Andrea Piardi was forced to leave the field after sustaining a knee injury midway through the first half, prompting a reshuffle of the match officials.
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The Italian referee withdrew approximately 30 minutes into the opening period, with Ireland holding a 15–0 lead at the time of the incident. Play was briefly halted while Piardi received treatment, but he was ultimately unable to continue.
Assistant Referee 1, Pierre Brousset, stepped up to take charge of the match as referee for the remainder of the contest.
As a result, Craig Maxwell-Keys moved into the assistant referee role to complete the officiating team.
Despite the unexpected disruption early in the game, the transition between officials was managed efficiently, allowing the match to resume with minimal delay.
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