Here is a list of the players we felt played best in their positions during the five matches of Six Nations.
“Bardon”, “BabyBlueElelphant” and myself had a virtual sit-down to choose the team. There weren’t too many fights because we lived in different parts of the world. “USARugger” chipped in with some comments too – guess where he lived?
We resisted the temptation to play players in positions other than that in which they played, otherwise we might have included three fullbacks.
We did not consider players who played once or twice only; we didn’t pay any regard to how many were chosen from each country either. We didn’t care. Those who are interested in that kind of thing can add them up for themselves.
Joe Marler – has come a long way
The forwards
1. Joe Marler (England)
Joe has come a long way since he used to get his head, with its funny haircuts, shoved up his backside playing for Harlequins as a young bloke.
Now he is a respected scrummaging loose head prop and based on his performance in Six Nations there are not too many players in the world you could say was better on the left-hand side at scrum time – and he is far from disgraceful around the park as well.
2. Guilhem Guirado (France)
The principal hooker in the France team since their series in Australia in June, when he was one of few players to earn his pay, Guirado was most noticeable in linking movements. Apart from his high standard tight work, he was good on the run and had deft hands
An honourable mention to Scott Baldwin (Wales) who filled the shoes of Richard Hibbard better than some might have thought.
3. Dan Cole (England)
The jury was out on Cole this season because he had to undergo neck surgery to treat a bulging disc which trapped a nerve: a tight head prop’s occupational hazard. He missed the autumn tests but played in all the Six Nations games without missing a beat.
He produced a few right-shoulder attacks in the scrums, when it was “the way to go”, and was like a barnacle with hands on opponents’ ball in the tackle area.
4. Paul O’Connell (Ireland)
Big Paulie was reasonably good in the first three rounds, but he had blinders in the last two. Were it not for his playing like a colossus in their loss against Wales (which limited the damage), and their nail-biting win against Scotland (as regards the margin), Ireland would not have won Six Nations this year.
Alun Wyn Jones – leadership and physical presence
5. Alun Wyn Jones (Wales)
Had Wales won, you could have made the same remarks about AWJ as for POC. In some ways he offered more because he had a greater gift for the sly action that inhibited opponents from getting prime ball.
That aside he was both a leader and a physical presence and if that presence was not strictly according to Hoyle, nor where it should have been, too bad.
Had Courtney Lawes played in more than two games he probably would have waltzed into the team ahead of one of the old Lions, but it was not the case.
6. Peter O’Mahony (Ireland)
We were tempted to use the excellent England openside flanker and skipper, Chris Robshaw, who plays like a blindisde flanker anyway, but we went for the no-frills hard man from Munster.
7. Sam Warburton (Wales)
He wasn’t near our team at the end of Round 3: Chris Robshaw was, but he was Superman in Round 4 and far from Clark Kent in the last round, both as skipper and the openside flanker.
8. Billy Vunipola (England)
He ran over people like they weren’t there. He may not have had the all-round skill of Taulupe Faletau, but his speciality made more of a difference than the other no. 8s did with theirs.
Sam Warburton – strong finish to the season
The backs
9. Conor Murray (Ireland)
The clear leader after Round 3 from Rhys Webb, the versatile scrummie had an off day against Wales as most of his team mates did, but he accumulated enough brownie points by the end to just get ahead of Ben Youngs, who started and finished the series well.
10. George Ford (England)
Sexton was ahead at one point but he missed a game and had a ‘mare against Wales. The persistent mature play of young Ford, and his deadly spot passing, who wanted only some better goal kicking to clinch the spot earlier, had him overtaking the Irishman.
Honourable mention to Dan Biggar (Wales).
11. Jack Nowell (England)
Crickey – he played only three games but this fellow was like a firework fizzing around and averaged over 100 metres per match. Always a favourite of coach Lancaster he showed why when he replaced out-of-form Jonny May after Round 2.
Whenever England made a break the 21-year-old always seemed to be on the spot to take a pass, and not necessarily on his side of the field.
He is going to be around for a loooong time.
Honourable mention to Liam Williams (Wales).
Jamie Roberts – selected in a tight call
12. Jamie Roberts (Wales)
The hardest spot to chose because Alex Dunbar (Scotland) had just three games and may have got the position otherwise.
Robbie Henshaw (Ireland), an outside centre playing 12 to accommodate Jared Payne (really an outside back) at 13, did a sterling job in the position, and nearly got the toss of the coin. You can see why Brian O’Driscoll called him “the real deal”, but Jamie Roberts, who was poorly utilised sometimes by Wales, ended up with the 12 jersey in a tight points decision.
13 Jonathan Joseph (England)
The easiest selecton (see below)
14. Yoann Huget (France)
Right wing was not a stellar position in the tournament though George North played like a man against the boys in the last round in a situation made for his strengths.
Huget was noticeable more for what he tried and could have done but for a malfunctioning back line. In another team he might have been a star.
15. Leigh Halfpenny (Wales)
This was the position of greatest quality in Six Nations.
Most years, the best ball runner of the group, Stuart Hogg (Scotland)—or Mike Brown (England), Scott Spedding (France) and Rob Kearney (Ireland)—would all have been considered for the fullback honours. But one can’t go past the courageous Welshman who was neat with everything he did including taking high balls and chiming in to attacks.
And he was like Deadeye Dick kicking his goals.
Jonathan Joseph – our Six Nations Player of the Year
Six Nations Player of the Year – Jonathan Joseph
In the preview to the England v. France match the great French scrum half, Fabien Galthié, paid Joseph a compliment:
He is not an England player: he is a French player.
If Galthié was thinking about his old team mate Philipe Sella there is something to it as Joseph has something of the vision of the great centre, but there is also a hint of the elusive hole-running of Englishman Jeremy Guscott, who they both played against.
And these days the injured Wesley Fofana of France would be a nice comparison.
Truth be told, had Manu Tualagi been healthy we may not have seen Joseph in the England starting team, as he did not fit the template of England centres.
He had not played for England since 2013 and did not distinguish himself then, but he showed in the European Rugby Cup in January what form he was in when Bath towelled Toulouse.
There was hardly a possession in Six Nations when he didn’t interest defenders, and so good were the lines he ran that he didn’t meet tacklers on several occasions.
