Paris (AFP)

Final (e) apotheosis for Jerome Garcès. The 46-year-old Frenchman ends his career at the top of world rugby, with his last match as referee nothing less than the final of the World Cup on Saturday.

Four years after leading the semifinal New Zealand - South Africa and then participating, as assistant to Nigel Owens, in the finals New Zealand - Australia, Garcès this time was preferred to the Welsh for the first role in the shock England - South Africa, Saturday in Yokohama.

A first for him and for France, who had never seen one of his whistle at this stage of the competition. A last too, since he will then put his whistle to endorse the technical manager of the professional referees of the hexagon.

"I am honored and delighted," said the Frenchman on Tuesday in the World Rugby statement announcing his appointment. "It's a dream as an arbiter, but it's a team sport, and there are four of us," he added. A reference to his assistants Saturday, his compatriot Romain Poite and New Zealander Ben O'Keeffe, as well as another New Zealander, Ben Skeen, to the video.

Franck Maciello, national technical director of the French arbitration, found it "very serene". "He is not there by chance, he is someone who knows how to handle major events," he told AFP.

In fact, Jerome Garcès has offered an ultimate exceptional season: match for the first place of the Six Nations Tournament, final of the Champions Cup, final of the Top 14, denouement of the Rugby Championship. Just that. "Frankly, my career has been beyond my dreams," he admitted in September in an interview with AFP.

- "Zero risk" -

With his impeccable CV, his discretion and his 55 international matches on the clock, the Béarnais can only dispel the doubts that the geopolitics of rugby is inevitably born.

Should the English be afraid to be refereed by a Frenchman, who before leaving for Japan confided that he would support the Blues, their best enemies? He has, in any case, delivered a flawless copy by refereeing the XV de la Rose for the first time in this World Cup, in a quarter against Australia.

And it is rather South African side that his name can cringe. Two weeks ago, the assistant coach of the Springboks called for an "impartial" refereeing in the semi-final against Wales, insinuating barely veiled that the French was unfavorable to them.

An online petition asking him to withdraw his assignment, pointing out that South Africans were losing too often when he was whistling, had even collected more than 13,000 supporters.

The rest was wrong: Garcès refereed the game and the Boks won.

"Nations are very interested in referees who will officiate (...) and I presume they have validated this designation," believes Franck Maciello, for whom "World Rugby takes zero risk" by designating the French.

"It's someone who has a great intelligence of play, he understands perfectly what he must whistle or not," abounds former referee Joel Dumé. "When he communicates, he is never in aggression, always in exchange".

Saturday, he will have a lot to do in an encounter expected as highly tactical. But nothing to repulse a man who is up to the top 14, "a championship that can be closed, where our referees are trained to fight in the rucks, regroupings," says Franck Maciello.

Then? "We have to accompany the referees, help the newcomers, give some leads", he explained in September. And above all, keep French refereeing at the top. "There's a beautiful generation coming in. She wants to get involved, she's motivated, it's nice to work, to share with her," he said.

"We work to be among the best, and this work pays, it helps to bring coherence, and we work so much together that we can no longer talk about arbitration in the northern and southern hemispheres" .

© 2019 AFP