Barnes To Take Charge Of Toulon Encounter

Wayne Barnes (Eng) will referee Munster’s Heineken Cup semi-final against Toulon at the Stade Velodrome on Sunday April 27th.

This is the second time Barnes will officiate Munster in the Heineken Cup this season, having previously refereed Munster’s commanding 38-6 win over Edinburgh in Thomond Park on January 19th.

Barnes is no stranger to the knock out stages of the competition, taking charge of his first Heineken Cup Final in 2010, when Toulouse defeated Biarritz to claim the trophy for a record fourth time.

JP Doyle (Eng) and Luke Pearce (Eng) will marshal the touchlines while Graham Hughes (Eng) will be the TMO, in a game which sees Munster appear in a record 11th Heineken Cup semi-final.

Meanwhile, Nigel Owens (Wal), who refereed Munster’s quarter-final victory over Toulouse, will take charge in Twickenham for the weekend’s first of two semi-finals – Saracens v ASM Clermont Auvergne on Saturday, April 26th.

Assistant referee 1: Alain Rolland (Ire); Assistant referee 2: Leighton Hodges (Wal); TMO: Gareth Simmonds (Wal)