Referee Ben O’Keefe said that the Springboks scrummaged illegally only because England’s Ellis Genge dropped his knee to the floor
For the record here’s a still shot before the ball comes in, Ben got this spot on with Genge’s knee on the ground, penalty every time. The reason for the penalty is that this knee on the ground gives the L-head a big advantage on height, hence not legal.But O’Keefe had answered that crucial question, deciding that Genge’s knee had made enough contact with the ground for him to be penalised. That will be hotly debated.
Let us not forget that Owen Farrell had been marched back 10 metres earlier in the match, making a penalty attempt much easier for Manie Libbok who duly added the three points. The result, of course, was decided by just one. Cheika has mellowed somewhat since his successful days in Leinster, and added, “in over 20 years I’ve realised, like it or not, I can’t change it.” However, with Argentina losing the match by 44-6, and by zero tries to seven, he cannot, by any stretch of the imagination, blame referee Angus Gardner. And, in fairness to Cheika, I don’t think that’s what he was implying.
However, the injury to Peyper, just 15 minutes into Wales v Argentina, put the kybosh on any such plan and Gardner was moved into the job.