Nigel Owens list of the best Lions players he refereed would walk into nearly any XV from any generation of rugby.
#5. Phil Vickery (England)
Owens said: “I always had a lot of time for him, found him a decent man, a good player to referee. He wasn’t one of those who would whinge at decisions, he would accept the call and get on with it.
“As a player, at his peak with Wasps during their European runs and with England in 2007, he was a formidable force.”
![](https://www.ruck.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/31396_phil20vickery.jpg)