Rugby World Cup: Bronca against referee Ben O’Keefe during the England-South Africa match

Ben O’Keefe will remember his 2023 World Cup for a long time. Much of the crowd was in attendance at the Stade de France on Saturday night for the second semi-final between England and South Africa.

Bronka in several stages: two to three minutes when he went out to warm up, and which continued during his physical exercises, in particular, sprinting along the sideline. After this introduction, the whistles died down… before starting again with the announcement of his name after the team lineups. Much stronger armor than the first one.

Then came the whistle on almost every decision he made, especially in favor of South Africa, such as the final winning penalty converted by Handre Pollar at the very end of the match. French fans also booed at Springboks Faf de Klerk, Cheslin Kolbe and Eben Etzebeth, the executioners of the French XV last week.

Under fire in the French media and social media, Ben O’Keefe was able to test his popularity in the real world. The stands of the Stade de France are mainly occupied by supporters of Antoine Dupont’s gang, who were all expecting another meeting at this World Cup. In this semi-final, Ben O’Keefe was accompanied as an assistant by the Frenchman Mathieu Raynal. The second assistant was his compatriot Paul Williams. The video assistant referee is also New Zealander Brendon Pickerill.