English rugby referee Wayne Barnes with Jo Howard, owner of The Welsh Dragon Bar in Wellington. Barnes was at the popular Welsh haunt on Thursday, two days before the second test between the All Blacks and Wales.

A night out socialising with Welsh rugby fans and former players appears to have left Wayne Barnes a little hazy about why Kiwi rugby fans love to hate him.

The English referee appeared at The Welsh Dragon Bar in Wellington on Thursday, and could not resist having a poke at the topic that seems to dominate conversation whenever his name is mentioned in this country.

Bar owner Jo Howard said he was good enough to sign the guest book, leaving a comment that simply read: "What pass?"

SUPPLIED Wayne Barnes' entry in the Welsh Dragon Bar's guest book will no doubt have a Kiwi rugby fans seeing red.

Barnes' night out at the capital's famous Welsh haunt came just two days before he was a touch judge in the second test between the All Blacks and Wales at Westpac Stadium - a game the home team won 36-22.

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It was also less than a week after Barnes had control of the first test at Eden Park, where he controversially denied All Black substitute TJ Perenara​ a try because he felt the last pass from first-five Aaron Cruden had drifted forward.

SUPPLIED Barnes' comment appeared to be a nod to his controversial refereeing decisions in the first test between the All Blacks and Wales on June 11, as well as the 2007 Rugby World Cup quarterfinal he officiated.

The video referee had a look at the tape and disagreed, but Barnes over-ruled him. Cue the groans from All Blacks fans.

Howard said patrons were nudging each other in shock on Thursday when Barnes - an Englishman - "brazenly" showed up with former Welsh winger Ieuan Evans.

Given the Welsh and the English don't always see eye-to-eye, "he was very brave to come in here," Howard said.

JOHN COWPLAND/PHOTOSPORT Barnes watches a replay of an All Blacks try on the Eden Park big screen on June 11, before ultimately ruling it out for a forward pass.

"I was hoping people weren't going to be too rude."

But given how Kiwis have struggled to forget the All Blacks' exist from the 2007 Rugby World Cup, a Welsh bar may have been the safest place in the city for him.

Barnes was, of course, the man in charge when the All Blacks were knocked out of the world cup by France after failing to spot what looked to be a clear forward pass in the build-up to a French try in that game.

The moment did not exactly endear him to the New Zealand public.

But Howard said meeting Barnes had transformed her views of him.

He queued up for drinks at the bar along with everyone else, and as the patrons' shock and nerves faded they were keen to chat with him, she said.

"He was really nice to talk to."

Howard said the bar had been bursting with Welsh fans for the three days leading up to Saturday's test match in the capital.

The Welsh rugby team had been invited to head to the bar to watch their football counterparts play Russia in Euro 2016 competition on Tuesday morning, she said.

Barnes will not play any part in Saturday's third test between the All Blacks and Wales in Dunedin. He will instead referee a match between Argentina and France on June 25.