Referees ‘favour’ All Blacks

● Rassie steps up pressure on Garces ahead of opener

SA stepped up pressure on referee Jerome Garces ahead of their blockbuster World Cup clash with the All Blacks, saying it was a well-known fact that tight decisions often go New Zealand’s way.

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus said the match was too close to call after the two sides were separated by no more than two points in their past four clashes.

But he added that referees had so much respect for the All Blacks, the three-time world champions, that 50-50 decisions often fell in their favour.

His message to the French whistle blower came just two days after his assistant coach, Mzwandile Stick, appealed for equal treatment from Garces, and three days ahead of Saturday’s showdown in Yokohama, the most anticipated game of the pool stage.

Erasmus, who named his strongest possible combination on Thursday, with the return of a fit-again Siya Kolisi the only change to the side that drew 16-16 with New Zealand two months ago, said the teams were evenly matched.

“The thing that makes it special is if you asked anyone right now who is going to win this Test match, I don’t think anyone will bet on any of the two teams,” he said.

“If you ask our boys, they think we’ve got a really good chance.

“If you ask their team, they think they’ve got a really good chance, and hopefully the referee is not too sure.”

Garces, who has red-carded two All Blacks and a Springbok, has handled three matches between the two sides, all of them won by New Zealand.

They narrowly won 20-18 in the 2015 World Cup semifinal and by 25-24 two years later when Bok centre Damian de Allende was sent off.

In between, Garces oversaw the 2016 blowout when the All Blacks triumphed 57-15.

Though the All Blacks have slipped behind Ireland in the world rankings, Erasmus said their dominance over the past decade had earned them credit with match officials.

“Referees buy into that respect because you are playing so well,” he said.

“It was a well-known fact that when it was really tough and teams were under the pump, some of the 50-50 decisions just went New Zealand’s way because they deserved that for being number one for so long.” Erasmus has ensured Garces will be especially involved in Saturday’s showdown by drawing up a kick-and-chase game plan that will test the All Blacks in the expected wet conditions and will result in heavy forward clashes in the difficultto-police breakdown area.

This is the fifth meeting between the teams at a World Cup with the Boks winning the 1995 final and 1999 bronze medal match, while New Zealand took the 2003 quarterfinal and 2015 semifinal.

“You couldn’t say there is a favourite.

“I think we have a healthy respect for each other’s capabilities but it will come down to a small moment to decide a big game in the end.

“Our job is to focus on executing our plan and skills to the best of our ability and hope that is enough,” Erasmus said.

South Africa:

15-Willie le Roux, 14-Cheslin Kolbe, 13-Lukhanyo Am, 12-Damian de Allende, 11-Makazole Mapimpi, 10-Handre Pollard, 9-Faf de Klerk, 8-Duane Vermeulen, 7-Pieter Steph du Toit, 6-Siya Kolisi (capt), 5-Franco Mostert, 4-Eben Etzebeth, 3-Frans Malherbe, 2-Malcom Marx, 1-Steven Kitshoff Replacements: 16-Bongi Mbonambi, 17Tendai Mtawarira, 18-Trevor Nyakane, 19RG Snyman, 20-Francois Louw, 21Herschel Jantjies, 22-Frans Steyn, 23-Jesse Kriel.