Coaches hope ref meeting will keep focus on the rugby

Chris Jones
18 Jun 2009

Lions coach Ian McGeechan and opposite number Peter de Villiers will break new ground in Test rugby this weekend when they have a formal meeting with the referee before their first match.

The ground-breaking initiative has been organised to ensure the referee doesn't become the deciding factor in the series.

New Zealand's Bryce Lawrence will handle Saturday's First Test in Durban, Christophe Berdos, of France, the second in Pretoria and Australia's Stuart Dickinson the final game in Johannesburg.

The Lions will be relieved that the matches are being looked after by a "foreign" official after the problems they have encountered on tour so far.

Thanks to a pre-tour agreement the Lions non-Test matches are being looked after by a team of referees including England's Wayne Barnes and Nigel Owens of Wales and these are the two officials who have caused most consternation.

Barnes angered the Lions by allowing Cheetahs flanker Heinrich Brussow to do what he liked at the break down, while on Tuesday Owens failed to punish numerous infringements by a Southern Kings team committed to causing mayhem.

Patently, Barnes and Owens are highly rated on the international scene yet their Northern Hemisphere view of what unfolded in both of their matches led to the kind of complaints and mutterings normally reserved for Southern Hemisphere referees who take charge of matches in Europe.