Galthié's nap joke reignites rugby referee feud at World Cup

Japan's World Cup run ended in the quarter-finals, but the rugby world remains fixated on a different story: France coach Fabien Galthié took a thinly veiled swipe at referee Ben O'Keeffe ahead of their clash with South Africa. "On espère qu'il aura une bonne sieste," Galthié said, we hope he has a good nap. The joke references the 2023 World Cup quarter-final, where O'Keeffe's decisions stung France in a one-point loss to the Springboks. For Japan fans tracking the tournament's wider currents, it is a reminder that the margins at this level are razor-thin, and sometimes the fallout lingers long after the final whistle (1).