IT'S ALL IN THE PAST NOW

Those days are passed now and in the past they must remain, so go the words of Flower of Scotland. The organisers, World Rugby, has hung the ref out to dry and declared that the Australian penalty should have in fact been a scrum. So what, the results stands and Scotland were possibly denied a semi final place for the first time since 1991. I still think Oz may have got close enough in the time remaining to drop a goal, but hey, who cares..

On watching a great match through once again, I noticed several things - one was Joubert's unwillingness to ping Australia for constantly failing to roll away from the tackle so slowing down Scottish ball, and the second was Australia's streetwise'ness (cynical gamesmanship, call it whatever), demonstrated by Genia deliberately throwing the ball at a retreating Bennett, when he was not blocking the pass to Foley to earn a penalty, and, worst of all was Phipps, his replacement, shouting for a penalty at the end, knowing he had scooped the ball backwards with his hand. The booing of the ref and the Australia kicker was not pleasant but understandable, and wouldn't have bothered the Aussies at all. They are used to playing in New Zealand where crowds jeer all the time. Last but not least, Cheika's seizure of the moral high ground is amusing - I assume he would have taken the injustice on the chin if the boot had been on the other foot...

Sir, he has caught my pass in open play, how illegal...