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Wayne Barnes was at the centre of arguably the most dramatic World Cup final of them all as South Africa edged New Zealand 12-11 at the Stade de France.
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The English referee showed the first ever red card in a men’s final when New Zealand captain Sam Cane saw his yellow for a dangerous tackle on Jesse Kriel upgraded by the bunker review system.
Barnes sent Cane to the sin-bin in the 28th minute and soon after it was confirmed that one of the players of the tournament would be forced to sit out the remainder of its showpiece occasion.
Another contentious moment arrived in the 46th minute when South Africa skipper Siya Kolisi made a tackle on Ardie Savea that resulted in a clash of heads.
Barnes showed a yellow card to Kolisi and put the incident on review, but on this occasion the bunker felt the offence was not serious enough to warrant a red.
Overall, it was the most indisciplined final of all time with Cane’s red and three sin-binnings keeping Barnes busy.
Andy Goode wrote: “Kiwi’s raging about Wayne Barnes again, thought he had a good game.”
Kiwi’s raging about Wayne Barnes again, thought he had a good game
— Andy Goode (@AndyGoode10) October 28, 2023
It was a tough night for the ex-lawyer, who is the game’s foremost referee, but he got most of the decisions right with the two biggest calls made by the bunker.
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