Former Romania coach Lynn Howells has admitted that a Romanian referee should never have been put in charge of Spain's World Cup qualifier at the centre of a match-fixing row.

Spain have submitted a complaint to World Rugby outlining 19 'unfair' decisions in last Sunday's 18-10 defeat by Belgium in Brussels- after which referee Vlad Iordachescu was chased off the pitch.

Iordachescu was appointed before the tournament by Rugby Europe, whose president is Romanian International Olympic Committee member Octavian Morariu, but complaints about a conflict of interest were ignored.

Vlad Iordachescu was the referee as Belgian pulled off a huge upset win over Spain on Sunday

Romania needed Spain to lose to qualify - but Rugby Europe rejected Spanish requests to remove Iordachescu 20 days before the Test. Qualification is worth about £1.5million to Spain and Romania and pressure is increasing for the game to be replayed.

Spain coach Santiago Santos said: 'World Rugby need to make justice. We have had support from all over the world.'

Sir Clive Woodward called for a replay, prompting an angry response from Alin Petrache, president of Romanian Rugby Federation, who said: 'Clive Woodward is a pensioner with nothing to do.'

Players clashed with eachother and the referee after the game which saw Belgium qualify

Rugby Europe held an inquest to review the referee's performance on Friday. Spain made an official request for the review to be chaired by an independent body, such as the RFU, but it was ignored.

The conclusions of the meeting will be relayed to Rugby Europe board members and World Rugby on Monday night.

'The whole system is Mickey Mouse,' said a Mail on Sunday source. 'Serious questions need to be asked of Rugby Europe.' Unless World Rugby act, Romania will be in a World Cup pool with Ireland, Scotland and Japan. They are seeking a new coach after Welshman Howells quit midway through the Six Nations B League.

Ex-Romania coach Lynn Howells admitted that a Romanian should never have been in charge

'The referee shouldn't ever have been put in place for the end of the tournament,' Howells told the Mail on Sunday.

'I know Vlad very well and I'd be surprised if he'd been swayed by anything. I hope for rugby's sake that there has been no funny business and I've heard nothing to suggest there has been.

'Immaterial of who the referee was, there is no place in rugby union for teams to attack a referee.'