Another sizzling weekend of international rugby kicks off with a blockbuster clash between Ireland and New Zealand, with the two heavyweights going head to head in Dublin on Friday night.
Andy Farrell's side kick off their autumn campaign as the number-one-ranked side in the world, but face an All Blacks team who come into the match off the back of a dramatic win over England last weekend. The last time these two sides met, of course, was in the quarter-finals of last year's Rugby World Cup, with New Zealand breaking Irish hearts with a 28-24 win.
With bragging rights and more at stake, what is for certain is that it is likely to be a feisty encounter with both sides desperate to get that win.
The man charged with keeping a lid on proceedings is referee Nic Berry. Here's everything you need to know about the Australian official.
Who is Nic Berry?Born in Brisbane in 1984, Berry started out in the game as a player, representing Australia at the U21 World Cup in Argentina in 2005. He was selected for the Prime Minister's XV against Japan in 2006, but was never called up for the senior Wallabies side.
At club level, he made his debut for the Queensland Reds in the Super 12 in 2005, before moving to Racing 92 two years later. He spent three seasons in France before joining Wasps at the start of the 2010/11 season, but after suffering several concussions, he was forced to retire from the professional game at the age of 28 in 2013.
After being convinced to take up refereeing, he made his debut as an official three years later in Super Rugby, and quickly rose up the ranks to become one of the referees chosen for the 2019 World Cup. He also refereed in the Six Nations the same year.
Berry was also among the officials at last year's World Cup in France, taking charge of the huge crunch match between Ireland and Scotland as well as the bronze final between England and Argentina.
Left in tears after gameBerry was left in tears after taking charge of Argentina's pool match against Samoa at last year's Rugby World Cup.
The occasion was the referee's 31st Test match, with that number holding special significance for him following the death of his close friend and long-time mentor Andrew Cole.
A former referee and match official selector, Cole passed away in July 2022 at the age of 61 following a battle with cancer, leaving the rugby world in mourning. As a referee, he had reached 31 Tests and was hoping to watch his former apprentice Berry surpass that number before he passed away.
"My playing career ended through injury and I was approached by Rugby Australia and one man in particular, Andrew Cole," explained Berry on RugbyPassTV's Whistleblowers documentary. "He convinced me to give it a go and he was there for every step of the journey.
"He got diagnosed with cancer a few years ago and fought it bravely. Unfortunately, he passed away last year. When he got sick, I said 'If you go, I don't know if I can continue doing this'. He got to 31 Test matches which is why tonight is so significant."
However, while Cole could only be there in spirit for Berry's 31st Test, his widow Anne-Maree flew to France to be there to support him and thank him for all he had done for the family. As they reunited in Saint-Etienne, the pair shared a long, tearful embrace before she gave Berry a photo of him and her late husband as well as a replica of his 2019 World Cup medal.
"He always said to me, 'I want to be at Nic's 31st Test match' and I said 'I'll be there for you'," Anne-Maree explained. "He said: 'Would you do that?' and I said absolutely. So it was a lovely thing to be able to do.
"Most people wouldn't know what a special person Nic is. When Andrew passed away, he came with the family to view Andrew in the coffin and he placed his 2019 World Cup medal in there. It's something that is literally a one-off.
"When I was talking to the kids earlier this year, I said that Daddy would have given Nic something and they said why don't you see if you can get a replacement of that medal," she added. "I didn't dig him up!"
A tearful Berry later added: "It was a complete surprise to me that she was coming over for the game. It was a wonderful gesture and a great weekend. It will be one that I will always remember for the rest of my life."
Torn apart by coachBerry found himself at the centre of a bizarre storm during the British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa in 2021. The Australian official took charge of the first Test in Cape Town but left Springboks director of rugby Rassie Erasmus furious with his performance, as he was accused of treating captain Siya Kolisi differently to Lions skipper Alun Wyn Jones.
In an attempt to prove his point, Erasmus produced an a hour-long video documenting every decision he believed Berry to have got wrong, with the stunt prompting widespread backlash and ultimately landing the Springboks chief with a two-month ban for misconduct.
Erasmus was also made to apologise to Berry, who revealed in heartbreaking detail the devastating impact the coach's cruel "character assassination" had on his reputation and mental wellbeing.
"Needless to say, the whole situation has been an extremely difficult time for my family and me," said Berry in a statement. “As a match official, I understand that our performances will be heavily scrutinised, especially in such a prestigious tournament. However, the public attack on my integrity and character is not something that should be tolerated in any workplace.
"I considered officiating a Lions tour comparable with a World Cup. The appointment is an honour which few achieve. However, due to the actions of Mr Erasmus, my family and I have endured a significant amount of distress and we will only have negative memories of the whole experience.
“I feel that Mr Erasmus engaged in a character assassination of me on social media," he continued. "I have spent many years trying to build my reputation as an international referee and in the course of his video which was posted online, Mr Erasmus has caused it immeasurable damage.
“Though a small proportion of the rugby community will follow the outcome of this matter, and in the process obtain an accurate account of what really occurred, the wider rugby community will only be aware of me in the context of this incident. I feel that regardless of the outcome and any sanctions imposed, my reputation as a referee and person will be tarnished."
Berry added: "Throughout Mr Erasmus’ video, he makes unsubstantiated claims about the incidents that occurred in the 72 hours after the first Test match which I refereed. I felt that Mr Erasmus’ video brought into question my professionalism and my integrity as a match official and that there was an inference to be drawn that I was in some way cheating as an official, which is obviously completely untrue.
“His actions are against everything our game stands for and I feel it is important to take a stand against such behaviour. I sincerely hope that the outcome of the independent judicial hearing will set a precedent to discourage similar behaviour in the future so that no person has to experience what I have these past few weeks."
Ireland v New Zealand referee lineup Referee: Nic Berry (Australia) Assistant Referees: Karl Dickson (England) and Andrea Piardi (Italy) Television Match Official: Brett Cronan (Australia) Split Screen: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
