbreak for Scotland.
Feel so sorry for them
Put up a great fight.

Well done Scotland.
If only.

That was heart-breaking... Surely the ball didn't even come off a Scot for that last penalty?!

Really really feel for you Scottish fans. Everyone did your team's chances down for this, but I think you guys deserved the win more than anyone today. Thought us Welsh would at least be able to take the "most heroic losers" tag - but I think you got "least deserving losers"!

Well with one side's Tragedy comes another side's total relief and joy.

What a f**king day.

What a game - I hope the neutrals enjoyed it. Not the horror show I feared but the result I expected. almost but not quite. heroic defeat once more. A couple of lost lineouts cost us dear. A couple of 50/50 decisions went against us. No doubt the skill heart and tactics were right. almost but no quite

First game since Big Vern took charge that Scotland actually played as we know they can. this competition came a year too early for us. Look out next year in the 6N

I think its time for lamonts words from 2011 again

Shlong wrote:"I'm sick of it - I want to win something, I really do.""I'm sick of having this year after year, valiant losers or whatever.

"We need to pull our fingers out, there's been too many years gone by where we've been also-rans. It's not good enough."

I feel so sorry for Scotland. Commiserations lads.

That was too much that ending. They pretty much deserved to hang on for the win.
I'm happy if we bow out next week... they don't look worthy of progression to the final.

That hurricane was so evil. I thought we were gone there and then. Very, very lucky indeed.

That came off an Aussie - wrong penalty???

RDW_Scotland wrote:That came off an Aussie - wrong penalty???

Unfortunately it's probably why the ref ran off the pitch at the end

RDW_Scotland wrote:That came off an Aussie - wrong penalty???

Without doubt, i'm sick to death of the pro SH bias the refs are showing, it's happening every damn game and has in my opinion changed three of the four quarter finals.

RDW_Scotland wrote:That came off an Aussie - wrong penalty???

Nah. I think it was fair enough. some decision go for you some don't. We should have secured the lineout. thats what cost us

RDW_Scotland wrote:That came off an Aussie - wrong penalty???

So it seems, but unfortunately for us the final whistle has been blown

I'm leaning towards saying it came off a Scottish shoulder now tbh.

ITV pundits calling for a TMO review on the final decision... even though they are not sure themselves after seeing it from every angle. TMO isn't a magic bullet for getting things right. Would still be a 50/50 for the TMO.

Scotland had to win one lineout and clear and they didn't. Unfair on Joubert to focus on one very tight decision and not on Scotland's mistake that led to it.

It's fair to say Gavin Hastings isn't too chuffed on the radio!

"I'm disgusted. I can't over-emphasise my disgust. If I see that man (Joubert) again I will tell him so!"

Sorry - seeing this again - Joubert literally gave that match to Australia. This is a shocking call - hasn't been anything quite as game-killing as this in the RWC, I feel. I really really feel for Scottish fans now. To lose like this is something you never forget.

All the talk about Joubert should of gone upstairs but he was never going to, worst ref their is for favouring SH sides.
As soon as Scotland scored the last try I was waiting for the simple penalty award.

So close dammit!

Fuzzy Dunlop wrote:I'm leaning towards saying it came off a Scottish shoulder now tbh.

It came back off of Phipps hand

Hammersmith harrier wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:That came off an Aussie - wrong penalty???

Without doubt, i'm sick to death of the pro SH bias the refs are showing, it's happening every damn game and has in my opinion changed three of the four quarter finals.

Bollox. Accusations of bias demean us all. a couple of 50/50 calls went against us. I think the last one was correct. I bet the aussie fans can see calls going against them as well

Reffing in this tournament has been very good indeed. What lost us that game was a couple of lineout misses and poor maul defence - not the ref.

Notch wrote:ITV pundits calling for a TMO review on the final decision... even though they are not sure themselves after seeing it from every angle. TMO isn't a magic bullet for getting things right. Would still be a 50/50 for the TMO.

Scotland had to win one lineout and clear and they didn't. Unfair on Joubert to focus on one very tight decision and not on Scotland's mistake that led to it.

Yup

Oof. Gutted but proud. Would have been robbery if we'd taken it to be honest, but games have been won by less worthy teams. We never really had any sort of control.

TJ wrote:

Hammersmith harrier wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:That came off an Aussie - wrong penalty???

Without doubt, i'm sick to death of the pro SH bias the refs are showing, it's happening every damn game and has in my opinion changed three of the four quarter finals.

Bollox.  Accusations of bias demean us all.  a couple of 50/50 calls went against us.  I think the last one was correct.  I bet the aussie fans can see calls going against them as well

Reffing in this tournament has been very good indeed.  What lost us that game was a couple of lineout misses and poor maul defence - not the ref.

Big money day for me with Argentina winnong and a RC sweep.

TJ wrote:

Hammersmith harrier wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:That came off an Aussie - wrong penalty???

Without doubt, i'm sick to death of the pro SH bias the refs are showing, it's happening every damn game and has in my opinion changed three of the four quarter finals.

Bollox.  Accusations of bias demean us all.  a couple of 50/50 calls went against us.  I think the last one was correct.  I bet the aussie fans can see calls going against them as well

Reffing in this tournament has been very good indeed.  What lost us that game was a couple of lineout misses and poor maul defence - not the ref.

Bugger off with this whole 'don't criticise the ref spiel', he's made numerous wrong decisions in the game as he did in the Welsh game too.

Frak my life

Also, about the TMO being asked about that final call;

http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/news/96575

The TMO can be used only in the following circumstances:

-Determining the grounding of the ball in-goal for a try or touchdown and/or whether players were in touch or touch in goal before grounding
-Determining whether a kick at goal has been successful
-Confirm if an infringement has occurred in the build-up to a try or prevention of a try (infringement must be within two phases of the try or touchdown)
-Considering acts of possible foul play

Hammersmith harrier wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:That came off an Aussie - wrong penalty???

Without doubt, i'm sick to death of the pro SH bias the refs are showing, it's happening every damn game and has in my opinion changed three of the four quarter finals.

Sadly Joubert has plenty previous, I dislike how he handles SH teams, and decides who wins.

Last call wasn't an easy one, however after 2/3 watches it is clearly not a penalty! Joubert was watching the big screen too, and soon got off the park!

Sickener

Wow, think you were robbed there Scotland!

Either way you run them closer than Wales and England. Much better game than I was expecting.... well done and commiserations.


Who am I going to support now though?

I have no issues with Joubert. I won't be sending him a Christmas card, but the mistakes were probably doled out equally.

Given how much grief Barnes gets, can we now start calling Joubert the SH barnes?

At least club games will improve after this weekend

Maybe they let Gray (who should have been shown a yellow for giving away a penalty and then tossing the ball away early in the match... wft??) and Ford back on the proviso that Joubert favoured Oz a little and rob Scotland? There was a bad air about this match... lots of bizarre calls on and off the field.

As bad as the ref was we should have dealt with the restarts and lineout - we would have won if we had. It has been our weakness all tournanent. Why throw the lineout long in the rain?

Why was the last kick off kicked long??

TJ,

Two more gracious posts when you must be feeling like kicking anything within reach. If it's any consolation - of course it isn't - the evidence of recent weeks suggests a better 6N for Scotland in 2016 than you've had for many a year. You are far better than Italy and, unless we get our respective acts together by then, England and France too. And, on today's showing, you're a match for the other two, as well.

Hammersmith harrier wrote:

TJ wrote:

Hammersmith harrier wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:That came off an Aussie - wrong penalty???

Without doubt, i'm sick to death of the pro SH bias the refs are showing, it's happening every damn game and has in my opinion changed three of the four quarter finals.

Bollox.  Accusations of bias demean us all.  a couple of 50/50 calls went against us.  I think the last one was correct.  I bet the aussie fans can see calls going against them as well

Reffing in this tournament has been very good indeed.  What lost us that game was a couple of lineout misses and poor maul defence - not the ref.

Bugger off with this whole 'don't criticise the ref spiel', he's made numerous wrong decisions in the game as he did in the Welsh game too.

Open your other eye

Joubert might have been wrong.

It doesn't really matter. Our inability to take restarts in this tournament has put us under pressure in every single gamegame.

If we are serious about making a challenge for the 6N in the new year we need to sort this part of our game out.

Make no mistake that has cost us place in the semi finals more than Craig Joubert.

I think the pundits' point is fair, though. That's a game-deciding call in a complex situation. If nothing else, fairness demands use of the TMO if available.

Contrast that with today's other QF, where Garces went to the TMO before awarding what would have been a red card (because it was the player's second yellow), because "I want to be absolutely sure."

One action shows some sensitivity to the situation. The other doesn't.

Poorfour wrote:Contrast that with today's other QF, where Garces went to the TMO before awarding what would have been a red card (because it was the player's second yellow), because "I want to be absolutely sure."

Aye but they still came to the wrong decision in that case... which just proves that the TMO is not some 100% mechanism for getting the right call. If a referee trusts himself he should blow it.

Ja but the other action was also derided because, you know... a home nation lost.

SimonofSurrey wrote:TJ,

Two more gracious posts when you must be feeling like kicking anything within reach. If it's any consolation - of course it isn't - the evidence of recent weeks suggests a better 6N for Scotland in 2016 than you've had for many a  year. You are far better than Italy and, unless we get our respective acts together by then, England and France too. And, on today's showing, you're a match for the other two, as well.

Indeed - I have said all cup that this is a year too early for us. this is the first game under cotter where we have actually clicked and got things working the way we want

I am used to heroic defeats - its the lot of the Scotland fan. Time for some effing wins. someone is going to pay the price for this loss in the 6N.

Incredibly gracious interview from Drew Mitchell