Rugby-Make no mistake, razor-sharp Owens is in charge

By Justin Palmer LONDON, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Got something to say to rugby referee Nigel Owens? Go on, I dare you. While instances of players surrounding and harassing referees are common in soccer, they remain mercifully rare in rugby -- and when Welshman Owens has the whistle it is easy to see why. Japan's stirring victory over South Africa was the undoubted highlight of the Rugby World Cup pool stage, but for pure humour the razor-sharp scolding of Scotland's Stuart Hogg by Owens took some beating. Exasperated by what he saw as a dive by the fullback during the Pool B match against South Africa, the headmasterly Owens summoned Hogg with a wag of his finger. "Dive like that again and come back here in two weeks and play. Not today. Watch it!" Owens admonished in a reference to diving soccer players, with the game being played at St James' Park, home of Premier League Newcastle United. An embarrassed Hogg backed away shaking his head, any potential retorts -- even under his breath -- wisely kept to himself. Owens, who will take charge of the New Zealand v France quarter-final on Sunday, is one of rugby's top referees and is renowned for laying down the law with amusing one-liners and soccer references. Upset him at your peril. With a stern bark and no-nonsense instructions, he has the ability to reduce even the biggest and toughest of players into feeling like naughty schoolboys. 'SORRY, SIR' Just ask England captain Chris Robshaw, who found himself muttering "sorry, sir" during a Six Nations game this year. In another game Owens announced himself to a truculent Treviso player with the greeting: "Don't think we've met before, but I'm the referee on this field; stick to your job and I'll do mine." New Zealand scrumhalf Aaron Smith is one admirer and knows when to keep quiet. "Sometimes referees are not a big fan of me because I am pretty vocal about my opinions. But I always enjoy it when Nigel Owens is reffing because he always talks a lot and communicates and controls games really well," Smith said. For Owens and his fellow officials at the top of the international game right down to those at grassroots level, respect shown by players to referees is a cornerstone of the sport. "Because of the physical nature of rugby you have got to have that respect for the referee, otherwise it would be all-out war," Owens said last year. Take the actions of Romanian Johannes van Heerden in this World Cup. The lock forward was sent to the sin bin by French referee Roman Poite for cynical play in the first half of the defeat against Italy and on his return to the pitch sought out the official to offer an apology and handshake. Could that happen in soccer? UEFA president Michel Platini certainly has a mind to push for adoption of some elements of rugby's code of conduct. Platini has branded dissent in his sport as a "veritable epidemic" and has called for soccer to introduce a new "white card" to sin-bin guilty players. That may or may not happen, but Platini could do no worse than ask Owens for advice. (Editing by David Goodman)