Wayne Barnes to referee Wales v Ireland after Steve Walsh withdrawal

Don't panic guys. We'll get through it.

As referees go, we can tolerate Steve Walsh. Not least because of that glorious hair. With the Kiwi set to referee Ireland's trip to the Millennium Stadium next Saturday we were pretty pleased, but all that optimism came to a shuddering halt this morning when it was announced that he had to pull out due to business commitments. In his place comes Wayne Barnes, who has never been a popular figure with Irish fans. In a further change to the ticket for the March 14 showdown, Frenchman Jerome Garces has come in as one of the assistant referees, replacing Chris Pollock. Ireland have played 12 games refereed by Barnes in the past, winning just four.