South Africa is a great country to visit. I used to love going there to referee. You have got so many things to do, so much to see, there are all these different cultures.
But it’s also a very difficult place to go and referee because they are so passionate about their rugby and when they lose they are not happy at all! Whoever is in the firing line gets it, whether it be the referee, the opposition coach, the opposition team, their own team. So expect it to be full on during the upcoming series between the Springboks and Wales.
Dave McHugh, the former Irish referee, was my coach for the last three or four years of my career. He was out there refereeing South Africa v New Zealand in 2002 when a big Springbok fan got so agitated with his decisions he ran on the pitch and tackled him.
