Appointment of criticised referee to be welcomed by both England and SA, says Erasmus

New Zealand official Ben O'Keeffe was jeered off, and criticised afterwards by France captain Antoine Dupont, for his officiating on Sunday.

APPOINTED: South Africa director of rugby Rassie Erasmus talks to referee Ben O'Keeffe before the 2023 Rugby World Cup Pool B match between South Africa and Ireland. Pic: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile

The appointment of referee Ben O’Keeffe for a second successive South Africa knockout game at the World Cup will be welcomed by their semi-final opponents England as well, Springboks Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus said on Tuesday.

The New Zealand official was jeered off, and criticised afterwards by France captain Antoine Dupont, for his officiating on Sunday, as South Africa narrowly edged the hosts 29-28 in the quarter-final with several marginal decisions going the Springboks' way.