As the Springboks prepare for their Rugby Championship decider against Argentina in London, all rugby fans will be hoping that the referee at Twickenham will be handle this high-pressure battle with consistency and accuracy.
There haven’t been too many officiating controversies in what has been a highly competitive Rugby Championship to date, and the referee for this Saturday’s battle between the Springboks and Argentina will be Italian Andrea Piardi, who will have a big job to do.
He will be assisted by Nika Amashukeli from Gerogia, and Irishman Eoghan Cross, while England’s Ian Tempest will be in the TMO box.
Referee team for the Springboks v Argentina at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, England (15:00 kick off SA time)
Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
Assistant Referees: Nika Amashukeli (GRU), Eoghan Cross (IRFU)
Television Match Official: Ian Tempest (RFU)
Split Screen/FPRO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)
Miscellaneous stats and facts for the Springboks:
- The Springboks have won 11 of their last 13 matches against the Pumas, dating back to 2018, with their only two defeats being in Argentina, in Santiago Del Estero (last season) and in Mendoza (in 2018).
- The teams have crossed paths in London only once before, in the bronze final of the 2015 Rugby World Cup, with the Boks winning the match 24-13 at the Olympic Stadium.
- Siya Kolisi will play his 98th Test match, leaving him only two games short of becoming the ninth Springbok centurion in the history of the game.
- Eben Etzebeth will extend his record as the most capped Springbok of all time to 138 Tests when he takes the field on Saturday.
- Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Jesse Kriel have both scored 95 Test points and require only five to make it to 100 in the green and gold.
- The total Test caps in the Springbok starting line-up are 797. There are 264 caps in the backline, with 533 caps among the forwards. On the bench, there are a further 343 caps.
- The average caps per player in the backline is 38, the forwards 67, while the players on the bench average 43.
Meanwhile, Morne Ferreira and Marius Jonker are in Perth for the game between Australia and New Zealand. That game kicks off at 11:45 (SA time).
Saturday, 04 October 2025
Australia vs New Zealand at Optus Stadium, Perth, Australia – 11h45
Referee: Matthew Carley (RFU)
Assistant Referees: Karl Dickson (RFU), Morné Ferreira (SARU)
Television Match Official: Andrew Jackson (RFU)
Split Screen/FPRO: Marius Jonker (SARU)
