Scotland interim head coach Scott Johnson admits his side were duped in their loss to Wales last weekend at Murrayfield.
A total of 28 penalties were dished out by referee Craig Joubert, with Scotland bearing the brunt at the scrum.
"We were frustrated that we got conned at the weekend," said Johnson to The Scotsman.
"We warned everyone that some teams do these things, but I don't want to be a coach who tells his players to start diving like soccer players. I want to tell them we're going to be competitive and, if we're not good enough, we're not good enough. I don't want to start chasing rainbows by telling them to cheat.
"The scrum becomes so important, the decisions so critical, that it creates anger that adds to other areas of the game, and that stops the game flowing.
"We're not at the stage of our development to be sitting here trying to con people. We're trying to do it right. That may be the moral high ground, but New Zealand are the same. They've just been together longer and they get a reputation, and it's amazing, when you get a reputation, how often the benefit of the doubt goes to you.
"[Craig Joubert] didn't cost us the game. At no stage am I complaining about Craig. If we got him again this week, I'd welcome him.
"What we want is consistency. What is viewed as correct and what is viewed as incorrect? I can show you the stats for the referee this weekend [Welshman Nigel Owens]. They're completely opposite to the guy last weekend. Every time we get a referee, we do our due diligence on them and you would not believe how much they differ from one another. It is drastically different.
"I can spend my whole time getting the team prepared to play against X [referee], but I don't want to do that. Naive or not, this team is trying to grow, trying to get an ethic and if I change that, we're deluding ourselves."
Johnson refused to confirm whether he would continue as coach of Scotland after the conclusion of the Six Nations, stating that his situation would be reviewed at the end of the championship.
''This ride is not about me. It's about Scotland. I've got a job to do and that is to prepare for a World Cup, whether I'm there or not, " added Johnson.
"It's about Scotland. I've got a job to do and that is to prepare for a World Cup, whether I'm there or not. It's important for Scotland's development that I get that part right.
"I will review it with the appropriate people at the end of the campaign, like I said at day one. We will sit down and decide what is in the best interests of Scottish rugby."
Comments
jehosophat says...
Interesting that Rowntree's comments seem to have led to a gazillion anti-English posts whereas this passed by with nothing but tumbleweed to show for it...
Johnson seems to be very directly saying that Wales were illegally seeking penalties at the scrum which is very similar to Rowntree's comments.
In the England/Wales case it only made a difference to the scale of the loss but Scotland could more reasonably argue they could have won otherwise.
Wales are clearly very streetwise...
Posted 15:14 22nd March 2013
dodgyrog says...
@ramage
Im irish, so I was a nuetral
Posted 13:31 21st March 2013
ABlack says...
Interesting piece by Johnson and directed at Joubert and the top refs in general which is fair enough if there are massive inconsistencies. Most of the inconsistencies seem still to be between SH and NH refs who go to the opposite hemisphere and referee test games. Players in each hemisphere have to readjust to rulings and some coaches and players do this better than others, which in the bigger scheme of things isnt fair and the IRB refs committee need to ensure consistency. Take England in the SN game against Wales, they didnt adjust and got canned in the penalty count accordingly.
We in the SH have been appalled at NH refs for decades lack of fitness and not able to keep up with the speed of game and missing crucial pieces of the game, which seems to be fixed now the TMO has a larger role to play in tries especially. So the SH refs seem to ref the scrum differently to NH refs from what Johnson is saying BUT which refs are following the scrum rule book correctly? SH or NH?
Posted 18:33 17th March 2013
Ramage says...
@dodgyrog do you think Joubert dropped to the level of the last Scottish International referee of any note, the rather dodgy poncy Jim Fleming who ruined many a game during his tenure with the whistle?
I wonder. if this is the belief of the Scots supporters, when the hate mail and death threats start arriving at Craig Joubert's address and anyone else's in South Africa whose name happens to be Craig Joubert. Will we hear the head of Scottish referees coming out and stating that Craig Joubert should be sacked and never referee another test match? Will it end up that so many threats are made Joubert will never feel safe enough to go back to Scotland. Probably not as the Scots are usually pretty level headed and despite their many losses dont believe there is a world conspiracy against their country. Apart from Westminster that is. Lol.
Posted 05:24 16th March 2013
dodgyrog says...
joubert was shocking, When I played you always have to adopt to the refs interpretation but Scotland had no chance.Again joubert was shocking
Posted 09:27 15th March 2013