Owens the man in the middle again

LEINSTER will have Welsh referee Nigel Owens in charge of their Heineken Cup quarter-final clash with Leicester, following the latest round of appointments for next month’s European Rugby Cup matches.

Owens, who took charge of Leinster’s 2009 Heineken Cup final win over the Tigers, has been given the whistle for the clash of the former champions, scheduled for the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, April 9.

Owens more recently refereed Ireland’s Six Nations win over Scotland at Murrayfield last month, while Ulster’s last-eight showdown with Northampton Saints in Milton Keynes on Sunday, April 10, has been awarded to French official Romain Poite, who handled Ireland’s Six Nations opener in Italy.