In claiming that Scotland’s courage and quality earned them the right to believe they should have beaten the Southern Hemisphere champions Dave Denton felt he and his team-mates had reason to feel aggrieved over the key decision which let Bernard Foley kick the Wallabies to victory.
Controversy was raging last night among Scottish supporters regarding not only the penalty award but also the failure to refer it to the television replay official (TMO) and for all that there seemed a general determination not to be seen as whingeing the No.8 was prepared to address the issue.
“I’m not 100 per cent sure what the rule is,” he said.
“Since the game we’ve been told several different rules, but regardless someone has made a mistake somewhere. The fact that you cannot go to a TMO there or he did not go to a TMO there is unbelievable, unbelievable.”
He added that the players had been among those to be surprised by the way Craig Joubert, the match referee, had bolted down the tunnel after blowing the final whistle rather than staying afield to shake hands as is customary.
“We noticed that as well,” said Denton.
“It’s tough. I understand that refereeing is tough. He’s refereeing the game in front of millions of people and it’s hard on him but this has affected the rest of our lives and it’s affected a nation and it’s tough. Apparently it’s something to do with penalties that he can’t go back to the TMO but if that’s the case that needs to change because that’s affected us in a big way.”
On a weekend that saw Southern Hemisphere teams dominate the quarter-finals, winning all four matches against European opposition, it was perhaps telling that Denton, was part of Scotland’s all SANZZAR (South African, New Zealand and Zimbabwe-born) group of back-row forwards who were key to allowing them to be so competitive and they took satisfaction from having responded to the doubt that surrounded them prior to the match.
We said before and after that there were 31 people plus coaches who gave us a chance in this game. I’ve spoken to family members who have said, to their detriment, that they didn’t’ give us a chance,” he admitted.
“It’s tough because going in no-one thought we did, but inside we know that we’ve played OK through the World Cup, but we know that we’re so much better than how we’ve played. Going into this game we knew this was the time for us to play well and to be honest we thought Australia were due a bad game as well.
“We stopped them from playing well. We were very good at the breakdown and we played a really good game of rugby and we can take positives from that. If you’d caught me an hour ago I wouldn’t have been able to speak like this but you’ve just got to deal with these things.”
Those closest to them were on hand to console them afterwards, though.
“I went and met my family and girlfriend afterwards and I think we could have filled a bathtub with all the tears,” said Denton.
“It’s hard. We’re all in this position because we’re emotional guys, but a lot of us emotions make us the players we are. I know from a personal point of view I rely a lot on my emotions to get me through games.”
He said that there is belief now, however, that they can go on from strength to strength with the Six Nations Championship just a few months away.
“I wish it was sooner than it was,” he said.
“The Calcutta Cup’s an awesome game to start and on that note I would just like to say the support we’ve had has been absolutely incredible. I’m not just saying that for the sake of it. Newcastle was something I’ve never experienced before, then to come to Twickenham and have 60 to 70,000 Scots making that noise was unbelievable and all the neutrals here as well.”
How realistic that is remains to be seen after all the false dawns that have blighted Scottish rugby in recent years, but on this occasion they were entitled to feel hard done by.
“We were unlucky that in the case fortune didn’t favour the brave and the better team,” Denton reckoned and few were of a mind to argue.
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