South African referee Craig Joubert will referee Sunday’s World Cup final between the All Blacks and France. It will be his first World Cup final.
Joubert, who controlled yesterday’s semifinal between the All Blacks and Wallabies at Eden Park, becomes only the second South African to take charge of a final after Andre Watson who has controlled two.
Joubert will be joined by 2007 final referee Alain Rolland (Ireland) and Nigel Owens (Wales) as assistant referees and Guilio de Santis (Italy) as television match official. Rolland is the reserve referee.
Wayne Barnes will take charge of the play-off for third between Australia and Wales at Eden Park on Friday. The Englishman will be assisted by Romain Poite (France) and George Clancy (Ireland) with Shaun Veldsman (South Africa) as television match official.
International Rugby Board Referee Manager Paddy O’Brien said: “The IRB Match Official Selection Committee was delighted with Craig and Alain’s performances in the semifinals.
“We may be nearing the conclusion of what has been a truly superb Rugby World Cup, but our focus remains firmly on consistency, penalising the clear and the obvious and tackling the ‘big five’ areas.
“Collectively we continue to work together as a unit and maintain a zero tolerance attitude towards infringements and foul play across the key areas of the game. In that regard, I would also like to thank the coaches for their buy-in to the process during this tournament.”
IRB Match Official Selection Committee Chairman David Pickering said: “It was a very tough selection process. The overall standard in performance by the match official team has been superb and I would like to thank the panel for their dedication, teamwork and professionalism over the past four years, not just the six weeks of the tournament. They can be proud of playing their full part in contributing to what has been an exceptional Rugby World Cup.”
Joubert said: “It is an enormous honour to get the final and I would like to thank Paddy and the committee for giving me the opportunity. The whole team has performed superbly, assisted each other and bonded over the course of the last six weeks and I would like to thank them for their support and best wishes. I am now really looking forward to getting out there and enjoying the occasion.”
After his performance in the semi yesterday, he was the obvious choice.
Good article by Gavin Rich , note how he feels we did change our game plan to possession to our own detriment and how much the AB,s used the up and under with precise precision.
http://www.supersport.com/rugby/rugby-world-cup/news/111017/Semis_bring_perspective_on_Bok_demise
Am i the only one who feel that the Jake White, England 2003, game plan is still a dominating part of the plans of the successful teams this year?
Look how much of that plan is used by the All Blacks.
So maybe our Springbok plans could have worked , if only we could get past Pocock and Friend.
you guys do realise that every RWC final since our re admission where SA was not in the final it has been a South African referee?
Very astute article in my humble opinion (marred only by the fact that at the bottom of the page was a headline, and I quote ”
Habana signs for WP again”). It seems so obvious that the next coach – apart from having the right coaching plan – needs to someone who is going to instil a ‘thinking’ ethos into the team. It was pretty plain to see, that yesterday, tactically, NZ out-thought Aus on their feet (as well as every other facet of the game), and is something we cannot seem to deal with. Thinking on our feet, adjusting the game plan slightly, and being able to formulate “plan C, D, E and F” as the situation arises on the field is as important. That is why I feel that a coach in the calibre of John Mitchell (not necessarily him) is so important. For me, a cross between John Mitchell (thinking), Jake White (strategist) Heyneke Meyer (the rest) would be brilliant, but then I thought I spotted some polar bears fly past this morning, so….
@ Just For Kicks:
I agree about thinking players, sadly most rugby players in Sa don’t enjoy the process of thinking, some will indeed use their brains for the first time if they had to start to think on a rugby field.
I am surprised that Paddy O’B, hasn’t given the whistle to Bryce for the final. You know, just to make sure that after 24 years the right team wins.
kan babas drome onthou? wel, na vanoggend dink ek beslis so. michael (8 maande) skrik vanoggend wakker en hy’s de moer in vir my. hoekom weet ek nie! hy lag en gesels met almal, maar al wat ek kry is sulke lang vuil kyke! sy oë staan behoorlik stil in sy kop soos hy my aangluur! ek besluit toe maar aangesien ek nog so ñ pr minute het voor ek moet opstaan, kan ek net sowel bietjie met die ou speel. ek sit die ou op my bors neer, maar al wat ek kry is oë wat botstil staan en ñ mond wat opgeblaas is. die volgende oomblik gee die ou my sommer ñ drie-vinger “up yours”. hel, hy druk amper daai vingers in my neus op. wel, my 1ste gedagte is “dis toeval. hytit nie regtig bedoel nie.’ sy ma stap ñ pr minute later die kamer in, ek vertel haar wat gebeur het, en hy gee my sowaar weer daai 3-vinger “up yours”. lol, eks confused, ek weet nou nog nie wat ek gemaak het nie!!
Well done Craig….not just jingoism….but you deserve it. It will if anything be to Frances detriment as there are some subtle differences with SA and NH interpretation of the law. The final should ahve been the Kiwi’s and the Boks…on form these are the teams that should have met. But all the best to the Kiwi’s it has been theirs to lose since we got taken out by Bryce…..and ourselves, by leaving 20 points on the field over and above the 14 we were snied out of. If a different France arrive on the weekend and the Kiwi’s are a bit nervous then we could be in for a good game….but for me Aaron Cruden is the “dogs bollocks” and will steer NZ to a win…..and they can finally relax after missing a generation plus 4 years of world cup drought. My money is on New Zeland to become the first team to retain the cup in 4 years time…..if Gatland becomes their coach!!!
A nothing, media made up headline. As Biltonbek has pointed out, every final has had a saffa ref except obviously, for the ones in which we participated. It’s quite a normal expected thing. Even in the super15, the best refs are saffas.
@ biltongbek:That is so, but as I said in an earlier blog comment, we do have the brains amongst some of our players, present and past – qualified doctors, accounts, Lawyers, etc. It is almost as if we teach them not to think on a rugby field.
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