There is always rivalry between rival fans ahead of any Six Nations match, but none more so than in a classic match like England against Wales at Twickenham.
When World Rugby visited now-retired referee Nigel Owens on his dairy farm in the Gwendraeth Valley, 15 miles north-west of Swansea, late last week before Saturday’s match, he wasted no time in joining in the fun.
When asked whether referee considers himself to be the best player, the Welshman couldn’t help but make a joke about his English buddy and old colleague, Wayne Barnes, whose only Six Nations appointment in 2022 is against Ireland on March 19th.
“Which referee fancies themselves as the best player? Well, that would be Nic Berry, because he played at the top level for Wasps and Stade as a very, very talented scrumhalf and a very talented referee as well. I’ll tell you which referee wouldn’t make a talented player – Wayne Barnes!”
Flipping the idea on its head, Owens, who refereed the 2015 Rugby World Cup final and became the first referee to officiate in 100 Tests when he took charge of the France v Italy game in the Autumn Nations Cup in November 2020, says there were effectively three referees on the field when this year’s Six Nations kicked off – the actual referee, Jaco Peyper, and two wannabees.
“I’ll tell you what, they’re probably the best two referees in the world, Dan Biggar and Johnny Sexton, because when you ref them they always think they know more than you!”
For the record, England beat Wales 23-19 on Saturday.
Listen to what Nigel Owens had to say: