In the moments before Nigel Owens becomes the most capped referee in the history of the Six Nations tomorrow, he will undertake the same pre-match routine as he did 11 years ago on his debut at Twickenham - including a ‘lucky’ pair boxer shorts and singing the Welsh version of the hymn ‘How Great Thou Art.’
Owens, who will surpass the previous record of 17 Six Nations matches held by Alain Rolland and Jonathan Kaplan at Stade de France, where France face Ireland, is not overly superstitious but some rituals are sacrosanct. Owens insists on wearing the same pair of underwear for each Test match, all purchased for him by his cousins, one of whom, Ioan Nicholas, plays for the Scarlets and has represented Wales under-20s, as a Christmas present.
“They buy me boxers every year,” Owens laughs, as we sit down to talk in the shadow of St Paul’s. “It’s Batman now but before that I had Star Wars...