Rugby World Cup left red-faced as five errors spotted including ‘illegal’ charge

Rugby World Cup: Semi-final previews

World Rugby have reportedly identified five major errors that were made by referee Ben O’Keeffe during South Africa’s quarter-final win over France at the Rugby World Cup. O’Keeffe found himself at the centre of a media storm after the Springboks reached the semi-finals by downing the tournament hosts at the Stade de France.

France scrum-half Antoine Dupont singled out O’Keeffe after the final whistle by saying that his officiating was not ‘up to the level’ required for a Rugby World Cup quarter-final. He was then selected to referee the semi-final between South Africa and England on Saturday night in a decision that raised no shortage of eyebrows across the sport.

World Rugby have since admitted that multiple errors were made by O’Keeffe during the Springboks’ win over France, according to Midi Olympique. It is said that a thorough analysis of his performance found that he ended up disadvantaging both sides at different points in the game, with one moment in particular going a long way to deciding the outcome.

South Africa winger Cheslin Kolbe charged down a crucial kick by Thomas Ramos in the first half, when the scores were level at 12-12. It was later suggested by France fans on social media that Kolbe began his charge too quickly, meaning the kick should have been retaken, and World Rugby have reportedly come to the same conclusion after reviewing the incident for themselves.

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Three of the errors made by O’Keeffe were found to have disadvantaged France, while another two were said to have unfairly gone against the Springboks. World Rugby are yet to publicly reveal their official position on the matter, with the governing body not in the habit of making statements on potential referee errors.

O’Keeffe will be hoping to make amends when he takes charge of South Africa’s next match against England, during which he will be firmly under the spotlight from the very first whistle. Springboks director of rugby Rassie Erasmus has already insisted that O’Keeffe’s presence will be welcomed by both teams in spite of his errors against France, with the 50-year-old willing to draw a line under what happened.

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“I guess it’s a bit of an unknown, either positive or negative,” said Erasmus after O’Keeffe’s appointment was confirmed earlier this week. “It will be best for the team that stays within the laws and hopefully doesn’t have rugby accidents, causing cards.

“I think that’s one thing that Ben has really done well, and I think [England head coach Steve] Borthwick will be as pleased if he referees the game like that again.”

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