We're unapologetic fans of Nigel Owens here at Balls HQ.
The universally respected Welsh referee ran the touchline at the Aviva Stadium during Ireland's 27-24 victory over Australia last night, assisting Frenchman Jerome Garces in another feverishly contested November Test.
During proceedings, however, a number of viewers got in touch about a certain aspect of Owens' kit, spotted during a scrum near Ireland's 22 in the second half...
@ballsdotie @Nigelrefowens otherwise known as The Dark Knight! pic.twitter.com/LHq5eWdmBZ
— Russell Fleming (@russell_fleming) November 26, 2016
#Batman was the linesman for Ireland 🇮🇪v Australia 🇦🇺 #irevaus 😦 #Ireland #Australia #POOW @SecondCaptains @ballsdotie @SportsJOEdotie #IRFU pic.twitter.com/ETkqN4JXeI
— Gavin Gallagher (@GavinGallagher1) November 27, 2016
You couldn't accuse Owens of taking the 'silent guardian' role in Dublin last night; he was particularly prevalent during Dean Mumm's sin-binning for tipping Tadgh Furlong onto his shoulder/head area (albeit at relatively low speed), consulting with French referee Jerome Garces throughout a difficult decision-making process. Irish fans were perhaps more accepting of the decision in light of Owens' breakdown of the incident than they might have been had Garces or another referee gone it alone.
But just when it seemed the Welshman could return to his backseat for the evening, his Batman-inspired boots graced our screens, causing quite the stir on social media. Curiosity getting the better of us, we contacted the man himself, and he explained the origins of his caped crusader kicks:
The Batman boots are just the ones I got given to wear for the Champions Cup final last year by Under Armour. The laces I wore on them yesterday are for the Sport For All campaign by Stonewall.
I usually wear other boots for international duty, by Under Armour, but got called in last minute to do [last night's] game due to illness to the assistant referee, as I was in Galway Friday night.
Indeed, here are the Nigel Owens Batman boots in all their glory:
Holy bootgasm, Batman. Sensational.
Owens also gratuitously pointed out another image of him which did the rounds on Twitter last night, snapped when a group of young Irish fans called for him to give them a wave during warmups:
You seen the picture doing social media, have you, with the boys shouting 'Give us a wave, Nige', and I give the Vs? All in good fun, though, and they all laughed. Good rugby banter and how it should be.
Indeed, Owens is trying to contact the young Ulster and Ireland fan who took the picture so he can send him a reward for his photography skills:
I'm trying to get hold of him and will post him my match day ref jersey from the game yesterday for being such a great sport, and the timing of the picture.
If I can find out who he is, I can get jersey sorted and signed to him then.
Not a bad prize for a cheeky selfie.
If you know the young Irish fan in question, or if you are that fan, get in touch with either Owens himself on Twitter or ourselves here at Balls.ie, and we'll pass the message on.
A reminder, too, that you can - and should - sign the pledge to make sport everyone’s game, and show your support for LGBT fans and players, at Stonewall.org.uk.
