Adam Jones urges British and Irish Lions not to 'whinge' about officiating

Adam Jones has urged the Lions not to 'whinge' regarding officiating at the scrum in New Zealand

Former Wales prop Adam Jones has urged the British and Irish Lions not to "whinge" about officiating at the scrum.

The tourists endured a second defeat in four matches when a 22-13 third-quarter lead over the Highlanders ended in a 23-22 loss after Marty Banks landed a match-winning penalty that was conceded at the set-piece, against the head, by Dan Cole.

Head coach Warren Gatland admitted the Lions' creaking scrum had cost them the game, and went on to question the decision-making of Australian referee Angus Gardner, calling for consistency.

Harlequins tighthead Jones was a Lions tourist in 2009 and 2013, featuring in five of the six Test matches in South Africa and Australia.

Jones has been playing in the Premiership with Harlequins since 2015

"The main word to keep in mind when discussing how the scrum is being officiated in New Zealand is 'interpretation'," Jones told ESPN.

"It is all about interpretation. Everything is different when you are being refereed by a southern rather than a northern hemisphere ref, so we can't whinge about it too much - we have just got to crack on.

Highlights of the Highlanders against the British and Irish Lions at the Forsyth Barr Stadium. Highlights of the Highlanders against the British and Irish Lions at the Forsyth Barr Stadium.

"Much has been made of what Marius Jonker, the television match official, said to referee Angus Gardner when Dan Cole came on against the Highlanders, but what people don't see is that the officials do a lot of homework on you.

"Referees will look at each prop to see how he's been going in the last couple of games, how he's been scrummaging and whatnot.

Jones was an essential part of two Lions tours, to South Africa in 2009 and Australia in 2013

"Gardner will have done that too, so I think he'd have a pretty good idea about how the Lions have been scrummaging."

From the start the Highlanders were telling Gardner that they had dominance at the scrum and when Cole came on to the field, Jonker informed Gardner via the radio link to watch the replacement tighthead's binding.

Lions head coach Warren Gatland pointed to the soft penalties his side gave away which cost them in their defeat to the Highlanders. Lions head coach Warren Gatland pointed to the soft penalties his side gave away which cost them in their defeat to the Highlanders.

When asked how to combat the New Zealanders' bid to shift scrum perception in their favour, Gatland said the Lions should just keep calm and carry on.

"I look to those two penalties against Dan Cole, and I think the first one's a penalty to us, the loosehead has gone down," said Gatland.

"The officials have seen a different picture. There's no doubt they've got some ascendancy in the second scrum penalty and I accept that, but I thought the first one, we'd forced an error.

"But look, you've just got to take those on the chin."