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Referees confirmed for World Cup semi-finals
By Josh Raisey
Referees Angus Gardner and Ben O’Keeffe are set to referee the World Cup semi-finals this weekend as the All Blacks face Argentina and the reigning champions South Africa play England.
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The Australian Gardner will be taking charge of his first World Cup knockout match on Friday at the Stade de France between the All Blacks and Los Pumas and will be joined by compatriot Nic Berry and England’s Karl Dickson as his assistants, and Wales’ Ben Whitehouse as the television match official.
New Zealand’s O’Keeffe will take charge of the second semi-final the following day in Paris a week after officiating South Africa’s quarter-final victory over hosts France. He will be joined by Ireland’s Andrew Brace and New Zealand’s Paul Williams as his assistants, while fellow Kiwi Brendon Pickerill will be the TMO.
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It will be the second time that O’Keeffe has officiated a match between the Springboks and England but the fifth time Gardner has taken charge of a fixture between the All Blacks and Argentina, most famously being the man with the whistle when the Pumas won in 2020.
World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: “I would like to congratulate Angus and Ben, the assistant referees and TMOs on their selection for the semi-finals.
“The match official group as a whole have played a full and positive role in an exceptional Rugby World Cup, including a compelling set of quarter-finals.”
World Rugby High Performance 15s Match Officials Manager Joël Jutge added: “Congratulations to all selected. This is a team effort, and the selection reflects the hard work of the group as a whole, and the encouragement and support they give each other.
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“I would also like to pay tribute to Jaco Peyper, who has been ruled out through injury. He would have been in contention. We wish him a speedy recovery.”
Good girl, through my hoops as per usual. Well done. Now try harder, jump higher. So easy to own you.
🛎
Running out of crayons to chew on?
And there she jumps through my hoops again. Good girl. Now higher, try harder.
Diggy mucker.
If I throw you a stick, would you leave? Or do you still need attention 🤔
Higher, little girl, jump higher. Try harder. Starting the day off owning you is becoming boring.
🛎🤣
There he/him is. Like a wind-up, clockwork ballbag. Dependable.
#stillbiting
#stillbleating
#stillspecial
Looking forward to your reading your bites tomorrow Diggy.
Good girl. Well done. Owning you and reducing you to your usual pathetic, childish bleats still makes me smile. Carry on little girl only jump higher and try harder.
Diggy mucker.
Joe Marler's bants. Nigel Farage wearing a milkshake. Nic Cummins interviews. Boris Johnson memes. Those are funny and sometimes clever. Your banter, like Woke comedy/Clive Woodward/and daytime tv, is stale, predictable and boring af. Be more like Nigel Farage wearing a milkshake and less
like an unimaginative woke comedian with a broken mangina.
Cue: little girl, bleats, owned you, harder/higher, ad nauseum.
And up and through my hoops she goes. Good girl. Now try harder, jump higher. Enjoy another day of being owned, loser.
🛎
Stimulus and response Diggy
Barks on command.
#welltrained
#stillbleats&bites
#stillcantbanter
Have a teat.🍼
Aah sweet. Still desperately begging for my approval l see, little one. Perhaps if you didn’t make it so easy for me to own you I might give you a pat on the head instead. Try harder now, little girl.
Lame. Harder little girl, try harder.
Haven’t seen a conversion kick being charged down in years. I thought the attacker couldn’t start running until the kicker started his run for the kick.
I thought that was a poor referee decision France v STH Africa .
He was 100% correct have a relook the kicker moved forward like a show pony he did not move fast and took his time. I don't think he saw Kolbi charging towards the ball because he was alone while the rest was under the post in a huddle.
Watch the video again. There is another video which surfaced taken from behind Cheslin. Nothing wrong with what he has done. Completely legal. He started running the moment Ramos’ moved his foot. Weird how you didn't see that. Now stop with this BS. Go and watch all the videos. What he has done was 100% within the rules of the game. The BOKS were better than the French in the end.
The Referee should have gone to the TV referee on that decision.
I agree with you CuzzyG. The decision of the win should be reversed. Bad Sportsmanship!!! A conversion is for the try-scorers Umf.
You’d have to say SA are heavy favourites. Them losing to England would be as unlikely as the South African cricket team losing to the Netherlands. 😂😂😂
And always have been
Never dismiss England this is finals rugby not round robin
Yeah 😁🤣 Be like using sandpaper on a cricket ball, Just doesn’t happen 😁😄😂
Given the standard of some comments, a little moderating by Rugbypass is overdue.
Let’s hope Ben checks the South Africans’ sprigs before kick off.
The only fair way forward for rugby is nfl type refereeing it may make the game longer but at least the refs wont be deciding who wins
Nfl? That’s a joke. They are the worst refs in any sport. NFLis so slow now I can’t watch any longer.
We need the game to be sped up, not stopped even more often!
How does that work exactly? Genuine question.
Hey is fokken mal.
Diggy mucker.
#stillbleating
#stillbiting
#stillcantbanter
Doos much?
Okay I've had enough now. I'm gonna have dinner and spend time with my loving family. You keep living your lonely existence. Bye bye
Harder, higher, little girl. You know you can.
Nigel please dissapear. Your stupid comments are getting very tiring. Even if england play all 23 players at the same time with Barnes as referee they still will lost heavely.
Excellent news for players, spectators and the game itself. Let’s have fast games focussed on attack, correct rucking and a clamp down on time-wasting. Barnes obviously being targeted for the final now (should England not progress).
What rugby loving New Zealander doesn’t want to see the ABs and SA in the final?
Let’s be honest.