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PARIS - England wing Mark Cueto was adamant his disallowed try in the Rugby World Cup final against South Africa should have stood as video referee Stuart Dickinson's ruling threatened to become a talking point for years to come.
However Paddy O'Brien, the International Rugby Board's referees manager, was equally convinced that Australian official Dickinson, had made an "absolutely brilliant decision."
The Springboks, who won 15-6 and so stopped England from becoming the first side to win back-to-back World Cups, were leading 9-3 at the Stade de France early in Saturday's second-half when, after a break by Mathew Tait, Cueto went over in the left corner under challenge from South Africa No 8 Danie Rossouw.
Dickinson, called on by Irish match referee Alain Rolland, consulted replays for several minutes before disallowing the try on the grounds that Cueto had gone into touch before placing the ball over the line.
Had Dickinson, a Test referee in his own right, given Rolland the go-ahead to award the try and Jonny Wilkinson kicked the conversion, England would have been a point ahead.
"I knew it was a try," Cueto, only playing because of a hamstring injury to 2003 World Cup winner Josh Lewsey, told reporters afterwards. "As a player you get instincts and nine times out of 10 those instincts are right.
"Even watching it on the replay, as 80,000 other people did (at the ground), I still thought it was a try. Unfortunately, the decision didn't go our way."
Cueto and supporters from both sides were put through a torrid few minutes as replays from different angle, show on the Stade de France's giant screen, encouraged first England then Springbok fans.
"The longer it goes on, the worse it gets," said Cueto, who was sure he hadn't strayed into touch.
"From the front you could see the ground and it was fine. From the back you could see the foot wasn't in touch. I was amazed when he didn't award it. For me, it was 100 per cent a try.
"We were six points behind and if Wilko had kicked it we would have been one point up," the 27-year-old Sale back added.
"I think it made a massive difference. Instead of chasing the game in the final minutes we could have been ahead and kicked for position in their half.
"They came back and kicked a penalty and instead of being one point behind or one point ahead we were behind by nine points."
Veteran England back-row Lawrence Dallaglio, a World Cup winner four years ago, said it had been a close call. "If you're an Englishman it definitely was a try. If you're a South African, it definitely wasn't."
Dejected England scrum-half Andy Gomarsall added: "I thought that it was a try, me and millions of others."
Tait, who was brilliantly tackled by lock Victor Matfield, who had an outstanding match, to end a 40 metre run that had taken the Newcastle centre in sight of the line, said: "It was a second row that caught me, which makes it more embarrassing.
"It's disappointing that we've not been awarded that try in the corner. It would have been a totally different ball game."
But O'Brien insisted Dickinson had made the correct call. "It was an absolutely brilliant decision by the television match official," he told Britain's Sunday Times. "There is a great photo of his (Cueto's) foot just on the line prior to grounding the ball.
"There is no issue, there is no doubt. People may criticise officials for taking time, but it is better that it is correct."
- AFP
