Lenihan concerns over referees
May 30, 2001

Lions manager Donal Lenihan is hopeful that an amicable solution can be found within the next few days to a potential Lions refereeing rumpus.

All three Tests against Australia - the Lions squad head Down Under on Friday - will be controlled by neutral officials.

Andre Watson, who refereed the 1999 World Cup final between Australia and France, has been appointed to first Test duties in Brisbane on June 30, followed by his fellow South African Jonathan Kaplan and New Zealander Paddy O'Brien on successive weekends.

Lenihan and his Lions management colleagues had understood that four of the other seven tour matches would also see neutral referees in charge.

But the suggestion from Australian officials now is that such a scenario should apply to all three Tests and just one other game, the June 19 fixture against Australia A in Gosford.

"There was a verbal agreement, we thought, that seven of the 10 matches would be controlled by neutral referees, rather than just the three Tests and Australia A game," said Lions manager Lenihan.

"But discussions are on-going, and we would hope to resolve the situation within the next few days."

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