Thread:Extension talk:Cite/filling references with a template/reply

i believe you should use the #tag: magic word if you want to use "ref" tag from inside a template.

see Help:Magic_words.

as to the "references" tag: it does not sound right to have this tag in the same template - this will place "references" once per each reference, instead of once for the whole page.

also, afair, if you use modern-enough version of the code, you can completely omit the "references" tag, to display the references at the end of the page. don't remember when was this introduced, and TBH, i am not 100% sure this is correct...

peace.