Ex-All Black discusses British and Irish Lions’ officiating conspiracy theory as stats paint stark picture
Referee Andrea Piardi talks with Lions captain Maro Itoje and Wallabies skipper Harry Wilson with an inset of All Blacks Kieran Read, Lion Sam Warburton and referee Romain Poite
Former All Blacks hooker James Parsons has addressed the ‘conspiracy theory’ that the British and Irish Lions have benefited from favourable officiating.
This comes after three controversial Test series where the officiating decisions were perceived to have played a role in the final outcome.
In 2017, it was the infamous final call that resulted in a drawn series with referee Romain Poite changing his decision from a penalty to the All Blacks to a scrum to the Lions.
That was followed by massive controversy in South Africa when the then-Springboks director of rugby, Rassie Erasmus’ video criticising Nic Berry and his officiating team was leaked online. Erasmus was angered by perceived bias and believed that captain Siya Kolisi was not afforded the same respect as Lions skipper Alun Wyn Jones.
Refereeing conspiracy
This year, Dan Sheehan’s try in the second Test match proved to be incredibly contentious, while Jac Morgan’s clear-out on Wallabies flanker Carlo Tizzano in the build-up to the match-winning and series-clinching try by Hugo Keenan caused a stir too.
This has led many fans to believe that the tourists get the rub of the green, which the Aotearoa Rugby Podcast addressed by looking into the statistics from the three tours.
“A number of the conspiracy theories have been about the referees and how the Lions get the rub of the green…that, when there is a contentious decision, it goes the Lions’ way,” show presenter Ross Karl began.
“Now, of course, we like to be objective about these things. So, we’ve crunched the stats on how the referees treat the Lions in comparison to the other teams.
“And it’s quite interesting because in every series, the Lions copped more penalties than the opposition. In every series. 2017, it was 29 to 24, the Lions copped five more penalties than New Zealand. 2021, Lions 38-36, two more than South Africa. 2025, 31-26 Lions five more than Australia.
“So they’re not exactly getting away with everything.”
Laissez-faire approach
One-Test All Blacks hooker Parson weighed in, saying he thinks that the referees are encouraged not to be so sharp with the whistle during the Test matches.
And he doesn’t subscribe to the notion that the Lions get the favourable calls.
“There is an element of referees [realising] this is a massive tour. This is all eyes on rugby, and a little bit like the State of Origin, there is a little bit of an onus not to make it about the referee,” he said.
“So the old whistle just maybe gets parked in the pocket a bit. There is a lot that gets let go – for both sides. If we were to look at Fraser McReight’s turnovers on the weekend, he is resting on the grass a hell of a lot before he gets on the ball, which is pretty much the only way you can in those sorts of conditions, which is fine.
“I think the refs do their best in terms of going ‘Hey this is the shop front, we don’t need a penalty fest’… For three Tests, those are still low penalty counts.”
Entertaining the idea of the conspiracy, Karl continued: “If you look at the statistics and go along with the conspiracy theory, 2017 you got the Jerome Garces [editor’s note, Garces was the assistant referee to Romian Poite] call on Kieran Read, the reverse decision that led to the draw in the final Test and New Zealand not having the opportunity to win the match.
“2021. This was the good one. Rassie Erasmus having a crack at Nic Berry after copying an 8 to 14 penalty count. The Boks felt like they were hard done by on advantage, breakdown, treatment of the captain and then, lo and behold, in the next matches, the Lions copped more penalties.”
Parsons responded, “I’m not sure the way he [Erasmus] went about it was quite politically correct, but it was effective.
“When you look at moments in isolation, you can find anything that is probably what I’m trying to say.”
Karl added, “I think it’s fair to say that the conspiracy is probably not right based on the stats.”
With ex-Crusaders scrum-half Bryan Hall concluding the discussion, stating: “We don’t work on conspiracy. We work on facts.”
