England was robbed. It WAS a try. The fourth official was Australian?

Question

We would have won if it had been awarded. Your thoughts?

Answer 1

I am English and after some observation, i had to agree with the decision that was made. The leg touched the line just as the ball was planted down past try line.

Shame, better luck next year lads.

Answer 2

Yes it looked like a try to me but things like that happen.  Well done both teams.  I was hoping England would win because of the passion, resilience and determination they showed in the quarters and semi finals from an All Black supporter but in my opinion it was still the two best teams in the World.  Congratulations to both teams.

Answer 3

Seriously, from what i could see ..  that was a try. I know i'm English, and so obviously i wanted it to be a try, but that really should of been alowed.

If we had been given that try .. England would of probably won the World Cup. We would of still been a couple points behind South Africa .. but we could of concentrated on scoring a drop goal in the last 15 mins on the game .. instead we had to get a converted try and a penalty ! .. We just ran out of time.

Personally i think England were the better team. We attacked more whereas South Africa just stayed back and defended. Our boys deserved it ! They put there heart and soul into that game and made England proud !

But oh well .. life goes on .. England are always cheated at every sport we play .. Remember the footie World Cup ? .. The Euro 2004 ? .. Even the Euro qualifier against Russia .. No way should of Russia been alowed a penalty .. Rooney was outside the box ffs !

England 4 Life !!!

Answer 4

No try. Stop whinging.

If there was ever a World Cup for whinging then the English would win it. Everyone always cheats you. You never lose because you are the worst side. Must be terrible being cheated all the time.

Answer 5

Julz I hate it when people ask questions like this -The try was n't given so why the inquest (inquests are ok in football where there is lack of respect) but it just makes us (English) seem like poor losers and bad sportsmen.  We've got another 4 years to improve further,  bring on some of the youth simmering  just under international level and do it all over again.  Let this match stand as one where our lads tried hard -  did brilliant because they got into a final they were never expected to, and didn't get a whitewash like the last time they played SA.

I'm proud of our boys, and well done to SA.

Answer 6

NO it wasnt a try - england didnt deserve to win the match. They were fortunate to get into the final-the play to their limitations and tonight S.A. beat them fair and square.

PS I am english

Answer 7

i wondered how long it would be for an excuse, honestly if we dont come home with a trophy, its either a bandage or someone elses fault......

maybe a true reflection on why we never win anything, because we are all to easily accepting excuses of the fact that we were not the better team.

Answer 8

No try. And England wouldn't have won. You lost. Thank goodness.

Now we'll have four years of whingeing...

Answer 9

am devastated, what was wrong, the whole game woulda been cbhanged

Answer 10

everytime england are in a final...football...or rugby

we are cheated

you should be used to it

Answer 11

England had an up hill struggle in Paris.The french even lit up the eiffel tower in Green and Gold the SA colours.How bias is that.South Africa werent allowed to play their normal game because of the passion of the English Bulldogs.The ref did England no favours and South Africa come away the lucky winners.The disallowed try was a bordeline case and feel as though it should have been given.The french are bad losers and all stops were out to deprive us of a victory tonight.Tomorrow we have our Lewis and in spite of all the knives stuck in him he comes back fighting and will bring home the World Championship where it belongs.Sick, of course because of the lack of sportsmanship by the French,We desreved better tonight.

Answer 12

ho diddums

Answer 13

Go Aussie Go!!!!!!! Now we start blaming anyone we can think of. The correct decision was made. Check the replays and educate yourself on the rules.

Answer 14

Oh for goodness sake, get a grip.  Are you blind or just in denial?  The replays clearly show his foot was into touch before the ball was grounded.  Enough already.

Answer 15

Could have gone either way, personally I would have given it just to make the game more interesting. They Bokke would have been forced to spark up and start playing some real rugby.

Why is it that when England play a boring kicking game people get grumpy, but when RSA (with arguable the best back line in the world) do it in the world cup final, people cheer ?

Answer 16

No try, but take the 7 points if you're that bothered, you'd still have lost!

Answer 17

YES. The pom basher behind the glass sealed England's fate.

Answer 18

Stop whining Percy! it was not a try, and you would still have lost anyway

Answer 19

Since when did the fourth official referee a match.

Answer 20

Yes but it`s done now. It won`t change anything.

Answer 21

His foot was in touch no doubt.

Answer 22

Foot was on the line before he scored. Close, but clear. The video photo from behind shows it most clearly, as does the image frame to which I include the link. I still encourage viewing the life replay from behind. Cueto's foot did lift into the air at the moment he grounded (allowing for the cry-foul pictures in the tabloids), but the ball was dead then. This was evident in the stadium, where the replays were shown. Initially English supporters cheered, but went quiet when the back camara angle was shown, at which point the South Africans cheered. Something else worth noting, the ref was playing advantage to England at the time, who kicked the penalty after Cueto was ruled out. England could therefore have gained either four or two extra points had the try been allowed, not seven. The winning margin was nine points. Therefore the argument concerns either two or four extra points, on a nine point margin. It is really a far stretch to speculate with certainty what would have happened. No doubt people are arguing that England would have played more defensive, had they been in the lead (by one point). Judging on Jonny's (who had an excellent game) kicking form of late, he would statistically have been more likely to miss the difficult conversion, leaving England trailing by 1 point. Anyway, on a one point margin neither team, at the beginning of the second half, would have drastically changed their game plan, as both would have been motivated to score.

Objectively, the whole debate raised by English fans does not come accross very well. England definately did loose. It is extremely unfair to South Africans to rob them of their moment of basking in the sun because of claims this way and that way that England was supposedly better. South Africa stayed extremely calm right to the end. The usage of the bench is a good case in point. Failure to involve their expected match winning factor (Habana) is another. It would have been much more graceful if England accepted defeat, and cherished their progress from first round struggler to serious contender in the final. Even hearing the attempted try referred to as 50/50, and speculation that England would have won had it been awarded, has seriously damaged my respect for the English.

Answer 23

i was thinking that watching the game............... bad losers

Answer 24

plus ca change.

Answer 25

It certainly looks like he got it wrong, but then mistakes are made. There have been a few in particular the AB's got it a bit rough. I think you have to look at it in the overall context of the game. We gifted SA 9 points and both sides missed a couple of chances. I thought England played as well as they could but the SA defence was world class. I am desperately disappointed we have lost but I think the best team in the tournament has won the trophy. We should not blame the 4th official for our loss. We did have some chances, plenty of possession work rate was top notch.

I don't feel any Englishman should ashamed of our efforts. Especially if you think back to how the football team surrendered in Moscow.

Brilliant England and congrats to SA are my final thoughts.

Good Night!

Answer 26

OK so blame the fourth Official because he is Australian. How ridiculous. The fact is the call was correct, it was not a try. You need to accept the loss like we did here in Australia and NZ and stop blaming everyone for your own downfalls. You relied on Wilkinson to win the WC for you again. I was supporting England but its tiresome listening to you rag out Australia and other nations all the time because you feel superior or cannot accept that it wasn't your day.

Answer 27

I've already said this on another Q

The video referee made a call on a very close decision. We have to live by his decision and get on with it.

On another day it might have gone our way but it's just a game so get over it.

Answer 28

if we had maybe.  but then if we hadn't given away several silly penalties we may also have won.  Its useless talking about.  we just weren't good enough in the end, we may only have got 5 points from that try and we got 3 anyway so we would still have been a good 7 points short

Answer 29

It was close, but why dwell on it?

the one positive thing that I have noticed from the whole tournament, as been the friendliness, sportsmanship, and generally good manners from everyone involved, players and supporters. No arguing with referees decisions, and very little feigning injuries. What a good example for football to emulate.

so don't dwell on maybes, accept the result with good grace and accept it.

Answer 30

I'm an England fan and am gutted. But I think Cueto's foot touched the line before he put the ball down. I think unfortunately, it was the right call.

Answer 31

Cuetos foot clearly hit the chalk. Accept it and move on you poms. As a New Zealander you shouldnt feel hard done by. Just cast a thought back to Wayne Barnes and his disgraceful refereeing in the Quarter Final. Stop thrash talking Stuart Dickinson (TMO) and start questioning your Barnes. NO TRY< LIVE IT< GROW UP. We did.