Lions Referees

To avoid refs from the involved nations, I guess it is most likely to be a Kiwi, a French or an RSA ref.
Joubert or Bryce Lawrence for example come to mind.
Who do you suggest ?

Alain Rolland...he gets told he's French all the time. Sneak him in and The Lions would still lose (he has a love of showing he's even handed against the side he's expected to support!).

Poite might be there.... if he is, The Lions will lose again...as he'll let the free running side win all day - correctly so .

Glen Jackson

Rolland is a 5th columnist / Vichy kinda IreFrenchman. You can never be too certain.

Given that Steve Walsh now represents AUS can he referee NZ games???

If Poite is chosen I think the Lions would benefit over AUS come scrum and breakdown interpretations.

Please please please lets all hope Joubert isn't chosen. Even Saffa's acknowledge he is a terrible referee.

Walsh is ruled out of NZ AUS and England games, and also LIONS / AUS games, the latter on 2 counts.

sounds sensible with Walsh being unable to referee NZ games..... a bit odd how a french speaking, half french and former resident of France can still referee French games without bias???

Whos that SA ref. Jaco something. Seen him ref a few games and he seems good. No idea if he does internationals yet though.

but, but, but fa0019..I alway say this when the Half Frenchman gets a mention attached to the word 'bias'.

Could not all refs be accused of bias?

We already see Walsh (an Aussie one) getting it in the neck for his England/Wales game. But going closer to home.... Wayne Barnes wouldn't be able to do the maths in a French/Irish game to perhaps try to help England progress?

He loses interest in the 6N contest (as a National) when reffing two other sides in it? Same could be thrown at any of the refs? Nigel Owens, Clancy etc, etc. They're all old enough to know that the result of a game here can shove along ambitions of a side there.

There are no 'neutral' refs in the 6N...but let's hope they all manage professionalism all the same.

SecretFly

Of course you are right.. all referees could be biased to benefit their own team but if you're suggesting that they are neutral then surely that means that referees should be able to conduct games where their home nation is playing?

Given we know from past experience how dreadful this is we accept that referees will naturally have bias to their home nation.... and I would say that a guy with such affinity to another nation such as Rolland undoubtedly has then he will have natural bias for them too... and should also be barred from refereeing any of their games.

Actually think he's a half decent ref mind.

Just not Joubert, unless we have an all Welsh front row. Then Joubert or Walsh would be good bets

Looks like Walsh then, assisted by ARs Joubert and Lawrence, to get the series suitably lit up from game one.

Already announced I believe:

1st Test: Chris Pollock (NZ)
2nd Test: Craig Joubert (SA)
3rd Test: Romain Poite (FRA)

Lions v Barbarians in Hong Kong to be refereed by Steve Walsh (AUS)

The midweek games are being refereed by Jermone Garces, Jaco Peyper and Glen Jackson.

gregortree wrote:Looks like Walsh then, assisted by ARs Joubert and Lawrence, to get the series suitably lit up from game one.

Bryce Lawrence... thats a blast from the past!!! Thought he had gone into witness protection and been scheduled gender replacement therapy as a disguise.

red_stag wrote:Already announced I believe:

1st Test: Chris Pollock (NZ)
2nd Test: Craig Joubert (SA)
3rd Test: Romain Poite (FRA)

Lions v Barbarians in Hong Kong to be refereed by Steve Walsh (AUS)

The midweek games are being refereed by Jermone Garces, Jaco Peyper and Glen Jackson.

Joubert got the all important 2nd test.... Shame... better luck next time Warren.

gregortree wrote:Walsh is ruled out of NZ AUS and England games, and also LIONS / AUS games, the latter on 2 counts.

I can understand why Walsh can't referee Australia or New Zealand but why England? He is not English.

I think it was a joke.

fa0019 wrote:I think it was a joke.

I thought all england fans were stressing how much a superior team Wales were and that was why they won, not that the referee was biased or unforgiving in any way...!

Easy to get confused

South Africans managed to get Bryce Lawrence to retire.... has Wayne Barnes officiated another NZ match?

Complain enough and you get what you want in this game.

fa0019 wrote:South Africans managed to get Bryce Lawrence to retire.... has Wayne Barnes officiated another NZ match?

Complain enough and you get what you want in this game.

Such a shame for Steve Walsh if that happens. The man has turned his life around after a serious illness and has come out at the top of his profession.

If The England coaches get their way and he gets thrown out of the IRB it could seriously effect the man.

Seems very cruel.

he walks a tightrope constantly.... shoved a player (think it was Conrad Smith) the other week... had it been the other way round the player would have received a red card and probably a suspension. Pretended it wasn't intentional... it was.

One thing I like about him, he doesn't get intimidated... but he likes to be the centre of attention. Sometimes he's good in his officiating.... giving players benefit of the doubt/chances.

The best referees however seem to be those who nobody remembers. Nigel Owens is good that way.

Maes, its a bit like anti-gravity (although that has yet to be proved), whereas Walsh is anti-English, which has been scientifically proved.

red_stag wrote:Already announced I believe:

1st Test: Chris Pollock (NZ)
2nd Test: Craig Joubert (SA)
3rd Test: Romain Poite (FRA)

Lions v Barbarians in Hong Kong to be refereed by Steve Walsh (AUS)

The midweek games are being refereed by Jermone Garces, Jaco Peyper and Glen Jackson.

Happy with all of those, except Joubert.

Second test is the most important, and it could turn into a dull penalty fest.

2 SH refs for the first two tests - that will favour Oz, especially Hooper.

Poite will help the Lions at the scrum and breakdown - they just have to win the 1st or 2nd test first.

Genia and Smith will be going on at Joubert all game in the 2nd test. They'll have him coiled round their fingers. Wouldn't even be surprised if they start early when their paths cross during the domestic season.

We don't have anyone of that personality. Phillips just peeves referees off half the time and is lucky not to get carded due to his petty of the ball behaviour... doesn't make him any less of an awesome player when the game is in play mind.

Last Lions tour the referees and touch judges were awful. Not overly surprised that they are not very impressive this time either.

Most of the best are unable to ref due to their nationality.

Lads if you are going into the series with the attitude that the ref is out to favour the other team you'll usually find a way of proving yourself correct.

Who would you rather have seen? I think that its a very predictable line up and if Gatland etc had any sense they would have seen these appointments coming.

You just know there is an Aussie rugby forum out there where lads are bitching about having so many Kiwi referees who will want to see Australia lose

I'm sure it was Bryce Lawrence who was the ref in the first lions test.

We'll definitely lose the test officiated by Joubert. He will allow Australia to do as they please. I don't know much about Pollock, is he any good?

I think Pollock strikes me as a fair man...but then I think all of them are, in their own mind. It's only in our minds that they fail the tests.

Three human refs... Gatland and crew know all of them. Gatland and crew are wise coaches by now. No excuses really. Study how the refs do it and swing into line with them rather than against them.

Give them a reason for being 'on your side' by doing your homework and playing accordingly.

maestegmafia wrote:

fa0019 wrote:South Africans managed to get Bryce Lawrence to retire.... has Wayne Barnes officiated another NZ match?

Complain enough and you get what you want in this game.

Such a shame for Steve Walsh if that happens. The man has turned his life around after a serious illness and has come out at the top of his profession.

If The England coaches get their way and he gets thrown out of the IRB it could seriously effect the man.

Seems very cruel.

Who are you his biographer? Clarification, not a witch hunt. Sh1t stirring.....

Wales are definitely more streetwise to Joubert after being on the reveiving end a few times. Probably why we were able to beat Scotland. However it seems when your team is facing NZ or Aus he will do his utmost to make sure you lose the test. Is he anti northern hemisphere or something?

Breadvan wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:

fa0019 wrote:South Africans managed to get Bryce Lawrence to retire.... has Wayne Barnes officiated another NZ match?

Complain enough and you get what you want in this game.

Such a shame for Steve Walsh if that happens. The man has turned his life around after a serious illness and has come out at the top of his profession.

If The England coaches get their way and he gets thrown out of the IRB it could seriously effect the man.

Seems very cruel.

Who are you his biographer? Clarification, not a witch hunt. Sh1t stirring.....

tell me about, spurting his lies on a few threads.

The first Test in Brisbane on June 22 will be refereed by New Zealand’s Chris Pollock, with South Africa’s Craig Joubert and France’s Romain Poite taking charge of the second and third Tests respectively.

Walsh will ref the game in Hong Kong.

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:Just not Joubert, unless we have an all Welsh front row. Then Joubert or Walsh would be good bets

I think the irony was too subtle, RR.


In all seriousness, the teams just have to go out and play. Let the refs give what they see (they are closer to the game than we are) and players adapt to what a ref requires of them.

A good captain will also ensure his team understands what's required.

So no English Lions will be fielded for the HK game then ?

gregortree wrote:So no English Lions will be fielded for the HK game then ?

How come?

Walsh doesn't think they are good enough.

gregortree wrote:Walsh doesn't think they are good enough.

Wish everyone would just stop the Steve Walsh bashing FFS. He is clearly the best looking referee on the international circuit and his past demons only add to the brooding troubled poet look. He'll be laughing when the Rugby World Cup Final 2015 rolls around and he says that he can't make it due to a scheduling clash with the release of L'Oreal for Men's latest skincare range.

red_stag wrote:

gregortree wrote:Walsh doesn't think they are good enough.

Wish everyone would just stop the Steve Walsh bashing FFS. He is clearly the best looking referee on the international circuit and his past demons only add to the brooding troubled poet look. He'll be laughing when the Rugby World Cup Final 2015 rolls around and he says that he can't make it due to a scheduling clash with the release of L'Oreal for Men's latest skincare range.

Getting rather tired of the Walsh excuse, it's up their with the norovirus didn't diminish the All Blacks.

red_stag wrote:

gregortree wrote:Walsh doesn't think they are good enough.

Wish everyone would just stop the Steve Walsh bashing FFS. He is clearly the best looking referee on the international circuit and his past demons only add to the brooding troubled poet look. He'll be laughing when the Rugby World Cup Final 2015 rolls around and he says that he can't make it due to a scheduling clash with the release of L'Oreal for Men's latest skincare range.

Where is the tongue in cheek icon when you need it ?
His immaculate coiffeur puts AJs Hibbard's and Marler's to shame, so we can see that he is worth it.

As long as Joubert, Lawrence, Poite, Rolland and Walsh are not involved I'm pretty happy

maestegmafia wrote:

red_stag wrote:

gregortree wrote:Walsh doesn't think they are good enough.

Wish everyone would just stop the Steve Walsh bashing FFS. He is clearly the best looking referee on the international circuit and his past demons only add to the brooding troubled poet look. He'll be laughing when the Rugby World Cup Final 2015 rolls around and he says that he can't make it due to a scheduling clash with the release of L'Oreal for Men's latest skincare range.

Getting rather tired of the Walsh excuse, it's up their with the norovirus didn't diminish the All Blacks.

yes because everyones been using that as an excuse

red_stag wrote:
You just know there is an Aussie rugby forum out there where lads are bitching about having so many Kiwi referees who will want to see Australia lose

Ha ha. You wish.

So all of Pollock's kids will get free scholarships to Bond University and a complimentary penthouse apartment in Q1 tower then?

Us Antipos sure know how to look after each other. Makes me feel warm and fuzzy...

Linebreaker wrote:Makes me feel warm and fuzzy...

You and your Sheep!

Can't wait to buy you a pint ahead of 3rd Test mo chara!!

It's a disease... I swear!

I shall see your pint and raise you one... + a shot of your choice.