Garces to ref All Blacks v Boks match
The International Rugby Board has appointed French referee Jerome Garces to take charge of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship Test between New Zealand and South Africa in Wellington, while Englishman Wayne Barnes will take charge of the return fixture at Ellis Park.
Garces was in charge of one of the recent England v New Zealand tests, and is rated highly. His countryman Romain Poite took charge of the fixture last year and was the centre of controversy when he gave a yellow card for a legal tackle to Bismarck du Plessis, forcing the IRB to later apologise for the incident.
The Rugby Championship opener between Australia and New Zealand in Sydney on August 16 will be refereed by South Africa’s Jaco Peyper. The appointments for the 12 Championship fixtures feature a blend of northern and southern hemisphere match officials selected on form.
IRB Match Official Selection Committee Chairman John Jeffrey said: “As we build towards Rugby World Cup 2015, our focus continues to be clear and consistent decision-making and the highest standards of physical conditioning.
“The Rugby Championship 2014 appointments have been made following careful consideration to recent performances at elite level, including the June tests and other IRB Tournaments.
“We continue to consult with coaches in making our selection decisions and I would like to thank Unions for their full commitment and support of the official feedback channels.”
