{"id":292396,"date":"2023-10-30T01:12:01","date_gmt":"2023-10-30T01:12:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportsloveme.com\/?p=292396"},"modified":"2023-10-30T01:12:01","modified_gmt":"2023-10-30T01:12:01","slug":"englishman-to-feature-in-rugby-world-cup-final-despite-semi-final-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportsloveme.com\/rugby-league\/englishman-to-feature-in-rugby-world-cup-final-despite-semi-final-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"Englishman to feature in Rugby World Cup final despite semi-final loss"},"content":{"rendered":"

Borthwick backs Curry after racial slur controversy calling it a 'World Rugby matter'<\/h3>\n

An Englishman will appear in Saturday\u2019s Rugby World Cup final between New Zealand and South Africa. That is despite Steve Borthwick\u2019s side being knocked out of the tournament by the Springboks last weekend.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Referee Wayne Barnes, a Premiership official from Gloucestershire, will be the man in the middle for the match. He will be the only Englishman on the field, with Borthwick\u2019s England\u00a0team dumped from the Rugby World Cup last weekend.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The 44-year-old is one of the most experienced referees in test rugby. He has officiated at the last five World Cups going back to 2007, although got under the skin of the All Blacks at that edition of the tournament.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Barnes will be assisted by Tom Foley as a television match official (TMO). And the mind games have already begun with New Zealand legend Sir John Kirwan telling Barnes that he needs to be mindful of South Africa\u2019s perceived gamesmanship.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: <\/strong> Rugby World Cup racism storm would’ve been angrier if black player made claims[LATEST] <\/strong><\/p>\n

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Kirwan insists that Barnes is the most important person in the match, as opposed to any of the players. The former All Black says the referee cannot allow South Africa to control a stop-start game that will work in their favour.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the most important person in this contest is an Englishman called Wayne Barnes,\u201d Kirwan told Rugby Pass’s The Breakdown. \u201cWe cannot have a stop-start (game), we cannot have water drinks coming on at every scrum.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got to speed the game up because that\u2019s how we\u2019re going to beat them. For me, it\u2019s critical the referee lets the game flow a little bit because South Africa will be trying to slow it down.\u201d<\/p>\n