The Springboks have waited four years to get their World Cup revenge on the All Blacks and they don’t want French referee Jerome Garces to spoil their day.
Back in 2015, Garces was the man calling the shots when the two giants collided in the semifinal of the global showpiece in England.
While the All Blacks won the match 20-18, Garces made his presence felt on the day, blowing his whistle 19 times for penalties and also yellow-carding NZ flank Jerome Kaino and Bok wing Bryan Habana.
All Blacks fans will also remember Garces not only sending off Sonny Bill Williams against the British and Irish Lions in 2017, but also as the man that sent Scott Barrett to the stands for his shoulder charge on Wallaby Michael Hooper earlier this year.
CONCERNED: Bok coach Mzwandile Stick, left. Photo: Christiaan Kotze/BackpagePix.
The South African camp, though, backline coach Mzwandile Stick wants Garces to treat the two teams equally on Saturday and not to ruin a match fans have waited a number of years for.
Stick explains: “When it comes to the All Blacks - they’ve been dominating at Test level.
OLD RIVALS: Springboks and All Blacks. Photo: Andre Cornaga.
“And when it comes to the World Cup, they become favourites. Even though they’re No.2 in the world, the top-five teams currently all have a chance of winning the World Cup on their day.
“Hopefully the officials will treat every team equally and respect the game and the fans.”
Referee aside, Stick believes the Boks have the right plan.
He explains: “The defence coaches and attack coaches work very closely together...
“Sometimes you get systems where it’s mostly defensive and then when the team has possession, the players don’t know what to do with the ball. What we have done is to make sure that we have a defensive system that complements our attack.”