Wales coach release official statement proving English replacement referee is to be blame for Rugby World Cup exit

English replacement referee is to blame for Wales’ Rugby World Cup exit, according to coach Warren Gatland.

Guido Petti hit Nick Tompkins in the head with his shoulder during a contentious refereeing call in the third quarter, but Karl Dickson, the replacement official, and Marius Jonker, the video match official, determined there was no foul play.

Wales lost to Argentina in the World Cup quarterfinals by a score of 29-17, and Warren Gatland felt that the new referee had knocked them off their game.

Wales’ first try gave them a 7-0 lead in the 15th minute, and South Africa’s Jaco Peyper was forced to leave the field due to a calf injury. Wales had been dominating the game. However, after Karl Dickson took over for Peyper, their momentum faded and Argentina came out strong in the second half, scoring tries from Joel Sclavi and Nicolas Sanchez to advance to the final four. Although head coach Gatland was full of praise for the Pumas’ performance, he also believed that circumstances were working against Wales.

“It’s likely that the referee’s injury didn’t help. That interfered a little bit with the game, said Gatland, who also reaffirmed his intention to lead Wales through the 2027 World Cup.

When we were up 10-0, we reasoned that we could win if we seized a few of the chances that were given to us. We unfortunately committed a few soft penalties.

“It does make you feel off. Regarding Jaco Peyper’s ability to control the game, we felt at ease with him and our relationship with him. Nothing against Karl, but you do a lot of analysis on what referees typically penalize and what they are trying to find. We weren’t ready for the shift. In a game, that can occasionally occur, and you just have to deal with it. Rugby Test matches occasionally proceed in that manner. “.

Guido Petti hit Nick Tompkins in the head with his shoulder in the third quarter, prompting a contentious refereeing decision, but Dickson and TMO Marius Jonker determined no foul play had occurred. It was explained that there was no offense because the tackle had been called, Tompkins was falling, and Petti had entered lawfully while bending at the waist. Argentina crossed the goal line during the same period of play to increase their lead.

It will be interesting to see how the panel’s feedback plays out, according to Gatland.
“He (Dickson) felt that Nick had lost height, and he insisted that there was no malice involved.
It was probably at least a penalty situation, but I would need to look it over again.
These occurrences can occasionally change the course of a game in crucial situations. That is simply the way things are.
“.

Dan Biggar’s final game for Wales ended in defeat as the fly-half eventually left in the second half after taking a blow to the chest early on, possibly aggravating a pectoral muscle injury he had been carrying.

“Dan has done a lot for Welsh rugby.
Both incredible highs and lows have been experienced by him.
It has been pretty amazing to watch him join the team, mature, and improve as a player, according to Gatland.

Head coach Michael Cheika insisted the team had learned from its defeat to 14-man England when they were defeated 27-10 by Argentina in their group opener.

Because we had many players playing in their first World Cup, we were aware that the first game would be challenging for us.
We simply built on what we learned; there hasn’t been a radical turnaround.
Though the development hasn’t been linear, our foundation’s hard work has paid off.

“This team has always had lots of flow, and we’re starting to get a little of that now.
Against England, we simply didn’t handle the situation well.
“.