This was published 7 months ago
In 2003, Jonny’s field goal broke Australia’s hearts. It would have been worse if he’d missed.
By Iain Payten
“The flags go up and with that penalty goal, Jonny Wilkinson has won the 2003 Rugby World Cup for England.”
Sounds a bit flat, right? It certainly has none of the melodrama of Gordon Bray’s “heartbreaker for the Wallabies” call of Wilkinson’s infamous drop-goal deep into extra-time, or Ian Robertson’s iconic “he drops for World Cup glory” on the BBC.
But a deflating penalty would have likely been the end to 2003’s thrilling final if that field goal by Jonny had missed, according to the man who refereed the match.
On the eve of the 20th anniversary of the 2003 Rugby World Cup, South African referee Andre Watson has admitted he was willing Wilkinson’s wobbly drop-kick to go over because he’d have otherwise penalised Australia for being offside, giving England a straight-forward shot at goal.
“I would have awarded a penalty to England, almost right in the front of the sticks,” Watson said.
“It’s not what I would like to see, but if it’s on, it’s on. That’s why I am the ref. I have to give that penalty, but what a low point that would have been in the World Cup final, in the last minute.”
Jonny Wilkinson breaks Australian hearts on home soil in 2003.Credit: Getty
It’s been almost two decades since England’s famous 20-17 victory at Sydney Olympic Park, where Elton Flatey’s ice-cold boot sent the final into extra-time before Wilkinson’s wrong-footed snapshot won it for the English with 26 seconds left on the clock.
The thrilling game has spawned countless videos, podcasts, books and oral histories by the coaches and combatants, but Watson’s perspective as the man in the middle has rarely been heard. And it turns out there was a potential sliding doors ending which many of the players aren’t even aware of.
Speaking to this masthead from his home outside of Johannesburg, where Watson now runs a wildlife breeding and camping farm, the retired South African whistleblower recounted his experience of the tense 2003 World Cup final; which was the second he’d refereed after first standing in Australia’s victory over France in 1999.
Watson’s refereeing in the 2003 decider remains controversial in England, where they argue a dominant English scrum was unfairly penalised all night and, most critically, in the 78th minute, when he pinged Trevor Woodman for not engaging.
Andre Watson talking to George Gregan during the 2003 World Cup final. Credit: Craig Golding
Flatley kicked a high-pressure goal to level the scores at 14-14 and take the game to extra-time.
Watson says it was the most criticised call of his career, but he still stands behind it.
“England had the better pack, specifically at scrums, and I gave a couple of penalties against Australia at scrum time. And the Poms were happy about them,” Watson said.
The Australian scrum comes under pressure from England in 2003.Credit: AP
“I remember the clock showed about one minute left. England were delaying it. On the last occasion, the loosehead of England [Trevor Woodman] pulled out, and it was one of the easiest decisions in my life.
“It was dangerous, the tighthead of Australia made contact with the hip of the loosehead. And secondly, it was after two or three warnings at that specific scrum. It was a clear penalty, and it was one of the easiest decisions, but tell the English that, they still don’t believe it was a penalty.
“Flatley was the kicker, and for most of the game he couldn’t hit a cow’s arse with a banjo. But that one never looked like missing.”
Both sides believed they had the upper hand going into extra-time but early in the 20-minute extra-time period, Watson awarded England a penalty - which Wilkinson slotted - and with no further score for 15 minutes, it appeared England would get home.
The contentious 78th minute scrum penalty for Australia.Credit: World Rugby
But Watson gave Australia another late chance to level with a 97th-minute penalty in range of the posts, and Flately again stepped up.
That left under two minutes on the clock, and the visitors had one more chance after a Mat Rogers’ sliced a clearance kick from the re-start. Contrary to folklore that a penalty goal shoot-out was up next, another ten minutes of sudden death extra time would have followed.
“I want to bring you into my head, and I believe every referee’s head. It is when there is little time left on the clock, I wanted the teams and the players to win or to lose the game,” Watson said.
“I said to myself, ‘I better be very accurate here’. Then Matt Dawson took a snipe, and he gained four-five-six metres, and the Australian defence was in disarray. They were scrambling and they went woefully offside. I thought “oh shit I am going to have to give a penalty here”.
Jonny Wilkinson kicks the winning field goal against Australia in the 2003 World Cup final in Sydney.Credit: David Moir
“But while I was still thinking I should throw my arm out and say advantage, Dawson got the ball back and threw it back to Jonny Wilkinson and I said “maybe there is a drop here”.
“But the ball went to the wrong side and in a split second I thought in my mind, goodness this guy is going to kick with his wrong foot and he will miss. But he hit it and it went wobbly, wobbly, wobbly over the crossbar. I was so happy to have not given the penalty, it was better it was in the players’ hands than the referee’s hands.”
In their desperation to charge down Wilkinson, Watson said several Wallabies players didn’t stay behind the last feet at the final ruck, when they thought Dawson was about to pass.
They were stopped and called back by Watson, however, and former Wallabies flanker and now Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh - one of those next to Watson - and was surprised to hear the referee would have penalised them anyway.
“You watch it. I reckon that ball is out, right?” Waugh said.
“Even so, when I jump, he calls me back. So, I am not sure how would get me for being offside, when I didn’t complete the play. That’s my stance on it. I was actually listening to him intently because I was so petrified of giving away a penalty.”
It appears a questionable infringement and only serves to highlight the upside of Wilkinson unequivocally nailing his drop-goal, instead of the years of furious debate that would have followed.
Martin Johnson holds aloft the Webb Ellis Cup.Credit: AP
Like Watson, Waugh said he’s ultimately happier that Wilkinson skilful drop-goal decided the 2003 Rugby World Cup final; after an absorbing game that is remembered as much for the see-sawing contest as it is for England’s win.
“That’s definitely how I look at it. That genuinely could have gone either way, that game,” Waugh said.
“The history books remember England for winning it but interestingly, I think history also remembers the intense drama of the final, as much as England winning it. Which is different to a lot of other World Cups, where people go ‘who was actually in the final?’.”
Waugh and Wallabies teammates from the 2003 tournament recently gathered for the first time at a Sydney pub, for a 20-year re-union. It wasn’t quite the grand event planned in a London theatre in November - where people are paying $420 for a ticket to join England’s re-union - but the pain had faded enough for the Wallabies to appreciate their campaign.
“It was very, very good. When you get together like that, you realise we did have an amazing culture, that drove us through that tournament,” Waugh said. “You ask what wins games - culture wins games. No one gave us a chance to make the final or to be close to England in the final. We surprised everyone except ourselves.”
Watson, who refereed Australia again in his 28th and last Test a year later, said England were deserved winners, but he admired the fight in the 2003 Wallabies.
“England were probably the best side in that World Cup, and all the media thought they’d win easily,” Watson said.
“But on the day, Australia didn’t stand back. They played good rugby. They fronted up and fought well.”
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