Famed for his no-nonsense attitude to officiating, referee Nigel Owens was evidently fed up with England captain Chris Robshaw’s persistent attempts to influence his decisions during England’s 55-35 win over France at Twickenham back in 2015.
The clip went viral once again following the former England captains retirement on Friday.
In a school teacher tone of voice, Owens flashed the England skipper a serious look and said, “Christopher,” after which Robshaw quickly apologised with “Sorry sir,” and the game continued.
The incident is highly amusing, but also a fantastic advert for the respect shown to match officials in the sport.
Reacting to the clip, one fan wrote: “Amazing to see the respect that Rugby Refs command compared to their counterparts in Football. The way Footballers treat the Refs authority is a disgrace to the sport.”
“Sounded like a schoolboy getting scolded, I love it!” commented a second.
A third said: “Love the respect that refs command and are given. Very funny seeing a guy twice his size walking away with his tail between his legs.”
Owens has revealed the top five captains he has refereed, including retiring former England captain Robshaw.
The popular referee selected his picks for Wales Online, but set out at the start that he wouldn’t be picking any Welshman in his selection.
“I am not going to include any Welsh players on my list because I haven’t refereed them in international matches.
While there will always be some big-name omissions from lists such as these, there aren’t any captains on the list unworthy of Owens’ praise.
Check out his full selection below.
NIGEL OWENS: MY TOP 5 CAPTAINS
#5. Chris Robshaw (England)
Owens said: Some people will be surprised at this one to start off. His misfortune was perhaps to be leading England during a difficult time, but he always gave everything for the cause, encouraging others to follow suit, and he was a nice guy off the pitch.”
