#1. Wayne Barnes – NZ v France 2007 RWC
Many Kiwis still haven’t gotten over Barnes’ performance in the 2007 RWC quarter-final against France.
Barnes missed a clear forward pass from Damien Traille to Freddie Michalak in the lead up to a France try.
It led to the All Blacks’ earliest ever exit from a World Cup.
Answering a Q&A on BT Sport, Barnes was asked whether there are any decisions he regrets making throughout his career ahead of his final year in refereeing.
“I think, perhaps the most high-profile mistake was in 2007 when there was a forward pass in the lead up to a French try against New Zealand, the fallout from that was pretty huge,” Barnes told BT Sport.
“I think I was voted the third most-hated man in New Zealand that year so it was pretty impressive.”