Scottish officials have repeatedly defended Pro12 organisers when they have appointed referees from the same country as one of the participating teams to take charge of key matches in that competition.

Complaints about it having been an Australian citing officer who flagged up the case, might be considered in that context since, even setting aside the fact that the official in question was not, by definition, responsible for the final verdict, the key message is that the sport must trust in the integrity of such officials.

Those raising such concerns may also want to give serious consideration to whether the Wallabies, champions of the Southern Hemisphere, would really feel any need to gain an unfair advantage from manipulation of the disciplinary process ahead of a meeting with a team that was whitewashed in this year’s Six Nations Championship.