Nigel Owens is the gold standard when it comes to rugby referees and garners the respect of his peers, players and fans alike with his no nonsense common sense application of the rules of the game.
Enjoy.
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Retiring Nigel Owens selects the FIVE best players he refereed
1. Sergio Parisse (Italy)
"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."
2. Paul O'Connell (Ireland)
"Quite simply he was just an exceptional leader. I have been in charge of games where he pretty much carried his team, whether it was Munster or Ireland, almost on his back and onto victory."
3. Alun Wyn Jones (Wales)
"A man of few words, he does his talking on the field with his actions. Not only is he a brilliant player and a very good captain but I don’t think I have reffed a match where he hasn’t given absolutely everything."
4. Phil Vickery (England)
"I always had a lot of time for him, found him a decent man, a great player to referee. He wasn’t one of those who would whinge at decisions, he would accept the call and get on with it. Such a good scrummager."
5. Richie McCaw (New Zealand)
"If anybody had to pick the greatest player in history, it would surely be a difficult choice between him and Gareth Edwards."
