'Marler winked at me’ - Legend Nigel Owens exposes five worst players to referee

While recognising that a rugby match is an emotionally heated event, the 50-year-old claims there were several players who would regularly push him to his limit.

Owens said: "He was always a funny one on the field in nice way. You'd be trying to tell him something serious and he'd just want to have a laugh and a joke. He'd wink at you on the middle of a serious telling off."

Owens said: “Definitely! ROG and (Peter) Stringer, oh, when you had to referee the two of them together. You had your work cut out.

"I always got on well with the both of them though. I have a huge amount of respect for them, but they made my days hard on occasions. They were lippy in a respectful way.”

Owens said: "Oh god yes, Biggar can be a tricky customer on the field.

"He's so focused and so passionate about what he's doing no matter the game or occasion, we've had a few run ins on the pitch down the years.

"I mean, it's always been in a respectful way and we always have a drink and a laugh after the game."

DID YOU KNOW? Biggar has his own routine before kicking goals, which fans now call "The Biggarena" after Los Del Rio's 1995 hit, Macarena.

OWENS SAID: "A player who pushed himself, but also sometimes the referee, to their limit due to his intensity. A really nice guy away from the field."

DID YOU KNOW? He has won three Six Nations Championship titles with England and one English Premiership title with Harlequins

Owens said: “Definitely Healey. I only caught him towards the end of his career, thankfully.

"A wonderfully talented player and a very good pundit now, but he always had plenty say and quickly assumed I didn’t like him.

"He’s actually blocked me on Twitter, but I don’t think I’m the only one.”

DID YOU KNOW? Healey won 51 England caps and 2 Lions caps. He played for England at scrum half, fly-half, fullback and wing