England has already been accused of bias against the Rugby World Cup semifinal referee

Unfancied If England defeats the reigning champions South Africa on Saturday night at the Stade de France in Paris, they will go to the Rugby World Cup final for the second time in a row.

Despite harsh criticism from former coach Eddie Jones, Ben O’Keeffe will officiate England’s Rugby World Cup semifinal matchup against South Africa.

In a rematch of the 2019 championship game, England will face the reigning champions at the Stade de France. With a flawless record and a spot in the tournament’s last four, Steve Borthwick’s team has surprised expectations. They are the only European team still in the running.

However, South Africa are the heavy favorites to win the match on Saturday night, and English supporters will now be even more alarmed as a result of O’Keeffe’s appointment. Following a Six Nations match in 2020, Jones controversially suggested the Kiwi official was biased.

Following South Africa’s victory over the World Cup hosts, France’s captain Antoine Dupont accused O’Keeffe of “not being up to the challenge” and criticized him. Nevertheless, by awarding O’Keeffe the semi-final job, World Rugby has defended him.

Following England’s 33-30 victory over Wales at Twickenham in 2020, which saw Manu Tuilagi get sent off and Ellis Genge get singed, Jones lashed out at O’Keeffe. Jones claimed, “It was 13 vs 16 at the end,” and the Rugby Football Union censured him for the comment.

The RFU issued an apology for Jones’ criticism and said they “regret any implications that Ben O’Keeffe was biased in his decision-making” in a statement to O’Keeffe and the match officials team. Last December, England fired Jones.

Then came Dupont’s remarks following the quarterfinal last Sunday. There is a lot of dissatisfaction and annoyance, the Frenchman added. Even though seeing the replays again would aggravate us even more, we can’t wait to do so. There are things that are evident and clear that have not been whistled. I’m not sure if the game is over at this point.

“We ought to have received penalties at critical times. It’s simple to whistle when you progress 60 meters and the ruck slows down. The refereeing today may not have been up to the task. However, I won’t be angry.

Prior to the game, O’Keeffe was also in the news when South Africa’s director of rugby Rassie Erasmus charged the French players with “simulating.” He declared, “I don’t believe the French are playing a careless game where they are bordering on being overly violent.

“What they do well is truly show that to the referee when they go close to the high hits. Sometimes they do emulate a little bit, which is ingenious and obviously effective. They seem to be quite proficient and clear in that area.

The semi-final on Saturday night will mark O’Keeffe’s third time in command of a World Cup game involving South Africa. He will have assistance from Brendon Pickerill, a television match official, as well as fellow Americans Paul Williams and Andrew Brace of Ireland.