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Veldsman makes news for the wrong reasons

Cape Town - South Africa's Shaun Veldsman was once again not the most popular man in the TMO booth among Australians on Saturday. 

VIDEO: The Top 5 WORST referee decisions in history!

Veldsman, who these days is no more than a professional TMO paid to fly around the world, is no stranger to controversy in the past, and he was at it again in the third Bledisloe Cup Test between the All Blacks and Wallabies in Auckland. 

While, former Wallaby greats Michael Lynagh and Rod Kafer called for Welsh referee Nigel Owens never to officiate another Test, it goes without saying they wouldn't be unhappy to never see Veldsman again either.

The All Blacks won the match 37-10, but early in the second half there was a crucial moment that saw Veldsman in the thick of things. 

Trailing 15-10 and looking competitive after the break, the Wallabies thought they had scored a match-tying try when wing Henry Speight sprinted down the right touchline. 

Referee Nigel Owens was satisfied - as was Assistant Referee Craig Joubert - and awarded the try, but as Wallaby flyhalf Bernard Foley prepared to line up the conversion, Veldsman struck.

Veldsman asked Owens to have a look at a possible obstruction with Australian wing Dane Haylett-Petty possibly having impeded the run of All Blacks defender Julian Savea, who had turned to chase Speight, albeit several metres behind.

After viewing the replays a number of times, Veldsman told Owens that he was of the "opinion" that Haylett-Petty had indeed illegally obstructed the run of Savea. 

Owens obliged, and the Wallabies and their coach Michael Cheika were left apoplectic.

To their credit, the New Zealand commentators on duty, as well as the vast majority of social media - including former South African referee Jonathan Kaplan - believed that Veldsman had bungled the call at what was a crucial time in the Test.

Staggeringly, Veldsman wasn't done there!

In the dying seconds of the match, Veldsman suggested to Owens that a pass from Aaron Cruden to Israel Dagg had not gone forward when seemingly everybody else agreed that it had. 

By then, though, the Wallabies were buried.

Those countries taking part in November Tests around the world may well be thrilled to learn that Veldsman hasn't been granted an appointment by World Rugby.

Click for the full list of referee appointments for the November internationals

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