Barnaby Joyce inadvertently watches wrong Matildas v France game from pub on night of historic quarter-final

While more than seven million Australians were tuned into Channel 7’s coverage of Saturday night’s gripping quarterfinal shootout between Australia and France, one pub and its patrons had no idea of the history unfolding.

At the Commercial Hotel in Walcha, NSW, staff had inadvertently switched on a replay of an Australia v France friendly played in the lead-up to the World Cup.

Patrons, including former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, eagerly watched Australia’s 1-0 victory over Les Bleues in a friendly at Marvel Stadium on July 14.

Taking to social media as the match headed into extra time, Joyce declared, “In every country pub, city club, suburban home, they are doing this tonight. Watching the Matildas”.

Speaking to Sunrise’s Natalie Barr this morning, Joyce said he “suspected” something was amiss, given the pub was showing Channel 10 rather than World Cup broadcaster Seven.

“I know it was an incredible penalty shootout which we never [saw] — we went and had dinner because we thought they’d won 1-0,” Joyce said.

“I went to the pub and watched them on the weekend, but I think we were watching the wrong game.

“I think they put it on a repeat because it was on Channel 10. I don’t think it was the right one.”

Speaking to the Guardian, pub staff said: “We hadn’t even realised until today that it was the wrong match. The crowd didn’t notice either. It’s been news to us.”

A spokeswoman for Channel 10 said the network did not air a replay of the July 14 match over the weekend.