Under-fire Lawrence backed by referees’ boss

NEW ZEALAND referees boss Lyndon Bray is backing Bryce Lawrence after his actions as assistant referee in the second British and Irish Lions Test against South Africa saw him savaged in the British and Irish media.

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.

“In terms of the law, the ref is the guy who has to ultimately make the decision and I fully back what Bryce did,” Bray said.

“I admire the fact he saw it, because often these incidents are missed because they happen away from the ball and on the ground. So I thought he did an admirable job of seeing it in the first place.

“Then he took a ‘discretion is the better part of valour’ attitude in terms of the extent to which he forced the issue of a yellow or red card.”

Moore did not see it the same way, believing the New Zealander had cost the Lions dear in both Test matches.

“We are not here talking about whether a pass was forward. His errors are incapable of rationalisation, save by the misapplication of the tenet that a referee is the sole arbiter of fact and law,” he wrote.

“That stipulation is intended to allow referees to be wrong, not stupid. If Lawrence, as touch judge, is incapable of linking the vileness of an act occurring two feet away and the proper sanction of a red card, he is not fit to officiate.”

Bray maintained: “I think Brian Moore’s comments are extremely unfortunate.” Burger has been banned for eight weeks after being found guilty of gouging.