The stage is set for a huge Six Nations clash as Scotland and France face each other in a match that could confirm the tournament winners.
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Angus Gardner to referee Scotland vs France
The referee for Scotland vs France is Angus Gardner, one of the most experienced officials in world rugby.
Born in Sydney in 1984, Gardner was a passionate rugby player as a teenager. However, his playing career was cut short when he was diagnosed with Scheuermann’s Disease, a hereditary spinal disc condition.
Recalling the moment he was forced to stop playing, Gardner told the Sydney Morning Herald:
“The doctor was like ‘mate, you need to take up fishing’ and that was devastating to hear.”
Instead, one of his teachers suggested refereeing as a way to stay involved in the sport. Gardner picked up the whistle at just 15 years old, beginning the path that would take him to the top of international rugby.
Rise through the refereeing ranks
Gardner became a full-time professional referee in 2015, although he had already taken charge of his first Test match in 2011, officiating an Oceania Cup fixture between Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu.
His rapid rise continued when he made his Super Rugby debut in 2012, refereeing the clash between the Queensland Reds and Melbourne Rebels at Suncorp Stadium.
That same year he was appointed to the IRB Junior World Championship, returning again in 2014, where he refereed the semi-final between England and Ireland.
Gardner’s reputation continued to grow:
- Assistant referee at the 2015 Rugby World Cup
- Referee for the Super Rugby Final in 2018
- World Rugby Referee of the Year in 2018
- Match official at the 2019 Rugby World Cup and 2023 Rugby World Cup
At the 2023 Rugby World Cup, he took charge of the Argentina v New Zealand semi-final at the Stade de France.
France ‘screwed’
Gardner previously found himself in France’s bad books during the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.
France edged Argentina 23-21 in their pool match in Tokyo, thanks to a late Camille Lopez drop-goal.
However, the game sparked complaints from the French camp afterwards.
Captain Guilhem Guirado claimed Argentina were repeatedly engaging early at the scrum, despite new rules banning the practice, and accused Gardner of failing to penalise it.
“We worked for weeks not to engage early,” Guirado told L’Equipe.
“On the first three scrums they put pressure on us and the referee didn’t say much.”
Prop Jefferson Poirot was even more blunt in his verdict after the match:
“We got screwed.”
Following the controversy, Gardner was removed from the officiating team for Argentina’s next game against England, where he had originally been scheduled to act as an assistant referee. Reports at the time suggested he had faced internal criticism for his performance, with Ben O’Keeffe stepping in for the England fixture.
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