English rugby referee Wayne Barnes. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Wayne Barnes, once voted the third most hated man in New Zealand after Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein, will referee this weekend's World Cup quarter-final between the All Blacks and Ireland at Stade de France.
The Englishman earned the enmity of New Zealanders at his first World Cup in 2007 by missing a forward pass in the run-up to one of France's tries in a stunning quarter-final upset of the All Blacks.
All Blacks fans have mellowed to the 44-year-old lawyer since, although he was in charge in Wellington last year when Ireland clinched their first ever series win in New Zealand.
The All Blacks still nurse a grievance over Ireland prop Andrew Porter being shown only a yellow card in that match for a head-to-head clash with Brodie Retallick that left the New Zealand lock with a fractured cheekbone.
It will be a record fourth quarter-final for Barnes, who has also officiated rare Irish losses to France and Wales in the Six Nations in the last four years.
New Zealand rugby referee Ben O'Keeffe Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The other blockbuster quarter-final in Paris this weekend between hosts France and world champions South Africa will be in the hands of New Zealander Ben O'Keeffe, who also presided over the heavyweight pool clash between Ireland and the Springboks.
French official Mathieu Raynal will take charge of England's quarter-final against Fiji in Marseille, while Jaco Peyper will hold the whistle in the other last-eight clash in the southern city, Wales against Argentina.
Peyper was not considered for appointment to the semi-finals at the last World Cup after a picture appeared online of him posing with Welsh fans after he had refereed a quarter-final between Wales and France.
The South African had sent off Sebastien Vahaamahina for elbowing Aaron Wainwright in the face during the match, which Wales won 20-19, and appeared to be mimicking the French lock's offence in the picture.
-Reuters