Montgomery was found guilty of “assaulting a match official”, given a £15,000 fine and banned for six months with an additional 18 months suspended. As a result, the ban forced Montgomery to miss the 2003 World Cup in Australia.
But Rees has finally broken his silence on that controversial episode to insist he does not bear any grudges as he lines up against England in Paris.
He said: “I’m happy to see Montgomery back playing so well at this World Cup, and would like to wish him well for the final. It happened such a long time ago, and there are certainly no hard feelings on my part.
“A rugby player’s career is a relatively short one, and it is always sad to see a player miss out on playing in a World Cup. But the bottom line was he was guilty of the sort of offence no-one likes to see happening on a rugby field. It may have been just a rush of blood, but that doesn’t excuse what he did.
“He served his punishment though, and it’s good to see him making the most of his opportunity this time. He has been one of the shining lights at this World Cup.”
Rees, who went on to referee European Cup and Celtic League matches, believes he was shoved to the ground by Montgomery because of a case of mistaken identity.
He explained: “Swansea had just been awarded a penalty, and as we went behind the posts for the kick at goal the Newport outside half, Shane Howarth, said something to me, clearly believing I had flagged for the offence.
“That wasn’t the case, but the next thing I knew Montgomery had charged into me from behind and pushed me to the floor.”
The referee that night was Nigel Owens, a Welsh representative on the World Cup panel in France. He had no hesitation in showing Montgomery the red card.
At the time, Montgomery said: “It was an unfortunate incident and it was the first time I have ever been sent off in a game.”
The Welsh Rugby Union had the power to impose a life ban. But the South African star’s previous good record saved him from that fate. After completing his six months on the sidelines, Montgomery, 33, played for Newport for two more seasons, and was recalled by the Springboks in 2004.
He later returned to play for Natal Sharks, and has has remained an automatic choice for his country. He now holds the record for most caps, 93, and is also South Africa’s record points scorer, with 861.
Rees gave up refereeing two years ago, bust said that had nothing to do with the Montgomery incident. It was purely to concentrate on his career. And even though he is happy to see Montgomery performing at the top of his game, he admits he is not certain he wants to see him pick up a winner’s medal on Saturday.
He explained: “It is the classic case of divided loyalties for a Welshman. Deep down you want to see a Northern Hemisphere team win the World Cup, but does it really have to be England again?”
