Andrea Piardi takes charge of the second Test between Australia rugby and the British and Irish Lions. Piardi became the first Italian to take charge of a fixture in the men’s Six Nations when he oversaw his first game last year. The 32-year-old has been a familiar face on the touchlines as an assistant over the last few years, travelling to the World Cup in France in the autumn of 2023 as the sole Italian representative in the officiating group. Born in Brescia, Piardi made his debut in what is now the United Rugby Championship in 2019, and he stepped up to international level that March, looking after Germany vs Spain in Cologne. His quick rise continued with an appointment to the URC final between the Stormers and Munster in 2023, with Piardi now hoping to build further success with the whistle as he becomes a regular in the world’s top competitions. A mechanical engineering graduate from his hometown university, Piardi became a professional referee relatively recently but is highly regarded. He will be assisted by Ben O’Keeffe and Nika Amashukeli, the referees for the first and third Tests respectively. Match officials for second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground Referee: Andrea Piardi (Ita) Assistant Referees: Nika Amashukeli (Geo) & Ben O’Keeffe (NZ) Television Match Official: Eric Gauzins (Fra) Foul Play Review Officer: Marius Jonker (SA)