Allan Massie, in the Scotsman, continues the defence of officials and claims their job is harder than ever with the all-seeing eyes of modern technology.
"It will be a shame if this World Cup, with its splendid final, is remembered chiefly for arguments over the refereeing.
"International referees must, of course, be subject to criticism. They are all now professionals, and quite well-paid ones. On the other hand, we should all recognise that the laws of rugby are so confoundedly complicated, with so many possible penalty offences, that it is impossible that referees should not make some mistakes.
"If these seem more frequent than they used to, this is probably because TV replays, in real time and slow motion, mean that the referee’s decisions are scrutinised more intensely than ever."
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