Gordon Reid has revealed that he swore in front of Princess Anne after Scotland lost their 2015 Rugby World Cup quarter-final to Australia. The Princess Royal is patron of the Scottish Rugby Union and was at Twickenham Stadium as they lost in the final minute to a controversial penalty.
Scotland looked to have secured their spot in the semi-finals after an interception try from Mark Bennett seven minutes from the end put them 34-32 ahead. However, a deliberate offside called by referee Craig Joubert allowed Bernard Foley to give the Wallabies a one-point lead in the final minute of their thrilling match.
The Post-Match Encounter
Recalling what happened in the moments immediately after that match, Reid has told The Times: "We go in for the post-match meal, and one of the first people I see is Princess Anne. She was like, 'You all played great, but how are you feeling now?' I was like, 'F***ing sh***, Anne, if truth be told'. Of course she didn't swear, but she was like, 'Well, I feel just the same.'"
Reflecting on the incident itself, the prop says that he spotted the touch off Australia scrum half Nick Phipps at the time after Josh Strauss fumbled forward a lineout routine to Jon Welsh. World Rugby have since admitted that a scrum should have been awarded rather than that penalty.
Lasting Resentment
Over a decade later, it still hurts for Reid, who says: "Even in the lineout, their guy had hit my arm away, which affected the lift. It all just felt so unfair, so wrong, but nobody was listening.
"I knew they were going to get that kick, and I knew they were going to win the game. I was actually going to sit down in front of the kick and not move. I was going to do a sit-in, but I knew that my career would be over if I did. But that was the level of injustice we felt. It was a bitter, bitter end to probably the best game of rugby I've ever been involved in."
"That day created, I wouldn't say, bad blood with Australia, but definitely a wee extra edge for the games since then, because people do remember, especially the older heads who would then pass that down to the younger boys coming into the squad. For me, it definitely still hurts even now."
Aftermath
The Wallabies went on to beat Argentina and reach the final, where New Zealand beat them. Scotland have never made it out of the pool stage in two attempts since, having done so in all six editions between 1987 and 2007, finishing fourth in 1991.
