Greig Laidlaw admitted that Scotland were “baffled” at referee Craig Joubert’s handling of the scrummage but that they blamed themselves for defeat to Wales in the RBS Six Nations at Murrayfield on Saturday.
The scrum-half was close to the point of Scotland’s main frustrations as they felt they were not allowed to contest the scrummage by the South African referee, who let only three scrums in the entire match be completed.
Joubert also gave 28 penalties 16 awarded against Scotland, 12 against Wales and 18 of them were within range of goalkickers Laidlaw and Wales’ Leigh Halfpenny, a record for a major international.
The pair kicked 13 and Richard Hibbard’s try meant Wales prevailed 28-18 and recorded their fifth successive Six Nations away win.
As Wales go back to Cardiff to contest the title with England the Scots refused to blame the referee for the defeat, said Laidlaw.
“Wales deserved to win. We look at ourselves, we’re not looking at the referee, we’re not looking at anybody else,” he said.
“We’re solely fixed on ourselves and we can fix our ills. We did it after the England game and we won two games and we now look forward to France and finishing the championship on a high.”
That said, Laidlaw did feel that the Scots didn’t get a fair crack at the scrum and suggested the initial problem was Joubert’s communication.
Laidlaw said: “He was a bit quiet. The crowd were pretty loud and a couple of times the boys couldn’t even hear him make the set call. I tried to tell him at half-time but he was just saying they were going early.
“I think Wales played the referee well at times but a couple of times we did go early, so we made that decision a little bit early for him at times.
“I’m as frustrated as anybody. The front row are baffled after that last scrum (when Joubert threatened them with a yellow card) that was for sure. They are very disappointed.”
Hooker Ross Ford was the man warned time and again by Joubert but he felt Scotland were engaging properly.
“We tried to do what the referee wanted but every time we did something else would happen,” he said. “We’ve got a good scrum when it comes to a pushing contest. We just have to be smarter about ways teams will try and get around that.
“The last one we basically didn’t contest that’s what it came down to. It was a threat of the yellow card and we couldn’t take that chance. I think we were hard done by on that one.
“We have a good scrum but we need to be more streetwise against teams who are mucking about.”
Ex-skipper Al Kellock said the referee before the game had said he wanted a contest at the scrum.
“I speak to referees a lot and he spoke as well as any I’ve heard, but that contest didn’t transpire,” he said. “I’m annoyed with us because we should have been able to change something. We have a great front row and we have to find ways to let them scrummage, just as we’ve got to get space for our back three to run.”
The Scots will be without Richie Gray for the final match in Paris against France. The big lock appeared to tear a hamstring in open play midway through the first half and was stretchered from the field.
Scotland team doctor James Robson said he would miss next week, but a specialist consultation today would determine whether Gray’s season and maybe his chance of touring with the British and Irish Lions to Australia this summer was over.
Kellock is likely to step in.
For a full round-up of the weekend’s Six Nations action, see Monday’s Courier or try our digital edition.