It's been a black November for some top match officials, but World Rugby is adamant the game's integrity is intact.
The sport, however, long maligned for its inconsistent law applications, has been in the dock this month as a result of questionable decisions that potentially affected the outcome of high-profile matches.
World Rugby, however, isn't overly fazed. "While we can always strive to be more consistent, we are not concerned that there is an erosion of the sport's integrity," Dominic Rumbles, its head of communications, countered.
STUFF-UPS OF THE HIGHEST ORDER
Increasingly though, faith in their systems is wearing thin as the viewing public is left baffled by what is deemed illegal one week and perfectly permissible the next.
What didn't help this month is the fact that some high-profile characters went unpunished for nefarious deeds, just as rugby's suits are trying to rid the game of dangerous play.
Amid widespread condemnation the incidents this month involving England's Owen Farrell, Australia's Samu Kerevi, Springbok Siya Kolisi and New Zealand's Sam Whitelock didn't draw sanction.
Even World Rugby's CE Brett Gosper acknowledged that officials this month fell short of their mandate.
"The cards are there to change behaviour," he said this week. "They only continue to be a problem if behaviour does not change.
The only way you can get player behaviour to change is to sanction with red cards and, actually, we have probably not seen enough of it.
"I would say, in many ways, we have probably not been hard enough. There have probably not been as many yellow cards as we would like, and maybe not even as many red cards as we would like. We have not had the behaviour change that we are seeking yet, so we have to continue in that vein."
HOW CAN THEY STILL GET IT WRONG
Former Springbok captain Jean de Villiers, himself a victim of foul play in his playing days, said the questionable officiating keeps tugging at the seams of the game's integrity.
"I think it's at least worth posing the question if the game's integrity is intact. It is becoming increasingly difficult for players and coaches whose livelihoods are affected by these decisions. It affects them directly.
"It is increasingly difficult to just accept errors are made when you have four officials with all that technology at their disposal. That Owen Farrell incident with Andre Esterhuizen is a case in point. The officials aren't consistent in their application.
"I understand officials are in a very difficult position."
Though you wouldn't say so given referees' recent actions, or inaction, but player safety is paramount to World Rugby. Just this year concussion has brought to a premature end the careers of Jason Eaton and Jared Payne, while in a freak incident former Wallaby Rob Horne has had to quit as a result of a high-impact collision on his shoulder.
"We recognise that there are inconsistencies, and over time that will sort itself out," said Gosper. "We are working to rectify them. We cannot stand there with our hands up and say we get it right every time," Gosper admitted. "Our job is to keep insisting on the objectives that we have for player-welfare reasons."
POTENTIAL FIXES TO FAUX PAS
With that in mind a much-decorated former referee and citing commissioner who did not want to be named, said he had formally suggested that players, instead of teams be penalised when cards have to be issued. "Why not replace the player permanently. He can't come back and the team has to use a sub."
He also advocated the more productive use of assistant referees. "I think they are under-utilised. They are basically doing what they did 20 years ago."
De Villiers said rugby has good standing in international sport but that doesn't mean it can't gaze inward. "Maintaining the game's integrity is important and I don't think the game's standing has changed but rugby needs to look at itself get its house in order."..