New year, same old Nigel.
One of the only universally liked and respected referees in, well, any sport to be honest, Nigel Owens' unique ability to talk to players and have a laugh while firmly laying down the law will never get old for rugby fans, and his latest memorable moment went down very well with the commentary team on Sky Sports today.
In the closing stages of Scarlets vs Cardiff in the Pro 12, and with the game in the balance, Owens took a break from the scrum to have a pop at the replacement front rows for both teams who he believed were causing the standard of scrummaging to drop.
This prompted the commentators to outline just what makes Nigel Owens so good.
Boys, is this why you're not starting the game? Because the front six have been very good.
You keep the standards that all of them have done please, you don't drop them. Keep the pressure off, keep the space.
The commentary team were spot on, an authoritative figure, but with empathy.
When he talks, players listen, but his ability to keep those watching entertained without deliberately trying to is what makes him so likable.
Furthermore, he's not immune to mistakes, but when he does make them we can understand why, because he has no problem explaining his decisions clearly to a player involved. The world, at least the sporting world, needs more Nigel Owens.
