Under-fire Lawrence backed by referees’ boss
Former England and British Lions hooker Brian Moore wrote in the Daily Telegraph that Lawrence was unfit to officiate in top-level Tests after his performance as referee in the first Test and his decision not to recommend a red card when Schalk Burger gouged the eye of Lions wing Luke Fitzgerald in the opening minute of the second Test.
And in this newspaper, ex-Lions manager Donal Lenihan said that Lawrence had hung referee Christophe Berdos out to dry with his suggestions of a yellow, not red, card for the incident.