Scotland v Fiji referee Craig Evans removed from match after coach's furious BBC interview

Scotland kick off their Autumn Series campaign at home to Fiji on Saturday, with Gregor Townsend's side looking to continue their winning streak from the summer.

Townsend's men breezed past Canada, USA, Chile and Uruguay in July but now face a much tougher test, with huge clashes against South Africa and Australia also awaiting them in November. They will also face Portugal this month, but first they must get past the Fijians, who will take on Wales next weekend.

Taking charge of today's match is Welshman Craig Evans. Here's everything you need to know about the man in the middle at Murrayfield.

READ MORE:Nigel Owens: Meet the new generation of Welsh referees doing us all proud

READ MORE:Dai Flanagan leaves Dragons with immediate effect after poor start

Who is Craig Evans?

Born in Neath in 1991, Evans began refereeing as a teenager, qualifying when he was just 16.

In interview with ACME Whistles last year, he explained how he got into officiating, saying: "Both my parents were on the committee for age-grade rugby in my local town – my father was chairman, and my mother was secretary. My team folded because of a lack of numbers, and I thought: 'What can I do to stay in the game?'

"The following season we were constantly getting phone calls in the morning to say the ref hasn’t turned up, we can’t get a ref, so I said: 'Put me on a course,' they did that and now I’m sat here talking to you!

"There’s been no referees in the family before, I just took it upon myself to help the junior section on a Sunday morning because my team folded," he added. "I got a buzz, I thought I’m enjoying this for a different reason, I wanted to achieve things, so I took the route of the whistle.

"At the beginning I did think: 'Is this for me?' I missed playing on a Saturday, or going to watch my local town, so I only did it for one or two Saturdays. But one day I came home from watching a game and my father asked who won, I couldn’t tell him! We’re standing at the railing, I’m talking to the boys about random stuff, and I just thought, 'I can do something better with this time'. That’s when I thought I’ll take this refereeing seriously, see what it could be."

Evans began refereeing on the the World Rugby Sevens Series in 2016, as well as the 2020 Olympics, but then decided to commit to the 15-aside game full time. He made his Pro14 refereeing debut in 2018, and would be awarded his first Six Nations match when he was assigned to Italy v Ireland in 2021, the same year he was appointed to the Tier One select group of referees.

He was appointed as an assistant referee for last year's Rugby World Cup in France, joining TMO Ben Whitehouse as the only Welsh officials at the tournament.

Evans is one of only six referees to be selected to take charge of two Tests in this Autumn Series campaign, with the appointment coming after a "difficult year" for the young official.

When Evans' appointment was confirmed, WRU national elite performance referee manager, Ian Davies, said: “Naturally I am delighted to see Craig selected to a Tier 1 International, England v Japan and Scotland v Fiji.

“I have known Craig for a very long time, and there aren’t many individuals who work as hard to succeed as Craig. He has had a difficult year on a personal level, and I know his late father Martyn will be watching over him and willing him on."

Removal from match and coach's furious interview

Evans found himself at the centre of controversy back in 2016 as he was judged to have cost Edinburgh victory in a Pro12 clash with the Scarlets.

The then-24-year-old was running the line during the tense match, when he advised the referee that Edinburgh's players were offside at a lineout four minutes from the final whistle. That decision was deemed highly controversial, with most commentators and pundits who watched the incident back agreeing there was no offside offence, but it allowed the Scarlets' Aled Davies to kick a match-winning penalty and seal a narrow 22-21 victory.

After the match, Edinburgh coach Alan Solomons gave a furious interview with the BBC as he called for neutral officials to be introduced at all Pro12 games.

"The last penalty, when I looked on the television there was no offside and I think it is time in this competition we have three neutral officials," he said. "We're really disappointed not to get the win there at 21-19 we thought that game was ours and deservedly so."

“We have followed the correct protocol and that has all been dealt with through the proper channels,” Solomons later added. “I can’t do more than that. We have to keep it in the proper channels, but I stand by my views.”

At the time, the Times reported that Edinburgh had submitted a "scathing report" on Evans' part in their defeat.

The Welshman had been due to act as a touch judge for Edinburgh's next Pro 12 meeting with the Ospreys the following weekend, but was removed from the officiating line-up ahead of the match, with no official reason given.

Scotland v Fiji referees

Referee: Craig Evans (WAL)

Assistant Referees: Christophe Ridley (ENG) & Luc Ramos (FRA)

TMO: Brett Cronan (AUS)