Referee Wayne Barnes has finally spoken out about the infamous Rugby World Cup quarter-final between the All Blacks and France in 2007, revealing the considerable impact it had on both himself and his family.
The Englishman, at the time a relative newcomer at just 28-years-old, was thrust into the brightest of lights when he was assigned to officiate the All Blacks knock-out game against the French in Cardiff.
When the red-hot New Zealanders fell to a shocking 20-18 defeat, the majority of the blame was directed towards Barnes for missing what was perceived to be a blatant forward-pass in the lead up to the critical Yannick Jauzion try, which gave the heavy underdogs France the lead with just 12 minutes to play.
A nation was stunned and an angry rugby public made Barnes the scapegoat for the All Blacks’ poorest performance ever at a World Cup.
"It affected me, my family and friends because my name was in the paper and you don’t want to be the centre of attention," Barnes told The Times’ Stephen Jones.
"I was young so I was keen to learn from what happened in 2007, and I have done that."
Jones, never one to miss an opportunity to denigrate New Zealand Rugby, was typically forthright in his assessment of Barnes' treatment in the fallout of the loss.
"What it did all demonstrate is that rugby can be too important to some countries. Barnes may have missed a forward pass by a Frenchman in the move leading to a try. Otherwise, he refereed perfectly adequately," said Jones.
"New Zealand wallowed in their own arrogance, never having imagined that they could be beaten. Blaming Barnes, and what he had to go through, was a disgrace on the face of New Zealand as a country and as a rugby team."
Wayne Barnes deals a yellow card to All Black Luke McAlister during that World Cup quarter-final in 2007 (Getty file)
In an earlier interview with Sport360.com, Barnes made further reference to that 2007 quarter-final.
"A good game is when I finish a match and nobody is talking about me, and everyone is talking about the game and the players," Barnes told Sport360.com.
"Some games, and we've all had them, the spotlight comes on you because you had to make a difficult or near-impossible decision. You hope it doesn't happen, and that the players decide the game.
"It's happened in every World Cup and I've been one of those who has unfortunately had to make a difficult decision like that. In live time, it's very difficult."
Celebrating his tenth year as an international referee, Barnes now confesses to his admiration for the All Blacks with a respect which appears to be reciprocated - the Englishman widely recognised as one of the game's best.
"When the All Blacks were under the pump, Richie McCaw would be the one to raise his game."
Barnes is scheduled to control the All Blacks next on their end of year European tour against none other than France on November 26 in Paris.
Newshub.
