Recently-retired referee Jaco Peyper has listed two Test matches involving the All Blacks in his top three favourite games from his 21-year career.
Earlier in January, Peyper announced that he would be hanging up his whistle, shortly after being ruled out of the Six Nations due to injury.
The 43-year-old refereed the last of his 67 Tests – third most by a South African match official behind Jonathan Kaplan and Craig Joubert – at last year’s World Cup. He was involved in three RWC tournaments, and handled numerous playoffs at Vodacom United Rugby Championship, Super Rugby, Champions Cup and Currie Cup level.
In a wide-ranging interview with Sport24, Peyper opened up about the major highlights from his career.
“If I had to pick one Test match [as a highlight], maybe it would be New Zealand’s opening Test match against the British & Irish Lions in 2017,” Peyper told Sport24.
“The intensity and how the series unfolded from there, with the drama in the second Test, the Sonny Bill Williams red [card] and the draw in the third Test match … It was the quality of the teams, the build-up and the actual quality on the day; how good the Test was.
“In terms of intensity, another one would probably be the opening (2023) World Cup game between France and New Zealand. Both were firmly in the top three in terms of favourites for the World Cup. That was an incredible environment and a great Test match.
“At franchise level, I’d say the Champions Cup final last year between Leinster and La Rochelle. Again, it was the quality of play and intensity; it was a unique game where one team (Leinster) dominated for 30 minutes and it looked like they were going to win by 30 points and the other team turned it around and won.”
The Springboks making back-to-back World Cup finals in 2019 and 2023 meant that Peyper never got to experience the biggest of stages, but taking a big-picture perspective, he said that he isn’t bothered, as the wins were more important for South Africa.
“The [Springbok] management and I have spoken many times about it and they say that I’m effectively coaching against myself. Because by trying to get them into a final, I’m taking myself out of contention,” Peyper said.
“But there’s nothing better for this country, me and my business than for them to win that final. I’ve grown up as a massive Springbok fan and it hasn’t changed. The privilege of working with those lads massively outweighs my personal goals.
“What does it mean if I walk out in a World Cup final? It means very little. But if those guys do, it changes the country.”
Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
