Andrew Brace will take charge of Scotland’s clash with New Zealand at Murrayfield today, with the hosts hoping to finally end their long wait for a historic first victory over the All Blacks.
The two sides first met in 1905, but Scotland have never beaten the New Zealanders in any of their 33 games.
They came agonisingly close last year, however, when the scores were level at 17-17 in Edinburgh before the visitors pulled away in the closing stages.
Brace will oversee the contest, with the 38-year-old having quickly established himself as one of rugby’s most respected and consistent officials.
Born in Cardiff, Brace represents the IRFU, having spent much of his life in Ireland.
He recently officiated Leinster’s clash with Munster, which saw Tadhg Furlong cited for allegedly grabbing Gavin Coombes by the testicles. The Ireland prop was subsequently found not guilty by the citing commission.
Coombes approached Brace during the closing stages of the first half to report that his groin had been grabbed during a ruck.
The referee immediately stopped play and followed protocol, asking Television Match Official (TMO) Colin Stanley to review the footage for evidence of foul play.
However, the broadcast angles available at the time failed to provide conclusive evidence of an intentional grab. Brace was therefore unable to award a penalty or issue an on-field card to Furlong.
Before moving into refereeing, Brace enjoyed a playing career of his own, representing Belgium and helping them win the 2012 Emirates Cup of Nations.
He qualified for Belgium through his father's family and also featured in the country's national sevens team, as well as their 15-a-side side in the 2012-14 European Nations Cup First Division.
Injuries eventually brought his playing career to an end, leading him towards refereeing.
Brace was initially asked to officiate a schools match while working for Munster Rugby, before progressing through the ranks and becoming a professional IRFU referee in 2017.
Since then, he has taken charge of domestic, European and international fixtures, including URC finals and two Rugby World Cups.
At the 2019 tournament, Brace served as an assistant referee before stepping up to officiate as a referee at the 2023 edition.
