Owens, who hung up his whistle in December 2020 after overseeing 100 test matches, refereed Biggar on numerous occasions throughout his career. The Northampton Saints man is one of the strongest personalities in the game, but Owens is confident he will forge a good relationship with referees.
“Dan is a very similar character on the pitch to Johnny Sexton and Owen Farrell,” said Owens. “I think he will prove to be a good captain.
“Like many players, when they are out on that field, they are so focused on the job they have to do, that they can get worked up. I think he’s a good choice as captain as he does have the respect of the players and he will give it his all on the field.
“He always plays with his heart on his sleeve, there is no doubt about that. The key for him is to feel the emotions, but to keep them in check.
“He must know how and when to speak to the referee. If Dan can get that balance right – and I think that he will – of challenging the referee and being respectful to the officials, then he will be fine.”
South African referee Jaco Peyper will be the man in the middle on Saturday when Wales kick-off the defence of their Six Nations title against Ireland in Dublin. He will have the difficult task of having to deal with both Biggar, and Johnny Sexton as captains.
Both Biggar and Sexton are among the leading outside-halves in the world game, and will have a huge bearing on which side comes out on top. Owens has revealed he used to enjoy refereeing captains such as Biggar, Sexton, and England’s Owen Farrell.
“Sexton has been hugely influential with Ireland and the same goes for Farrell with England,” he said. “They bring their strong personalities to the game, but I always found officiating with Sexton and Farrell an enjoyable experience.
“Dan can be a bit ‘in your face’ as well, but he is no different in that respect to Sexton and Farrell. That is just the nature of the way they play the game and the way they compete.
“I remember telling Owen Farrell, I am more than happy to speak to you during the game – but I don’t need you throwing your hands in the air, shaking your head, and chasing me down the field. If that happens, we are going to fall out and there will only be one winner. He accepted that and things were fine.
“I said the same to Jonny Sexton when he was playing for Leinster before a Pro14 final up in Glasgow. If there are any issues or concerns, come and have a conversation with me and I will gladly listen to what you have to say.
“But what I don’t want is a confrontation where you shake your head and wave your arms in the air. He was great, too. So, often it is down to the referee to get their message across.
“Captains do sometimes feel they can challenge referees, but the relationship has to remain respectful and within the laws and spirit of the game.”
