Owens favourite to ref RWC final

Welshman Nigel Owens is favourite to be named as referee of the Rugby World Cup final.

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London - Welshman Nigel Owens is favourite to be named as referee of the Rugby World Cup final following the appointment of Frenchman Jerome Garces and England's Wayne Barnes for the semi-finals.

Owens, 44, was appointed an international referee in 2005 and officiated at the 2007 and 2011 World Cups. He took charge of this year's quarter-final between New Zealand and France.

Garces will referee the semi-final between South Africa and New Zealand at Twickenham on Saturday with Barnes responsible for Australia against Argentina at the same venue on Sunday.

The officials will be under even more pressure than usual following the controversy surrounding South African Craig Joubert's decision to award Australia a late penalty which sealed their 35-34 win over Scotland in the quarter-finals.

Organisers took the unusual step of announcing publicly that Joubert had made the wrong call and should have awarded the Wallabies a scrum. – Reuters