8.30am
New Zealand's Paddy O'Brien and Englishman Chris White will referee the rugby World Cup semifinals this weekend.
White will control Saturday's match between the All Blacks and the Wallabies and O'Brien will take charge of Sunday's clash between England and France.
It will be their first appearance in the knockout rounds of
a cup.
The appointments have naturally started speculation that O'Brien and White are now favourites to do the final and the play-off for third and fourth.
Another New Zealand referee at the cup, Steve Walsh, controlled the quarterfinal between Australia and Scotland last Saturday after being suspended for three days for inappropriate behaviour.
He had clashed with an English fitness trainer during the incident in which England fielded 16 players against Samoa.
Walsh was a sideline official in the game, when England trainer David Reddin ignored instructions not to send replacement player Dan Luger on to the field while Mike Tindall was being treated for injury.
Walsh and Reddin are understood to have had an altercation in the tunnel after the game, won by England 35-22.
Match officials for the semifinals.-
Australia v New Zealand
Referee: Chris White (England)
Touch judges: Andre Watson (South Africa), Nigel Williams (Wales)
TV official: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)
England v France
Referee: Paddy O'Brien (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Stuart Dickinson (Australia), Nigel Williams (Wales)
TV official: Andrew Cole (Australia).
- NZPA
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