ONE name seemed to be missing from the roll of honour for the 2017 Six Nations, that of Wayne Barnes. His handling of The Longest Match in Paris ought to serve as an object lesson to budding referees the world over in how to cope with recurring emergency.
A second viewing of the staggering 20 minutes’ stoppage time confirmed the first, that the 37-year-old barrister from the Forest of Dean got it absolutely right. Just as no referee can have had as much thrown at him than between the 80th and 100th minutes of France-Wales, so none could have made a better job of it.
He asked the right...