Nigel Owens: Refereeing his third Heineken Cup final
Wales' Nigel Owens has been appointed to referee the Heineken Cup final between Leinster and Ulster at Twickenham on Saturday, May 19.
This will be the third time that Owens takes charge of European club rugby's showpiece match after he refereed the 2008 and 2009 finals and the all-Irish clash will be his 70th game in European club tournaments.
Owens has been on duty on seven of the eight European weekends so far this season and refereed last month's Heineken Cup quarter-final between Edinburgh and Toulouse at Murrayfield.
Meanwhile, England's Wayne Barnes will take charge of his first Amlin Challenge Cup final. The match between French rivals Biarritz and Toulon takes place at the Twickenham Stoop on Friday, May 19.
Barnes has also officiated in seven of the eight European weekends to date, most recently when he refereed the Heineken Cup semi-final between Clermont and Leinster in Bordeaux. He was also the man in the middle during the 2010 Heineken Cup final when Toulouse defeated Biarritz at the Stade de France.
Friday, 18 May
Amlin Challenge Cup final, at Twickenham Stoop
Biarritz v Toulon
Referee: Wayne Barnes (Eng)
Assistant referees: Dave Pearson (Eng), JP Doyle (Eng)
Saturday, 19 May
Heineken Cup final, at Twickenham Stadium
Leinster v Ulster
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees: Romain Poite (Fra), Jerome Garces (Fra)
Comments
carpelone says...
My view on Craig Joubert is that technically he is possibly the best.
He had a shocker at the RWC final, but only because he did not expect such a close game (as everybody) and he was forgiving with the ABs.
We all should refrain from commenting on the ref (me first), to differentiate from the football bunch (they can talk hours about nothing).
I disagree on the criticism on Rolland, he achieved what he wanted to achieve in his career and I like his quiet and relaxed way to officiate, even if he has to show some red cards.
Posted 20:46 14th May 2012
Ramage says...
@pog mahone your constant anti NZ posts where your rubbish NZ its people its stadia its ability to run a RWC its players and referees who are so weak they bow to corrupt pratices leaves you as one who cant see the wood for the trees. Your hatred of all things NZ comes across loud and clear and fair enough that's your myopic view, but when you include a referee from another country who for you sad views is inept corrupt etc you really overstep the mark. It is all based on you irrational hatred of NZ that is spewed forth in most of your posts. Craig Joubert is a good referee a fine man and is not corrupt as you are insinuating. So give it a rest you are as bad as those stupid NZers who spitefully attacked Barnes for his mistakes in a RWC quarter final.,
Posted 05:07 12th May 2012
Chancer says...
Barnes will ruin the Amlin final
Posted 12:20 11th May 2012
Norm says...
Pog_Mahone
You are right that Joubert was a disgrace in the RWC final, looked like a guiding hand behind him mind you, but I would still like to see a SH ref for these games, and Joubert WC Final notwithstanding is about the pick of the bunch
Posted 12:47 10th May 2012
pog_mahone says...
mcdb06, blametheref - Joubert? Really?
I thought his handling of the RWC final was particularly poor, he completely caved under the weight of expectation and let the ABs away with murder particularly in the last 10 minutes. The sustained virulent reaction directed by AB fans at Wayne Barnes after their '07 QF exit worked. Maybe there's a lesson there.
Posted 08:57 10th May 2012
jontheref says...
Rolland for a H Cup final?
For an all Irish one?
he would not know which way to turn!
It is at twiockers, he would be looking to help the home side.
Whast, no home side, he would be beside his self!
bless him!
Owens probably best, did you really want Poite or one of the other Frenchmen?
Best available.
Posted 23:02 09th May 2012
Norm says...
Nicholas41 You have lost me mate?
Blametheref inclined to agree.
Sextons on Fire- well now you of the homoerotic name, you have only gone and ruined my day out in Twickenham! When somebody drops the BOOM on us then we Ulster folk needn't bother turning up. if only you had said anything other than BOOM we might have stood a chance, but now you selfish pig you BOOMED us you monster. I better stop or my tears will damage my laptop! You animal!
Posted 18:23 09th May 2012
crunchfit says...
@petey11
Relax buddy. Watch Rolland during a match involving only Irish teams and you'll see he's the best, at that those matches least. A recent example would be the recent Muster Ulster clash.
Posted 14:14 09th May 2012
petey11 says...
So some of you brainboxes would have wanted Rolland, a Leinster man, officiating a Leinster match? Well done and bravo. Thankfully the ERC have this once shown there's a brain working there, no Irish official should ever be involved in an all Irish final. At least now with Owens the players can decide the outcome and not the referee.
Posted 09:54 09th May 2012
Nicholas41 says...
Do you think Planetrugby intended that very tenuous of suggestive headline? Or is it just me?
Posted 09:18 09th May 2012
blametheref says...
Better than some other refs that could have got it but would love to have got Joubert for this one
Posted 08:47 09th May 2012
sextons_on_fire says...
@minge
Take your business elsewhere, troll. Munster man, by any chance? By the way, you're right about one thing: Ulster are doomed on May 19th hahahahaaaa BOOM
Posted 08:34 09th May 2012
mcdb06 says...
@papachinzo RWC final 2007. Had a shocker. Rolland seems to make matches about himself, never lets a game flow. It's a shame Joubert doesn't ref the H Cup. Most European refs have been poor this season
Posted 20:38 08th May 2012
binge says...
Ulster are doomed. The Leinster rule book will be used for this game as all their other Heineken cup games. No offside, handling in the rucks, killing the ball in the red zone, and no yellow cards. Plus a pro Leinster ref im Mr Owen's. Looks like Leinster by a clear seventy points.
Posted 20:08 08th May 2012
crunchfit says...
@BackingLeinster
Forgot about that. He is the stand out referee when it comes to all-Irish matches I think.
Posted 19:03 08th May 2012
pierredelot1 says...
Can't see for one minute that this would have gone to an Irish referee, but have to say I wouldn't want Clancy or Rolland. Owens has not had a great season this year and has slipped from what i thought was a pretty high level in the past. Lets hope he gets back to form on this one. It would be great to see a match between two Irish sides where the scrums stay up more than 50% of the time. Well that would rule out Clancy who the last time I saw him ignored everything at the set virtually all afternoon.
Posted 17:42 08th May 2012
BackingLeinster says...
@crunchfit
I think Rolland's 40 caps for Leinster really rules him out. Although to be fair to the man i think he would ref it evenly and without bias.
Posted 15:40 08th May 2012
papachinzo says...
I'd say the Irish referees are getting slightly frustrated, especially Rolland. He's gone a long time now without officiating a top level Final...
Posted 14:45 08th May 2012
crunchfit says...
Better than Barnes at least, would have liked Roland though considering the nature of the teams.
Posted 14:35 08th May 2012