Referee Jerome Garces gestures during the Rugby World Cup 2019 Group B game between New Zealand and South Africa at International Stadium Yokohama on September 21, 2019 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Given their impending battle for a place in the World Cup final, it’s probably unlikely that the Springboks and Wales will be too flattering of each other going into the game.
However, there was some Welsh support for South Africa yesterday after Warren Gatland, the Dragons’ head coach, suggested that the reaction to Jaco Peyper’s photo was “politically correct” people making “mountains out of molehills”.
The 39-year-old referee from Bloemfontein missed out on consideration for a potential gig in the last four following World Rugby’s “investigation” into an image of him posing with Welsh fans and mimicking the stray elbow that saw him dish out a red card to French lock Sebastien Vahaamahina during last weekend’s quarterfinal between Wales and France.
“Peyper recognises that a picture of him with Wales fans was inappropriate and he has apologised,” the governing body said.
But Gatland didn’t see too much wrong with the gaffe.
“Yeah, I saw that,” he said yesterday. “He’s had his 50th cap, he’s posing with a few fans and he’s making a bit of a joke about the incident in the game. How people interpret that is up to them.
“Obviously, the way things are and how [politically correct] everyone is, people like to make mountains out of molehills. That’s how I view the situation.”
But Peyper’s sidelining is perceived to have affected the Springboks negatively. With him not available to broaden the pool of referees who could have potentially officiated in the semifinals, World Rugby appointed Jerome Garces as the man with the whistle for Sunday’s clash in Yokohama.
The Frenchman is a controversial figure, who was severely criticised for his handling of the Boks and All Blacks’ pool match last month.
To compound matters, South Africa have won just four of their 14 matches with Garces in charge.
Many South Africans voiced their frustration on Twitter.
“Jerome Garces the IRB are really trying their utmost to get Eben [Etzebeth] back home,” wrote @dee_ai89.
“If Jerome Garces has been following mood back home in France then we’re in trouble. French people are mad at our Jaco Peyper,” commented @hlubizer.
The Bok camp did not comment on the appointment.
INFO
Bok results with Garces in charge:
– news@citizen.co.za
For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.
