The whole campaign has put Aussie referees in a very difficult situation and prompts the question as to whether neutral officials should be employed in all tour games and not just the three Tests.
Saturday's referee, Andre Watson from South Africa, will by now have given clear guidelines to both teams via their coaches as to what he deems illegal or not, and a fair contest should ensue.
I say, should. Yet it has been disappointing to witness the level of criticism these Lions have been subjected to by a country that has produced world champions in multiple sports.
They are still seething from their series defeat by the Lions 12 years ago and the Battle of Brisbane has been highlighted as one of the blackest days in Australian rugby, when the Lions were accused of being thugs.
I was present at that game and certainly don't remember any Lions player taking the field with a broken bottle or blunt instrument.
Australia lost because of David Campese's crass mistake in the Third Test, which allowed Ieuan Evans to score a try and help win the match and clinch the series.
Had it not occurred, the Brisbane saga would have never reared its ugly head and everything would have been sweetness and light because the Australians would have taken the series.
Since then, Australia have won two World Cups and been Tri-nations champions and Bledisloe Cup winners several times.
Why do they want to add world whinging champions to their impressive honours list?
Why can't they accept the fact they were fairly and squarely beaten for once and use that alone for the motivation to reverse the result this time around?
Apart from this minor distraction, Saturday's Test has arrived with the Lions in something of an injury crisis. No Dallaglio, no Greenwood, no Luger and no Back.
Not that it should matter. I take British and Irish grit to triumph over Australian testosterone.
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