I was spot on over try verdict, says video ref

The straight-talking former police officer, 39, denied his nationality meant he was anti-English and dismissed critics, saying: "Opinions are like bums, everyone's got one.

"What's being an Aussie got to do with it? The decision was correct and my nationality is irrelevant. I was appointed by the directors because they knew I would not flinch from making difficult decisions."

But he admitted yesterday he had been unable to freeze-frame or slow down the action because of communication problems: "How I wish there was freeze-frame but with the language barrier between me and the French TV producers I wasn't able to get frame-byframe pictures.

"The producer didn't slow it down for me so I had to make the judgment in real time. That's why it took so long. I was requesting the producer to slow it down and freeze-frame it but he couldn't do it. Eventually we got that view down the line which cleared it up.

'Looking at the first replays it was clear that Mark Cueto had grounded the ball correctly and that his body was in play when he did so, which left the question of whether his toe had slid in as the only issue.

"There's no doubt about it, there's stills footage and all the pictures we looked at last night have been proved to be right. There's a lot of definitive footage there.

"I'm 100 per cent happy with the decision today as I was last night. His foot just runs into touch. I'm more than happy with it. Factually it is indisputable.

"Of course it would have seemed like a lifetime to the players. The touch judges and I had a pretty good briefing with Alain (Rolland, the referee) before the match and he was aware of the problem with the producers. The players were getting agitated as we showed it again and again but the foot's on the line, he is up above the ground by 15-20cm. It's clearly out and he has not grounded the ball. So there's no issue with the decision."

Dickinson realises that it is the biggest decision of his career — and in terms of occasion, the biggest for a video referee in sporting history. He said: 'There's no bigger game than the World Cup Final so to say it's the biggest decision of my career is right.

"Whether that pleases people or not, that's life. I had to make a decision. For me, when I made it last night I was 100 per cent sure it was out and the footage we have reviewed this morning conclusively proves that's the case."

Dickinson believes his nationality should not be an issue. He said: "Our job is decision-making. If you know the decision is correct and people are still upset, well there's nothing you can do about that.

"There will be a lot of people in white unhappy, and just as many in green happy, but that's nothing to do with me, I'm about getting the decision right."

England coach Brian Ashton was philosophical about the video decision, saying: "I saw it on the monitor like everyone else. I've accepted it and moved on. There's nothing more you can do about it."