We begin a new series reliving the Rugby World Cup finals through the eyes of the men who refereed them, starting with 1991.
With the best will in the world no referee, not even those held in the highest regard, are able to please everybody. With two sets of supporters comes two differing, often one-eyed, viewpoints and the final of Rugby World Cup 1991 is a class case in point.
Derek Bevan, one of the finest whistle-blowers of his generation, became Wales’ best-known rugby referee since Clive Norling when he officiated in the Twickenham showpiece between England and Australia.
One try from Tony Daly and eight points from the boot of Michael Lynagh to two penalties from Jon Webb saw Australia win the second lowest-scoring World Cup final 12-6, and become the second team after New Zealand to lift the Webb Ellis Cup.
Many England supporters felt the outcome might have been different, had Bevan awarded a penalty try against the Wallabies with 10 minutes to go.
Having abandoned the forward-orientated, 10-man rugby that had served them so well in reaching the final, England looked set to be rewarded for putting the ball through the hands when a sustained period of continuity between forwards and backs created an overlap wide out on the left.
No question of a penalty try
Had Peter Winterbottom’s pass found Rory Underwood - instead of being slapped down by Campese - the flying England wing was certainly well placed to score.
“There were screams of penalty try but I looked and there was cover there and in my mind there wasn’t any question of a penalty try,” said Bevan in a recent interview with World Rugby TV.
“Steve Jones, who was the chief rugby reporter for The Times at the time, did a wonderful article on it saying why it was impossible for me to give a penalty try and the more I watch it the more convinced I am that the decision was correct.”
Making those split-second judgements is all in a day’s work for a top-class official like Bevan, who had refereed in more test matches than any other Welshman – including four Rugby World Cups - until RWC 2015 official Nigel Owens overtook his record of 44 matches in 2013.
“All four World Cups were different, memorable in so many ways,” he says. “To be quite honest I wouldn’t have changed it for the world.”
Bevan, who now serves as a Television Match Official, admits that refereeing in the RWC 1991 final, though, has a special place in his personal roll of honour.
The worst thing is waiting for kick-off
“It’s one game every four years, and only one guy can do it,” he says. “The thought of you standing there with many millions of people around the world watching you is 'gosh'.
“The worst thing is waiting for the kick-off, a thousand things go through your mind.
“When the game gets underway you’ve got to have 100 percent concentration, as one little incident can completely change the way the game goes, especially if it is an incident of foul play or something that goes undetected by the three match officials.”
Whatever your viewpoint on the Campese incident, it is indisputable that Bevan enjoyed a stellar career out in the middle. Now 68 years of age, he went on to take charge of a semi-final at each of the next two Rugby World Cups before retiring from international rugby in 2000. He also refereed in numerous top level club matches including the 1997 Heineken Cup final.
Next week: England's Ed Morrison speaks about the pressure he felt ahead of officiating the historic RWC 1995 final.