Well there are a lot of surprises in the mid-year appointments this year, and I’m not sure how much can be read into them.

After Walsh’s high profile game in Cardiff he has been given only one appointment of the British Lions v The Barbarians in Hong Kong. I believe he is being rested for The rugby Championship as he can only referee the Argentina & South Africa games (So it would be daft to send him there twice).

There are tests for the RFU’s JP Doyle, Argentina’s Pastrana who made his debut as a Super Rugby Official last season, and has been named on the SANZAR Panel this year, the ARU’s Angus Gardner and NZRU’s Garret Williamson.

But who got the Lions tests? Well Joubert was a given, but who between Poite, Pollock & Peyper would get the other two? Well experience has been chosen with Pollock & Poite being given the tests.

The club tour will be shared between Glen Jackson, Jaco Peyper & Jarome Garces, with the Newcastle game being given to the ARU (I expect Angus Gardner to get a run).

Referee appointments are:

• 25 May – Japan v Tonga – PNC – Angus Gardner (ARU)
• 25 May – Canada v USA – PNC – Francisco Pastrana (UAR)
• 26 May – England v Barbarians – Leighton Hodges (WRU)
• 1 June – Fiji v Japan – PNC – Garrat Williamson (NZRU)
• 1 June – B & I Lions v Barbarians – Steve Walsh (ARU)
• 5 June – Fiji v Canada – PNC – JP Doyle (RFU)
• 5 June – B & I Lions v Western Force – Glen Jackson (NZRU)
• 8 June – Canada v Tonga – PNC – JP Doyle (RFU)
• 8 June – B & I Lions v Queensland Reds – Jaco Peyper (SARU)
• 8 June – New Zealand v France – Wayne Barnes (RFU)
• 8 June – Japan v Wales – Lourens Van Der Merwe (SARU)
• 8 June – Scotland v Samoa – John Lacey (IRFU)
• 8 June – South Africa v Italy – Pascal Gauzere (FFR)
• 8 June – USA v Ireland – Achi Pastrana (UAR)
• 8 June – Argentina v England – Chris Pollock (NZRU)
• 11 June – B & I Lions v NSW/QLD Country – TBA (ARU Appt)
• 14 June – USA v Tonga – PNC – Francisco Pastrana (UAR)
• 15 June – B & I Lions v NSW Waratahs – Jaco Peyper (SARU)
• 15 June – New Zealand v France – Alain Rolland (IRFU)
• 15 June – Japan v Wales – Greg Garner (RFU)
• 15 June – South Africa v Scotland – Romain Poite (FFR)
• 15 June – Argentina v England – Nigel Owens (WRU)
• 15 June – Samoa v Italy – Craig Joubert (SARU)
• 15 June – Canada v Ireland – Leighton Hodges (WFU)
• 18 June – B & I Lions v ACT Brumbies – Jerome Garces (FFR)
• 19 June – Japan v Canada – PNC – Jonathan White (NZRU)
• 19 June – Fiji v USA – PNC – Greg Garner (RFU)
• 22 June – B & I Lions v Australia – Chris Pollock (NZRU)
• 22 June – New Zealand v France – Nigel Owens (WRU)
• 22 June – Argentina v Georgia – George Clancy (IRFU)
• 23 June – Japan v USA – PNC – Greg Garner (RFU)
• 23 June – Tonga v Fiji – PNC – Jonathan White (NZRU)
• 25 June – B & I Lions v Melbourne Rebels – Glen Jackson (NZRU)
• 29 June – B & I Lions v Australia – Craig Joubert (SARU)
• 6 July – B & I Lions v Australia – Romain Poite (FFR)