The Crusaders rate Jaco Peyper as the best referee in Super Rugby and feel that he is the right man to handle the final at Ellis Park, writes JON CARDINELLI in Johannesburg.
Sanzaar’s policy of appointing referees on merit rather than nationality has not gone down well in New Zealand. Many felt that a neutral such as Australian Angus Gardner would have been a more appropriate choice for a Super Rugby final between the Lions and Crusaders in Johannesburg.
On Thursday, Scott Robertson was asked for his thoughts on the matter. The Crusaders coach laughed as if he was expecting the question, and then proceeded to give the South African official a ringing endorsement.
‘Jaco is a quality ref,’ he said. ‘We got asked to rank the refs before the finals [playoffs] and we said Jaco was No 1. He deserves the final on that alone.
‘Jaco is experienced. He’s resilient. This will be a final played in his home country. He will have to be resilient and he will have to take the emotion out of it.
‘We can’t ask for much more than Jaco, who has those capabilities.’
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A massive contest is expected at the set pieces and the breakdowns. As Robertson intimated, Peyper will be under pressure to make the right calls at the scrums and rucks and not be swayed by a partisan 61,500-strong crowd.
Robertson has also demanded an accurate performance by his own charges at the breakdown. The Crusaders are well aware of what the Lions can do after forcing a turnover.
‘We will need to slow the ball down,’ he said. ‘The Lions go hard at the rucks and they concede penalties, but they also get the most turnovers.
‘We have to be smart around that area. We have to get the balance and discipline right.’
Crusaders flanker Matt Todd called for better decision-making at the collisions and breakdowns. The Lions boast one of the best defensive records in the tournament. They also have a reputation for transitioning well from defence to attack.
‘We know how good the Lions are on the ball,’ Todd said. ‘We have to make sure that our capital carrier does a job and doesn’t expose the ball to them. As support players, we have to get there quickly.
‘The Lions are very dangerous. That’s a big part of their game, forcing those turnovers. We’ve certainly spoken about it.
‘We’ve got to be smart when we’re defending, too. When it’s on, we’ve got to attack the breakdown. When it’s not, we’ve got to keep bodies on their feet. We can’t allow the Lions to get a roll on and get quick ball at every ruck. We have to make good decisions and disrupt their flow.’
Photo: Steve Haag/Gallo Images
