Scotland v Ireland (BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh; Sunday 12 March – 3pm)
Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU)
Assistant Referee 1: Wayne Barnes (RFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Christophe Ridley (RFU)
TMO: Stuart Terheege (RFU)
Pearce was just 21 when he refereed in the RFU Championship in 2009, and has continuously progressed since. Rising through the ranks of the English, European, and world system of rugby refereeing. So far, the Welsh-born but very English official has overseen 31 international fixtures from the centre of the pitch.
Toughest player to referee: “I’ll answer this question properly when I retire but I’ve had a few run-ins with (Johnny) Sexton down the years. He’s a top player but sometimes he pushes his luck.”
