Peter Bills, writing in The Independent, believes that the referees for the upcoming Lions Tests could cause unwanted headlines.
"Beyond much argument, the three best referees in the world are Mark Lawrence and Jonathan Kaplan of South Africa plus Alain Rolland of Ireland. Perhaps in that order, too. They are smart, switched on, in control, calm and assured. Everything you want to see, in fact, in a top class official.
"The good news is that all three will referee matches on the Lions tour. Lawrence will take charge of the June 13 match between Western Province and the Lions, Kaplan officiating at the tourists' match against the Sharks three days earlier. Rolland will do the game between the Emerging Springboks and the Lions at Newlands, Cape Town.
"Alas, the bad news is that the closest they will be to the action when it really counts, in the three Test matches, will be on a seat somewhere in the grandstands at ABSA Stadium Durban, Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria and Coca Cola Park, Johannesburg.
"Some of the best players in the world from South Africa and the countries of the British Isles and Ireland will be refereed in the crucial Tests by second rate officials."
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