Reffing comes so naturally to Nigel, it’s like driving a car
Brendan Gallagher continues his enthralling series by looking at the best rugby referees
1. Nigel Owens (Wales)
Owens was poised on 98 internationals before Covid struck and will hopefully continue for a little while longer yet to clock up the century and perhaps kick on a bit. Like every referee in history, Owens will make mistakes but he makes fewer than most and enjoys such a good rapport with the players with his empathy and keen sense of humour that they don’t detract in any way from his authority. Time after time Owens provides a canvas for the world’s greatest players to display their talent.
Claims not to have sat down and read the law since he was a young teenage referee and that is very possible. He learned the refereeing business by trial and error in the tough world of Welsh junior club rugby and developed a sixth sense for what was right and wrong. Then, of course, on top of that he studies the variations and interpretations announced each season and builds them into his already established refereeing style.
“It’s like driving a car,” he explains. “My guess is that a lot of people would assess themselves as good, safe, legal drivers but hand-on-heart how many have closely studied the Highway Code recently? It becomes second nature doesn’t it, you hop in the car and drive automatically and that’s the story with my reffing. The car analogy is very good. You can drive in another country with different local regulations and by-laws but the essential laws of the road don’t change and you quickly pick up the local differences. I have never read rugby’s laws from cover to cover and probably never will.
“The key to everything is enjoyment and with reffing you need to enjoy it more than any professional job because if you don’t you will be in a bad place mentally and eventually you will grind to a halt and not be able to do the job.”
Four World Cups, one World Cup final, three European Cup finals and countless huge games... all that is impressive enough but there is another vital dimension to Owens and that is his decision in 2007 to “come out” as a gay man. He has flown the flag for the LGBT community in an unobtrusive but hugely effective manner. Owen agonised about coming out and indeed had considered suicide earlier but found that rugby totally welcomed and embraced him.
2. Ed Morrison (England)
I’m struggling to think of a word of complaint or criticism against Morrison in his long and distinguished career which is largely down to him getting just about every call right and, with his friendly west country burr and common sense, enjoying the complete confidence of the players. During his career he took charge of 41 Tests and officiated at three World Cups, cutting his teeth at the 1991 tournament. By 1995 he was on top of his game and the elimination of England in the semi-final paved the way for the biggest game of his life, the 1995 World Cup final. Rarely has there been more pressure on a referee but Morrison didn’t change his approach one jot from his friendly greeting to the captains at the coin toss to his simple, no-nonsense decisions, thus ensuring it never boiled over and soured the occasion. After the World Cup, and with the game turning profession, he initially fought shy of being paid to referee games but by 1998 it was clear which way the game was going and he became England’s first full time contracted referee. Later still he became the RFU’s elite referee’s manager.
3. Wayne Barnes (England)
With that sharp legal mind of his and his natural ability as a communicator, Barnes is the identikit modern ref. His current total is 90 internationals and he is surely the best referee never to have taken control of a World Cup final. Endured something of a fraught start when the Kiwi public tried to make him a scapegoat for their shock World Cup quarter-final defeat against France in 2007 but that was always a smokescreen to mask their disappointment. Barnes survived that storm with his confidence intact and batted onto become a consummate referee, very fit, on top of every new law and technological development. Although not without humour, he rarely shares quips a la Owens but treats players like adults, takes the trouble to explain decisions and his intelligent, logical dialogue with assistant referees and TMOs helps the viewer immensely when that big decision comes. Doesn’t duck the big calls such as having to send Dylan Hartley off in the 2013 Premiership final when the Saints skipper gave him unacceptable foul-mouthed verbals.
4. Jim Fleming (Scotland)
Another contender for the best ref never to earn a World Cup final. Fleming spent an extraordinary 18 years as a Test ref and is another who officiated at four World Cups (1987-99). A promising player before he encountered recurring concussion problems, he really started to make an impact at RWC1991 when he was appointed for England’s opening game against New Zealand before controlling two memorable games, the Ireland v Australia quarter-final and then Australia’s semi with the All Blacks seven days later. 1995 was quieter with the Boks-Samoa quarter-final his big game but in 1999 he was seemingly everywhere with his schedule including the Boks v England quarter-final when Jannie de Beer smashed over five dropped goals and the never to be forgotten France v New Zealand semi-final a week later. His CV also included the 1994 Women’s World Cup final, the 1998 Heineken Cup final in
Bordeaux when Bath beat Brive and 18 consecutive years helping out at the Melrose Sevens. Very fit, effortlessly keeping pace with speeding wings.
5. Derek Bevan (Wales)
Had the air of a busy no-nonsense sergeant major but Bev loved his rugby and possessed a great feel for the game. Took charge of 44 Tests including 11 at four World Cups. Also did four Welsh Cup finals and the memorable 1997 European Cup final between Leicester and Brive. Best known for having to make the agonising decision as to whether to allow the 1995 World Cup semi-final between South Africa and France to take place in monsoon conditions at Durban. He got that right as he usually did. His biggest match was probably the 1991 World Cup final between England and Australia while eight years later he was the man in the middle for Australia’s dramatic semifinal against South Africa at Twickenham.
6. Clive Norling (Wales)
Could be a bit flash and theatrical and was a character in his own right, but Norling was an outstanding ref indeed and when he retired in 1992 his 35 Tests was at the time a world record for a referee. A considerable academic he was totally on top of the laws but had a good line in banter, an early version of Owens, and was always a popular choice for the Varsity match. After putting his whistle away he worked as the director of referees at the WRU before a bad falling out kick-started a period of serious clinical depression, something that had never been far from the surface. Took to driving all around Wales at night because he couldn’t sleep. Emerged from a very dark eight-year period as an eloquent spokesman for mental health issues.
7. Jerome Garces (France)
Probably the best and most consistent French ref of modern times who was rewarded for his efforts last year with the 2019 World Cup final. French refs often get called upon to take charge of Lions Tests and Garces did very well in 2013 and 2017, seeming to satisfy both northern and southern hemisphere critics which takes some doing. Another feather in his cap was the Japan v South Africa game at RWC2015. Went out on a high before retiring at the end of last year by also reffing the 2019 French Championship final and the Champions Cup final between Saracens and Leinster.
8. Alain Rolland (Ireland)
Dual national, bi-lingual former Test scrum-half who was fluent in English and French, Rolland had a lot going for him and proved a fine referee, particularly welcomed by French teams competing in European competitions when they felt they got a fair crack of the whip and had more chance of understanding contentious decisions. Took charge of the 2007 World Cup final having also reffed England’s quarter-final win over Australia and ran the line at the final four years later, although, of course, his most notable contribution at RWC2011 was to correctly send off Wales skipper Sam Warburton for a tip tackle in their semifinal against France.
9. Andre Watson (South Africa)
Didn’t find favour with England fans in the second half of the RWC2003 final when he started pinging the previously dominant England scrum but the engineering graduate was a fine ref, you don’t get to referee two World Cup finals by accident. At RWC1999 he was the man in the middle for a routine, incident free, final when the Aussies crushed the life out of France, but four years later it was a much livelier affair and he kept his nerve well. Had decided to retire before the game but was persuaded to postpone that and take the first qualifying match
RWC2007 in Andorra in May 2004 when the local side met Norway. Also refereed five Super Rugby finals.
10. Albert Freethy (Wales)
Ripe old character from Cimla in Wales, Freethy was the pre-eminent referee of the 1920s taking charge of 18 Tests and reffed the 1924 Olympic final in Paris between France and the USA which ended in a riot by the disappointed French crowd. His fame rests largely on becoming the first ref to send a player off in an international when he dismissed Kiwi Cyril Brownlie in New Zealand’s game against England at Twickenham. Reportedly the King, George V, who was in attendance, asked at half-time if Brownlie could not be allowed to return and was told in no uncertain manner by Freethy that he was in charge of the game thank you very much.
11. David McHugh (Ireland)
An underrated ref whose career, as well as being incident-packed, included some noteworthy landmark games. He reffed at three World Cups and in South Africa in 1995 he made the headlines by sending off three players from a single game – the infamous slugfest between South Africa and Canada in East London. Gareth Rees, Rod Snow and James Dalton were all sent for an early bath and frankly two or three others could have joined them. In January 1996 he took charge of the first ever European Cup final and he again earned that honour in 2001 at the memorable encounter between Leicester and Stade Francais. A year later came a less happy memory, being assaulted by South Africa fan Pieter Van Zyl and dislocating his shoulder in the ensuing scuffle as a scrum formed in the Trinations game between South Africa and New Zealand.
12. Fred Howard (England)
No-nonsense Lancastrian who holds the record for dishing out the most red cards in Test rugby with four in 20 internationals. All of them – Dean Codey, Alain Carmanati, Kevin Moseley and Andre Stoop – were for serious offences. The last three named came during three matches on the bounce in 1990. ‘Fearless’ Fred used to cop some stick for his approach but frankly all he did was highlight some of the lax and poor reffing elsewhere. Career highlights probably the third place play-off game at RWC1987 and that epic rain-sodden quarter-final between Canada and New Zealand four years later.
13. Sara Cox (England)
Trail-blazing women’s referee who became the first professional woman ref in the world in 2016 when contracted by the RFU. Initially an aspiring player, she was forced to quit playing through injury aged 17 so immediately made the switch to reffing. Officiated at the Women’s World Cup in 2014 and the Rio Olympics while, the following year, Cox took control of a Championship game and a European Challenge Cup tie. In 2018 she became the first woman ref to take control of a Premiership fixture – Wasps against Northampton at the Ricoh – and later that year she was an assistant referee at two of the RWC2019 repechage matches in Marseilles.
14. George Domerq (France)
Domercq was a useful player but an excellent referee known for his fitness and speed around the pitch during the 70s when some referees struggled in that area. He was also one of the first to make a consistent use of the advantage rule part of his refereeing and never was that seen to better effect than the Barbarians v New Zealand game in 1973 which he contributed to in a very real way.
15. John Dallas (Scotland)
Edinburgh lawyer who has a number of quirky claims to fame. First as a player he represented Scotland just once, against England in 1903, when he scored one of the two tries in Scotland’s 10-6 win which secured a Triple Crown and Calcutta Cup. Then, as a ref, he angered all Kiwis at Cardiff Arms Park in 1905 by disallowing a disputed try by Bob Deans that might have prevented their 3-0 defeat against the Welsh. And finally, in his second Test as a referee fully seven years later, Dallas became the first ref to be replaced – by Fred Gardiner – when he pulled up lame in the first half when officiating the Ireland international against South Africa. Dallas himself had only answered the call the previous day when Frank Potter-Irwin fell ill.
16. Tony Spreadbury (England)
Hugely underrated in my opinion. Had the respect and ear of the players and added to the enjoyment and spectacle of most games he controlled. Demanding job as a paramedic possibly hindered his availability at times. Will also be remembered for his expert emergency treatment of Matt Hampson when the England U21 prop suffered a paralysing broken neck when a practice scrum collapsed during a squad session at Northampton while Spreadbury was reffing a series of set scrums and line-outs.
17. Tommy Vile (Wales)
A notable former player turned referee who played for the Lions before he played for Wales. An intelligence office during WW1 he was a stickler for detail and minutiae, and as well as reffing 12 Tests, was much in demand at Cambridge University in the ‘20s when a succession of rugby captains invited him up for a few days every autumn to oversee training with a view to what was and wasn’t legal.
18. Alan Lewis (Ireland)
Making his second appearance in these top 20 features having appeared in the all-rounder-list as well. The former Irefor land cricket captain was also one of the very best refs the Irish have produced, being the man in the middle in 45 Tests and taking charge of 89 Heineken Cup games. Generally very consistent and reliable but did, in the view of many, make a poor call at Wembley in 1999 when he harshly penalised Tim Rodber for what appeared to be the tackle of the Five Nations against Wales. Wales kicked downfield and from the next lineout Scott Gibbs skipped over for a famous match-winning try.
19. Norman Sanson (Scotland)
Wore the tightest fitting shorts in world rugby – Norling was a close second – but the Scotsman was a fine ref who made a little history in his own way in 1977 when he not only became the first referee to send off a player from a Five Nations game, he dived straight in and gave two their marching orders. A fracas in the line-out developed in the 38th minute when Geoff Wheel threw a punch at Stuart McKinney whose big mate Willie Duggan retaliated by clocking Allan Martin. Famously Sanson reportedly asked Duggan if he would mind leaving the field to which the Irishman replied “Sure, not at all, I’m buggered anyway.”
20. Pierre de Coubertin (France)
Better known as the founder of the modern day Olympics but de Coubertin was a rugby man at essence, he held rugby’s values in high esteem. He visited Rugby School in 1888 to get a better feel for the game and on his return to France was instrumental in getting the game introduced into the school curriculum. A great man for detail and laws, he became a student of the game and started reffing and in 1892 took charge of the first ever French club championship final between Stade Francais and Racing. It was him prompting in the corridors of power that saw rugby introduced into the early Olympics.