URC: Jaco Peyper in charge of Dragons derby after Six Nations red

The South African referee will be the man in the middle for the clash in Swansea on Saturday afternoon (kick-off 1pm) with a pair of Welsh assistants in Adam Jones and Aaron Parry.

Peyper, who will be doing a Dragons game for the first time, sent off England full-back Freddie Steward for a dangerous challenge to the head of Hugo Keenan at the end of the first half of Ireland’s triumph in Dublin that secured a Grand Slam.

However, Steward’s red card was overturned by a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday night after a panel deemed there were sufficient mitigating circumstances for it to be a yellow card offence.

The hearing noted in its statement that “match officials are required to make decisions under pressure and in the heat of a live match environment”.

Referee Jaco Peyper after showing England's Freddie Steward a red card (Image: PA)

Peyper’s original decision divided opinion as rugby’s governing bodies continue their crackdown on dangerous play, especially any involving the head, in the face of concussion lawsuits.

The red card and subsequent decision to reverse it will only add to the confusion, with the World Cup looming this autumn.

Steward’s elbow inadvertently connected with Keenan’s head in an accidental collision between the full-backs in first-half overtime.

As Keenan stooped to pick up the ball, Steward turned his body and although his arm was tucked into his side, his elbow stuck Keenan, who as a result failed an HIA.

Peyper worked through the head-contact protocols to arrive at his decision, with the contention arising over his refusal to consider any mitigating factors, but the hearing took a different view.

The South African whistler sent Dragons back rower Ross Moriarty off in Wales’ summer win in Argentina in 2018 for a chokehold on Nicolas Sanchez.