A tale of two refs and their many tales!
DEREK Bevan and Nigel Owens are rugby refereeing legends. Only seven people have taken charge of World Cup finals... and two of them are Welsh.
Bevan’s big game was England versus Australia in 1991 while Owens officiated the last final between New Zealand and the Wallabies.
Between them they have loads of funny and unlikely stories of what really happens out on the field of play - and off it.
The two men have got together to share some of those memories in a new book, ‘Derek and Nigel: Two Heads, One Tale,’ which we are publishing extracts from today. These are the tales of two top-level rugby referees, as never told before . . .
FAVOURING WALES OVER ENGLAND
Cardiff versus Pontypool matches used to be epic encounters during the 1980s and Bevan took charge of one which threw up confusion . . . and a very Welsh ending!
Bevan: Pontypool Park, Welsh Cup quarter-final. The ground was packed. I’d never seen it so full and the atmosphere was fantastic. There was a lineout; Bob Norster won the ball for Cardiff and the play moved on. As I moved with it I could hear – and feel! – the crowd boo and shout in condemnation.
I turned around to see Eddie Butler and John Scott, two international No. 8s, eyeballing and scuffling with each other. I called on my two touch judges to ask what had happened as I hadn’t seen anything. On they came. One said that Butler had started the fight. The other said that Scott had thrown the first punch. They were adamant they had seen everything, but they gave me two opposing accounts.
What was I to do? In the end I turned to them and said, ‘Listen, we’re in Pontypool Park. It’s a Cup game. One player is a Welshman, the other is an Englishman. There are 16,000 people here. It’s a penalty to Pontypool.’ And that’s how it was. I had a standing ovation from the home fans!
As we walked off the pitch, John Scott turned to me and said, ‘That was a good home decision wasn’t it?’ ‘Too right it was,’ I replied. No point denying the obvious.
PLEASE DON’T LET ENGLAND WIN THE WORLD CUP!
Bevan was given the 1991 World Cup final between England and Australia at Twickenham. He was inundated with good luck messages.
Bevan: It was such a busy time, with a mix of preparation and frantic media activity taking up every waking hour. I soon got to the point when I asked the hotel receptionist to block all my calls. I didn’t have time to think and that wasn’t good.
It went very well from my point of view, although it wasn’t a classic of a match by any stretch of the imagination. Australia won 12-6, scoring the only try of the game.
Luckily, there weren’t any big controversies in the game, apart from my not awarding England a penalty try when David Campese had deliberately knocked-on with England close to crossing the line! I was happy that there was sufficient cover not to give the penalty try, and I awarded a penalty only. It was an issue that was analysed intensely after the game. Luckily most people agreed with my interpretation. Maybe Campese didn’t though!
THE UNUSUAL GOOD LUCK MESSAGE TO NIGE
Two decades on, it was Nigel’s turn to get the World Cup final, again at Twickenham but this time between New Zealand and Australia. He too was overwhelmed by messages of goodwill, including a unique one.
Owens: I was in the referees’ room, starting my preparation for the final. I watched some videos, looking at scrummaging. Then I played cards with some of the others. I remember thinking that there seemed to be a heck of a lot of refs still hanging around the room. That was unusual, as they would have gone home by then.
Joel Jutge, the Head of Refs, called us together, saying he wanted to show us something. It was a video compilation of good luck messages from former World Cup final refs Alain Rolland, Craig Joubert, Warren Gatland, referees’ manager Nigel Whitehouse, and many others as well. Then, cue Mr Bevan’s video contribution! What did you say, Bev?
Bevan: ‘Nige, we’ve got a lot in common,’ I said. ‘I was 44 years of age when I reffed my final, you’re 44 reffing yours. We each come from small villages in West Wales. Thirdly, we each refereed a World Cup final at Twickenham, and fourth, Australia were involved in my World Cup final and they’re involved in yours.’ I then finished by saying, ‘The only difference between us is our sexuality!’
Owens: Everyone in the room was rolling around laughing at that! I certainly had tears in my eyes. Only Bev!
MANDELA AND RISKING THE WRATH OF THE RAINBOW NATION
Many still view the 1995 World Cup as the best in history and Bevan was given the historic opening game between the Springboks and Australia. Noone knows he nearly awarded a walkover to the Wallabies, which would have changed the face of the tournament and the Rainbow Nation’s victory. Here’s why
Bevan: It was the first time South Africa had been able to participate in the World Cup following years of exclusion because of apartheid issues. I was extremely nervous before that game, more than for most I’d refereed in my career.
Then, into this arena steps Nelson Mandela. Wow! What a presence. He famously wore a South African rugby shirt for that event, which immediately struck the right chord. He was identifying with his nation and the occasion, a recently-freed black man and president of his country. It was very powerful.
Before the honour of meeting Mandela and the South African and Australian teams on the pitch, I had to do my usual dressing room inspections.
I went into the South African dressing room and saw a room full of what looked like American Football players. They were padded to the hilt on every possible part of the body.
So I spoke to them collectively and asked if this was their kit for the warm-up. They said no; this was how they were going to play the game. I said that, if that was the case, then I wouldn’t allow them on the pitch and Australia would go through by default.
Within two minutes an alternative kit was found, having been told that there wasn’t one available, and they took to the field wearing what was actually permitted. But that’s not what stays in my memory. The lasting memory is Mandela in his rugby shirt on that pitch.
AND RISKING THE WRATH OF AN IRISH NATION
Owens had just taken charge of the South Africa 27 New Zealand 38 epic at Ellis Park. Next up were Steve Hansen’s Blacks again, this time against Ireland, with legends Brian O’driscoll and Paul O’connell making perhaps their farewell appearances against the Kiwis. Dublin was a cauldron of emotion and the dramatic ending tested Nigel
Owens: It was amazing. I penalised Ireland round about midfield and the All Blacks kept the ball for something like 20 phases and they ended up scoring a try. It was 22-22 with the conversion to come.
As a referee, you can’t let yourself get involved in the emotion and significance. Looking back, I know that everyone wanted Ireland to win that day, unless you were a Kiwi of course.
But I had to focus on what was happening there and then. As Aaron Cruden was about to take his kick, Tommy Bowe and Luke Fitzgerald started their run towards the kicker.
But it was too early. I had noticed that and I remember thinking to myself, if Cruden misses this, I’m going to have to ask him to take the kick again because the Irish players charged far too early, and that’s not permitted.
Sure enough, he misses it. OK. Here goes, I think to myself. This fervent, enthusiastic, capacity Irish crowd are going to love this!
But I had to tell Cruden to take the kick again. He lines up for the conversion a second time. The kick sails through the posts with ease. It’s 24-22 to the All Blacks.
I didn’t expect a reaction from the Irish players but I did expect a difficult response from the Irish crowd. But I was surprised on the two counts. As much as the Irish players were down on their knees with disappointment, each one came up to me to shake my hand and say thank you.
The crowd as well were very quiet and appreciative. That said a lot about Irish sportsmanship.