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Cape Town - Jerome Garces, who will officiate Sunday's Rugby World Cup semi-final between South Africa and Wales in Yokohama, is one of the best referees in the world.
That is the view of Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick.
The appointment has caused somewhat of a stir in South Africa given the Boks' woeful record under the French referee.
South Africa have won just four of their 14 Tests under Garces while there were also concerns with how he managed the Boks' opening match of the 2019 tournament when they lost 23-13 to the All Blacks.
Stick, however, says the Boks have no concerns.
"When it comes to World Rugby at the World Cup, they have high standards. So, the top two refs in the playoffs - we believe they are the best refs to manage the semi-finals," he told media on Wednesday.
"We are just focusing on being on the good side on the day. Discipline is a big thing for us, and the only yellow card we've received was Beast (Tendai Mtawarira) against Japan.
"He is just an aggressive person - it's not like Beast was trying to cheat the game or doing anything illegal. It was a matter of half-a-second where he was going for an aggressive tackle.
"When it comes to Jerome Garces, he is one of the best refs at the moment. The fact that he has been given a semi-final, we might also see him in the final, as France are out of the competition.
"We respect him as a ref, and will try to make sure we are on his good side, and let him do his job."
Kick-off on Sunday is at 11:00 (SA time).
- Compiled by Lloyd Burnard
