New Zealand referee Bryce Lawrence has withdrawn from this month's Tri-Nations rugby test between Australia and South Africa due to a knee injury.
Ireland's George Clancy will now referee the July 24 test in Brisbane after Lawrence's withdrawal, the International Rugby Board (IRB) said in a statement.
It means Irish referees will control the first three Tri-Nations tests, with Alan Lewis in charge of Saturday's All Blacks-Springboks match in Auckland and Alain Rolland taking the whistle for the test between the same sides in Wellington a week later.
The rest of the All Blacks' Tri-Nations tests will be refereed by South Africa's Craig Joubert (Wallabies in Melbourne on July 31), South Africa's Jonathan Kaplan (Wallabies in Christchurch on August 7), Wales' Nigel Owens (Springboks in Johannesburg on August 21) and South Africa's Mark Lawrence (Wallabies in Sydney on September 11).
