#4. Sergio Parisse (Italy, 142 caps)
Owens said: “I’ve been fortunate to have refereed some tremendous No.8s during my career but Sergio is tops. He’s such a talented player and rarely has a bad game.
“Maybe there’s a tendency to try and do too much because he’s been in an Italy or Stade Francais team which hasn’t been at its best, but he’s been extraordinary.”
Did you know? Parisse was born in La Plata, capital of Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Italian parents