Referee Angus Gardner to reach major milestone

Australian whistleblower Angus Gardner takes charge of his 50th Test in Dublin this Saturday, as two-time defending Six Nations champions Ireland take on title rivals France (kick off 14:15 GMT).

Gardner becomes the first Australian referee to reach a half-century after Stuart Dickinson retired three short of 50 in 2011 and the 15th person overall, with Kiwi Ben O’Keeffe clocking up 50 Tests in Ireland’s win over England in round one of the 2025 Six Nations.

The 40-year-old Sydneysider made his Test debut in Papua New Guinea’s 78-3 win over Vanuatu in November 2011 and has refereed at three Men’s Rugby World Cups (2015, 2019 and 2023). In 2018, he was named World Rugby Referee of the Year, the same year he refereed his first Super Rugby final.

In his first Test appointment since the All Blacks‘ 24-22 win over England in the Autumn Nations Series last November, Gardner has been entrusted with the pivotal match of the Championship.

Your World Rugby Referee of the Year is Angus Gardner #WorldRugbyAwards pic.twitter.com/DvpAqDG0Qp

— World Rugby (@WorldRugby) November 25, 2018

France were triumphant in the only previous encounter between the teams when he was referee, winning 30-24 in Paris in their Grand Slam-winning year of 2022.

Gardner whistled Ireland off the park in the early stages of that match, with nine of the 10 penalties they conceded coming inside the first 42 minutes. The Australian caught them straying offside three times and the scrum penalty count was 2-0 against Ireland. Melvyn Jaminet was ruthless off the tee, kicking all six of his penalty attempts at goal and despite being outscored three tries to two, France always had their noses in front.

Including the 2022 victory over Ireland, France have won their last three Tests (also 23-21 vs Argentina and 33-31 vs England) when he’s been in charge, while Ireland have lost the last three.

In addition to the France setback in 2022, Ireland have also been beaten in that three-game losing run by Wales (25-7 in Cardiff in the 2019 Six Nations) and Japan (19-12 at RWC 2019).