WORLD RUGBY HAS this morning announced the referee appointments for the 33 Test matches which will take place over the course of next month.
Ireland’s much-anticipated clash with New Zealand in Chicago’s Solider Field on 5 November will mark the start of the busy international schedule, with Frenchman Mathieu Raynal set to take charge.
The 35-year-old, who has refereed eight international matches previously, showed CJ Stander a red card during Ireland’s victory over South Africa in the first Test in June.
Luke Pearce and Ben Whitehouse will run the lines for the first meeting of Ireland and the All Blacks since 2013 while Rowan Kitt has been named Television Match Official.
For the return fixture in Dublin on 19 November, South African Jaco Peyper will be in charge with Raynal on touch judge duties.
Marius Van Der Westhuizen will be the referee for Ireland’s meeting with Canada at the Aviva Stadium and Jerome Garces will officiate the final game of the Autumn series against Australia on 26 November.
Ireland’s John Lacey has been appointed to referee the meeting of Italy and Tonga in Padova while Peter Fitzgibbon, Simon McDowell, Dudley Phillips, Andrew Brace and David Wilkinson will touch judge games throughout the month.
Full list of appointments can be viewed here.
- 5 November: Ireland v New Zealand (Solider Field) – Mathieu Raynal (France)
- 12 November: Ireland v Canada (Aviva Stadium) – Marius Van Der Westhuizen (SA)
- 19 November: Ireland v New Zealand (Aviva Stadium) – Jaco Peyper (SA)
- 26 November: Ireland v Australia (Aviva Stadium) – Jerome Garces (France)
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Jaco Peyper is a disastrous appointment for the game at home. He is one of the worst referees in the game, allowing blatant fouls to go unpunished, and making up the rules of the game as he goes along. I’d take Wayne Barnes, Romaine Poite or even Craig Joubert ahead of Peyper.
Can’t wait to see how may times Jaco Peyper goes to the TMO only to overrule him anyway. The game will probably take 3 hours!
FFS. Peyper is the worst ref in the history of the game. Poite Joubert and Garces aren’t that far behind him though….
My worry would be that Peyper would be in awe of NZ. I suspect that he would also not want to attract any unfavourable comments from the NZ media who would have a bit of clout with the Rugby World governing body due to the prestige associated with the current NZ team.
That appointment should ensure CJ is in the right bitter mood
Ah, we will beat em anyway. COYBIG.
Disaster. No doubt influenced in those decisions elsewhere.