Serge Betsen shrugs off the Sir Graham Henry fixing accusations

France legend Serge Betsen has laughed off Graham Henry’s claims that the infamous 2007 World Cup quarter-final in Cardiff could have been fixed.
Henry this week sparked controversy by revealing doubts over the officiating of English referee Wayne Barnes in the All Blacks‘ shock 20-18 defeat to an inspired French outfit in the Welsh capital four years ago.
In one of the biggest shocks in the competition’s history France stunned the overwhelming favourites with the controversial winning try coming from a forward pass between Freddie Michalak and Yannick Jauzion.
According to his biography Final Word, Henry claimed Barnes had missed 40 penalties and that neither French try should have been allowed.
But Betsen, who started alongside current French skipper Thierry Dusautoir in the back-row in that match, has dismissed all talk of foul play, insisting there’s no need for Henry – who finally coached the All Blacks to the World Cup title last year – to re-open old scars.
He said: “If Graham Henry feels he has to go back to that match now that he is world champion then there are lots of things that could be said. I don’t think there is any need to go back to the refereeing in that match and talk about it.
“I remember it was a match that was incredibly intense for me, emotionally, and above all with the challenge we faced. We were up against the best team in the world and we had to find a strategy to be able to stand up to them.
“To blame the refereeing and say he wasn’t up to it doesn’t interest me, officiating is part of the game and that’s it.
“We managed to get ourselves into a position where we were able to compete. We really laid down a marker with our Tricolour t-shirts and took it on from there.”
The result ranks alongside semi-finals wins in 1987 and 1999 as France’s greatest performance in the tournament’s history and for Betsen it was Les Bleus’ refusal to bow down to the all-conquering Kiwis which proved decisive.
The 38-year-old, who retired last season, says France set their stall out by facing down the Haka before the 2007 quarter-final, as they did in last year’s final, and insists future generations of French players must not be bullied by the All Blacks.
He added: “We stood up to them and found a way to get past them, the frustration is that we couldn’t go and do the same against the English in the semi-final. In that match there was very little in it, and when I look back at that World Cup, that’s the one I think of.
“When the guys played them again in New Zealand last year I was pleased that they did the same thing and stood up to it and found something to counter the Haka.
“You have to stand up to that challenge when you play them.”
New Zealander Bob Francis, who appointed England‘s Wayne Barnes to referee the match at Cardiff, was among those who took issue with Henry’s comments.
Francis, at the time an IRB referee selector, said: “The suggestion of match fixing is a disgrace.”
He added Henry’s comments had damaged his credibility and reputation.
“They are extreme,” said Francis, adding: “They are totally unacceptable and I refute them totally.
“In actual fact I believe they were nonsense and I think it brings into question his judgment at that time.”
Francis insisted that Henry’s own decision-making was just as pivotal in the final result.
“He needs to look at himself rather than switch the blame…the team played poorly that day. I think there were some refereeing decision that were questionable.
“But if you go back through the whole lead-up from 12 months out from that World Cup, there were a lot of mistakes made in the way they were conditioned and prepared.
“The chickens came home to roost that day.”
PAULL EDDISSON