Watch: Young Welsh Ref Channels His Inner Nigel Owens

Referee Ben Whitehouse is slowly making a name for himself as another referee who doesn’t take any sh*t, similar to another famous Welsh referee.

Its not the first time the young ref has come to our attention while officiating a game involving Connacht. A huge bonus point victory for Connacht on Saturday against Scarlets moved them level on points with the Welsh side at the top of the Pro12.

Ten minutes into the second with Connacht leading, Whitehouse had some stern words for Scarlets centre Hadleigh Parkes. The young ref is not long in the professional game, appointed as a pro ref last summer by the WRU, aged just 24 and he’s been laying a marker down.

Whitehouse heard Parkes say ‘Ref you’re haing an effin’ laugh, though he was not absolutely certain and warned the player he was having none of it.

I have my suspicions that you shouted ‘Ref you’re having an effin laugh’ but I’m not 100% sure; I’d be guessing. If anyone speaks to me like that, they will take no further part in this game. Do you understand me?