#1. Alain Rolland – England v South Africa 2007 RWC
Matthew Tait sliced open the Boks defence and hurtled towards the line. Andy Gomarsall moved it quickly to Mark Cueto on the left wing who dived through the tackle of Danie Rossouw and over the line.
Alain Rolland called for the TMO. It was tight. Impossibly tight. No try.
England were instead awarded a penalty which Wilkinson slotted, and roused by Cueto’s diving effort they had the momentum.
But the Springbok nut was impossible to crack. Montgomery’s boot kept a huffing and puffing England at bay, guiding his side to a 15-6 win.
South Africa were deserved World Champions, England the plucky, dethroned former kings.
But if Cueto’s ghost try had stood, it all could have been so different.
Alain Rolland facts:
- During his playing days as a scrum-half, Rolland earned three caps for Ireland
- Rolland retired as a player at the start of the professional era and began refereeing
- In March 2016 Alain was appointed as World Rugby’s ‘High Performance 15s Match Officials’ Manager’, having previously worked as a mortgage broker in Dublin
- He refereed the final of the 2007 Rugby World Cup, and was an assistant referee in the final of the 2011 Rugby World Cup