A number of attentive viewers of the match in tonight heard the popular Welshman Nigel Owens communicating with the Italian scrum-half Stephen Varney in Welsh.
Varney, who was born and raised in Wales to Italian parents, was making his debut as France overcame the Azzurri to reach the 2020 Autumn Nations Cup final
ENJOY SOME OTHER CLASSIC NIGEL MOMENTS:
EDITORS PICKS:
- Ellis Genge accused of headbutt on Wales player
- 10 Rugby Stars and Their Celebrity Lookalikes
- Fans pick an England XV of the Biggest Flops
- Christmas gifts for England Rugby Fans 2020
- Johnson selects his ‘five definites’ for 2021 Lions
LIST: The very best Nigel Owens quotes
1. “This is not soccer”
First we begin with what is probably Owens’ most famous quote. It has become a world-wide favourite for rugby fans. As everyone knows, scrum-halves are renowned for their complaining and whining, and referees seem to tolerate it.However in 2012, Owens was the whistle-blower in a RaboDirect PRO12 match between Munster and Bennetton Treviso when Treviso scrum-half Tobias Botes began complaining that the Munster captain Paul O’Connell wasn’t releasing at the ruck. Nigel calls him over… and after a long lecture… ends with “This is not soccer”. Class.
2. “Everyone in!”
This was a game in his native region out West. In the Magners League clash between the Scarlets and Irish province Leinster, things start to boil over down in Parc y Scarlets. A high tackle from Leinster flanker Sean O’Brien sparks a mass brawl between the two sides; unfortunately the incident wasn’t seen by any of the 3 match officials, therefore no action was taken… or so we thought… Without taking any nonsense from either team, Nigel calls all 30 players in for a ‘quick chat’. To commentator Jonathan Davies’ delight, Owens calmly exclaims “I don’t want to make a big issue out of this…”.