Jaco Paper left the field just 15 minutes into the game at the Stade de Marseille with Wales leading 7-0. Photo: Getty Images/Dan Mullan
Warren Gatland said a dramatic and “devastating” refereeing change cost Wales after his side crashed out of the World Cup and beat Argentina back.
Jaco Peyper left the field just 15 minutes after the start of the match. The game at Marseille, where Wales led 7-0 after Dan Biggar's try. The South African official appeared to have suffered a calf injury and was replaced by Carl Dixon, his assistant.
Wales soon increased their lead to 10-0, but the Pumas recovered to win 29-17. praising the team Thanks to Pumas' resilience, Gatland cited the change of referee as a factor in the defeat.
Big Dan Biggar!pic.twitter.com/TvnDDBGO79
— Telegraph Rugby (@TelegraphRugby) October 14, 2023
“It probably didn’t help the referee get injured . It undermined the game a little bit.
“We were 10-0 up and thought we could have taken a couple of opportunities that were given to us, but unfortunately we missed a couple of soft penalties which allowed them to take a couple of penalties before break.
“We talked about how important discipline is and how it keeps them in the game in terms of keeping the scoreboard balanced. They took advantage of their opportunities. This is how Test matches sometimes go.”
«It's really confusing,» Gatland added of the referee change. “We were comfortable with Jaco Peyper and our relationship with him in terms of his control of the game. I have nothing against Karl, but you do a lot of analysis of what referees tend to be harsh on and what they look for. We were completely unprepared for change. Sometimes this happens in the game, and you just have to live with it.”
One controversial decision in the second half saw Argentina defender Guido Petti avoid a sanction for a clearing that resulted in contact with Nick Thompkins' header. Dixon was warned about the incident by his television match official Marius Jonker but refused the penalty. Moments later, Joel Sclavi attempted a close range shot to put Argentina up 19-17.
It was set that Guido Petti accidentally came into contact with Nick Tompkins. head 
Wales were baffled by Carl Dixon's decision not to yellow card Petty. Photo: Getty Images/Nicolas Tucat“It will be interesting to see what happens with the feedback from the commission,” Gatland said. “If he felt Nick had lowered his height and said it wasn't foul play… I'd have to go back and look at it. I probably feel like it's at least a penalty situation.
“Then, on top of all that, we felt like Dillon Lewis had the ball for a significant amount of time before they ended up In the end they scored their own goal. . Sometimes these things happen in the game. Important moments can make a difference. That’s how it is.”
Asked if he intends to lead Wales to the next World Cup in 2027, Gatland replied in the affirmative. «That sounds like an Eddie Jones question, doesn't it?» he said: “I’m not sure what’s in my contract. I'm not entirely sure what the wording is. Absolutely [I'd like to take the team to 2027], but if the union wants to get rid of me, they have every right to do that too. It’s their business.”
Michael Cheika, Gatland's colleague, admitted Argentina would be underdogs in the semi-finals but praised his side's development following their first-round defeat to England.
“I don’t think this is a game-changer,” said Cheika, who gave an in-depth look at the tournament’s much-maligned draw. “You learn at these tournaments. It depends on the draw. I came to the World Cup at different times with different teams and with different draws.
“Our preparation was easy because there were few games. We knew the first game would be tough for us and we learned a lot because there are a lot of new players at the World Cup. They learned a lot about the knockout game, even though it wasn't a knockout. Since then, every game has ended in a knockout.
“There hasn’t been any fundamental change. We just tried to build on what we learned. All this work that you put into the foundation is what you're counting on for this tournament, and you're betting on your playing lineup, the teams you're going to play, the timing of the work, and trying to plan it so that everything it worked. We're starting to pick up some momentum and there's always a lot of fight in this team.»
“Elimination matches are often full of unexpected twists and turns”
To deliberately misrepresent Mike Tyson's famous quote, everyone has a plan until the referee tweaks his calf in the first 15 minutes of a world championship quarterfinal.
Such is the nature of elite rugby union, where every mini-battleground is fiercely contested and entire matches can hinge on idiosyncratic interpretations of laws as teams compile dossiers on key officials. The information in these files will range from the referees' tendencies in the ruck to something as trivial as the frequency with which they tend to scrum.
Four years ago, South Africa reported that Jerome Garces, the Frenchman who watched both the first-round defeat to New Zealand and the series-clincher victory against England, responded well to compliments about his appearance. Garcés is currently a member of Fabien Galtier's coaching team. Discipline has improved dramatically in France, and their kicking game often exploits lesser-known legal loopholes. When a player catches the ball after a kick, the opposing team's pursuers may break the offside position after the player's player has advanced five meters. Antoine Dupont regularly breaks the rules in order to attack his opponents in this way.
In general, let's return to Marseille. «Chaos» and «adaptability» have been popular buzzwords among coaches for much of the last decade. Even before poor Jaco Paper pulled out and was replaced by Carl Dixon, his assistant, the game had started in frantic fashion. Wales, their shirt numbers peeling off, took the lead thanks to a well-judged try from Dan Biggar. Their midfielder exploited the space near the ruck, quite possibly aided by another pre-match analysis, to play a neat pass to George North.
New referee change!
Jaco Paper OFF ⬅️
Carl Dixon ON ➡️#RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/H9lRWv4xfv
— ITV Rugby (@ ITVRugby) October 14, 2023
Biggar assisted Gareth Davies' goal but apparently had to endure considerable pain from a chest injury which ruled him out for the match against Australia during the group stage. Liam Williams, whose right leg was strapped, was also struggling. In truth, Wales had only themselves to blame for failing to progress further. Their lineout faltered at crucial moments, and management errors occurred when Argentina seemed hopelessly stretched.
Premier League referees have a reputation for favoring the team in possession at the break and, shortly after his dramatic debut, Dixon penalized Lucio Cinti for running out of bounds and putting his weight on the turf. However, after this, the situation in the cancer zone began to seem like a tit-for-tat competition. However, Pumas supporters tend to produce an impressive amount of decibels per person, and Dixon handled the loud cheers when Josh Adams avoided a card for a late body check on Thomas Cubelli.
Flash of anger! Should Josh Adams see the card? 🟨pic.twitter.com/Ggkss5BRTK
— Telegraph Rugby (@TelegraphRugby) October 14, 2023
“I don’t see this as a shoulder attack, I think there’s a wrap around here,” was the explanation. “I see it as a cheap chance.” Adams was penalized and Emiliano Boffelli's penalty made it 10–6 at half-time. Despite any refereeing quirks, Wales clearly failed to capitalize on their territorial dominance. They left the door open and the Cougars snuck inside. Dixon had to make another big decision when Marius Jonker warned him of a clear from Guido Petti that went straight to the head of Nick Tompkins. There was no foul play in this decision, as Tompkins' decision was later considered to be a sufficient mitigation of the sentence.
Liam Williams and Biggar eventually folded and when Tompkins also had to leave the field for assessment of a head injury, the altered defensive line brought back memories of 2015 when Wales defied a catastrophic wave of injuries. The lack of cohesion was evident when Nicolas Sanchez picked out a crucial interception from Sam Costelow. The young Wales midfielder, immediately comforted by Tompkins, will return.
What a game! pic.twitter.com/62bExgb9hG
— Telegraph Rugby (@TelegraphRugby) October 14, 2023
As Michael Cheika well knows, World Cups are — it’s about absorbing failure and gradually building momentum. Argentina did play horribly against England in their first match and were on the wrong side of referee Mathieu Raynal. They weren't much better against Samoa, but they won and went on to win. The Pumas are now in the last four.
Although Wales started the game with seemingly confidence and skill, they were unable to maintain the pressure and accuracy. Conversely, Dixon ended up rewarding the Cougars. Eduardo Bello and Marcos Kremer were broken and spoiled, and the trademark of Agustin Creevy, the most cunning operator in the world, sealed the victory. Elimination matches are often full of twists and turns, sometimes as bizarre as referee changes. Argentina has adapted better and is heading towards Paris.
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