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Boks get French ref Garces for Wales semi-final

Cape Town - Frenchman Jerome Garces will referee Sunday's Rugby World Cup semi-final between South Africa and Wales in Yokohama.

Kick-off is at 11:00 (SA time).

Garces will be assisted by England's Wayne Barnes and New Zealand's Ben O'Keeffe, with another Kiwi, Ben Skeen, the television match official (TMO).

Garces was the referee when the Springboks lost 23-13 to New Zealand earlier in the tournament.

The Boks have a torrid record under his watch, winning a meagre four of the 14 Tests he's officiated for a 29% win-record.

They've lost all six times he's refereed a Test against New Zealand and was also the referee when they famously lost to Japan at the 2015 World Cup in Brighton.

In the other semi-final between New Zealand and England in Yokohama on Saturday (10:00 SA time), Welshman Nigel Owens will be the referee.

Owens will be assisted by French duo Romain Poite and Pascal Gauzere, with South Africa's Marius Jonker as TMO.

Meanwhile, South Africa's Jaco Peyper was overlooked for the semi-finals.

He had sparked controversy after posing for a photo with Wales fans in which he appeared to mimic the elbow that led to France lock Sebastien Vahaamahina's red card in the quarter-finals.

Peyper has since apologised for his actions but it was not quite enough for him to be considered for action this weekend.

The referee dismissed the French lock in Oita last Sunday after video replays showed him smashing his elbow into the face of Welsh flanker Aaron Wainwright early in the second half.

The French were leading 19-10 at the time, before going on to lose 20-19.

- Compiled by Herman Mostert

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