RBS 6 Nations - Team of the Tournament

[Mr Ruggleby]

My team of the tournament after round 3 - let the debate commence:

1. Ben Arous - Lack of stand-out performers at loose-head, Marler/Jenkins have been good not spectacular, Healy looked decent off the bench but needs more time.
2. Best - Seems to have sorted out his line-out issues, a cut above in the loose and at the breakdown.
3. Cole - Very solid, played a lot of minutes, good at the breakdown. Lee has been good but has missed time, Ross a bit of a suprise but also looking decent.
4. Wyn Jones - Goes hard for 80, MoM in Paris, spine of the welsh 8. Kruis has been a good find, but still a bit green. Furno - athletic but liable to disappear at times.
5. O'Connell - Delivers year on year for Ireland, non-stop engine. Toner deserves mention for wrecking line-outs all over the place. Jonny Gray continues to improve.
6. O'Mahony - Awesome on the floor, great work-rate. Lydiate deserves mention for his chop tackles and surprisingly soft hands.
7. Warburton - Looks to be finding his 2011 form, quick, fit and strong. Robshaw consistently delivers but loses out at the breakdown to O'Brien/Cowan/Warbuton
8. Vunipola - Still carries like a wrecking ball but has added to his defensive and breakdown game. Parisse still carrying the Azzuri pack, though less so than in the past.
9. Murray - Strong case for player of the tournament so far, does everything well or better. Special mention to Parra who on his day is absolutely world class.
10. Sexton - The best 10 in world rugby, peerless in Europe. Ford has looked promising, Biggar has a well-rounded game, Russell looked good before injury.
11. Halfpenny - Cheating I know, but he has to get in. Goal-kicking is such a weapon and very solid elsewhere. Williams brings some excitement, Lamont has carried well.
12. Roberts - Tough call to leave Henshaw and Dunbar out here, all actually quite similar players, but Robert's experience and consistency win it for me.
13. Joseph - Nullified against the Irish, but the English had very little ball, otherwise electric. Morisi has been a nice find, Bastareaud polarises opinion - great carrier but is it to the detriment of the team overall?
14. Bowe - So key to the Irish gameplan, wise head, never makes mistakes...ever. Venditti has looked powerful, Seymour I like but has missed game time.
15. Kearney - Like Bowe he's so well rounded, rarely makes mistakes, tough, huge boot. Hogg flashes but makes too many errors, McLean has been in top form for Italy but his game is limited.

Let me know your thoughts!

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Ben Arous is one hell of an openside flanker. Up there with Mccaw & co in my book.

 

[TheSaffycen]

For round 3
1- Ben Arous great over the ball and isn't poor at scrum time, makes Domingo look like less of a miss.
2-Best again is so good over the ball and his leadership is of great use.
3-Cole why are so many flankers in the front row ! He had a great game with carrying and tackling.
4-Toner stopped our lineout and did his work around the field.
5-Chateris is very impressive at stopping the opponents maul and made it so that France couldn't rumble on at any point in the game.
6-POM was a stand out player, noticed the isolated players and constantly got over the ball.
7-Warburton was slowing down everything France had, and out played the dark destroyer Dusautoir.
8-Murphy was great over the ball and in defence, exactly what Ireland needed. Vunipola just missed out as I think Murphy nullified any serious England attacks and was good in the right. Parisse was also incredible.
9-Murray
10-Sexton
11-Zebo took a lot of high balls and also made his tackles and looked for work.
12-Henshaw even though he missed 6 tackles he scored a try and had his best game yet.
13.Bennett scored a try and caused Italy problems.
14.Venditti is a great player for Italy. A lot of strong carrying and a real poachers try for the missed penalty off the post.
15.Kearney was incredible. Given a lot of time to make his decision but picked right every time. Should've scored a try but England defended well.

 

[Mr Ruggleby]

For round 3
5-Chateris is very impressive at stopping the opponents maul and made it so that France couldn't rumble on at any point in the game.

Good shout on Charteris, slipped my mind completely, he was remarkably good at that. Still wouldn't make my team of the tournament so far though.

 

[Lomu]

No room for les bleus? Quel dommage! Surely bastareaux gets the nod?

 

[Tony Manx]

No room for les bleus? Quel dommage! Surely bastareaux gets the nod?

As in Bastareaud?

 

[corny]

My team of the tournament after round 3 - let the debate commence:

1. Ben Arous - Lack of stand-out performers at loose-head, Marler/Jenkins have been good not spectacular, Healy looked decent off the bench but needs more time.
2. Best - Seems to have sorted out his line-out issues, a cut above in the loose and at the breakdown.
3. Cole - Very solid, played a lot of minutes, good at the breakdown. Lee has been good but has missed time, Ross a bit of a suprise but also looking decent.
4. Wyn Jones - Goes hard for 80, MoM in Paris, spine of the welsh 8. Kruis has been a good find, but still a bit green. Furno - athletic but liable to disappear at times.
5. O'Connell - Delivers year on year for Ireland, non-stop engine. Toner deserves mention for wrecking line-outs all over the place. Jonny Gray continues to improve.
6. O'Mahony - Awesome on the floor, great work-rate. Lydiate deserves mention for his chop tackles and surprisingly soft hands.
7. Warburton - Looks to be finding his 2011 form, quick, fit and strong. Robshaw consistently delivers but loses out at the breakdown to O'Brien/Cowan/Warbuton
8. Vunipola - Still carries like a wrecking ball but has added to his defensive and breakdown game. Parisse still carrying the Azzuri pack, though less so than in the past.
9. Murray - Strong case for player of the tournament so far, does everything well or better. Special mention to Parra who on his day is absolutely world class.
10. Sexton - The best 10 in world rugby, peerless in Europe. Ford has looked promising, Biggar has a well-rounded game, Russell looked good before injury.
11. Halfpenny - Cheating I know, but he has to get in. Goal-kicking is such a weapon and very solid elsewhere. Williams brings some excitement, Lamont has carried well.
12. Roberts - Tough call to leave Henshaw and Dunbar out here, all actually quite similar players, but Robert's experience and consistency win it for me.
13. Joseph - Nullified against the Irish, but the English had very little ball, otherwise electric. Morisi has been a nice find, Bastareaud polarises opinion - great carrier but is it to the detriment of the team overall?
14. Bowe - So key to the Irish gameplan, wise head, never makes mistakes...ever. Venditti has looked powerful, Seymour I like but has missed game time.
15. Kearney - Like Bowe he's so well rounded, rarely makes mistakes, tough, huge boot. Hogg flashes but makes too many errors, McLean has been in top form for Italy but his game is limited.

Let me know your thoughts!

Great start. Don't disagree a whole lot but a few thoughts.

-I'd give Ghiraldini a mention. I don't know how many carries he made against Scotland but it was a lot.
-In a game that had so many players putting in trojan shifts (Henshaw, POC, Cole) i've never seen a man work harder than Chris Robshaw against Ireland. I'd pick him ahead of Warburton.
-I think Zebo has actually been better than Bowe for Ireland this 6N's.
-Shame for Huget and Dulin France have an inept coach and a prop playing centre who refuses to pass.

 

[LiRFCMatt]

Team of Round 4 is up here for those interested: http://fourballsblog.blogspot.com/2015/03/team-of-round-4-6-nations_16.html

 

[The Jones Boy]

Parisse by a head and shoulders at no.8, and then the Pacific island lad Toby Foletau who plays for Wales.
Dusatoir is getting on and like Robshaw he has too many roles to fill to do them all perfectly.
There is a lack of 'greatness' in the northern hemisphere back rows.

 

[Jbobo]

Parisse by a head and shoulders at no.8, and then the Pacific island lad Toby Foletau who plays for Wales.
Dusatoir is getting on and like Robshaw he has too many roles to fill to do them all perfectly.
There is a lack of 'greatness' in the northern hemisphere back rows.

I've said this for a long time, but Sam Warburton is second to no-one at 7 in the world atm. At, or equal at least to the great McCaw who is obviously no longer in his prime but brilliant still.

 

[LiRFCMatt]

Parisse by a head and shoulders at no.8, and then the Pacific island lad Toby Foletau who plays for Wales.
Dusatoir is getting on and like Robshaw he has too many roles to fill to do them all perfectly.
There is a lack of 'greatness' in the northern hemisphere back rows.

You may have missed this but as @goodNumber10 will assure you, Peter O'Mahony is world class!

 

[goodNumber10]

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Christ, didn't realise we had two dairy farmers on the forum!

 

[The Jones Boy]

You may have missed this but as @goodNumber10 will assure you, Peter O'Mahony is world class!

He's not in Kieran Read's class, and you'll find that out before the year is out.
;-)

I've said this for a long time, but Sam Warburton is second to no-one at 7 in the world atm. At, or equal at least to the great McCaw who is obviously no longer in his prime but brilliant still.

No doubt, Warburton has been in scintillating form,

 

[TheSaffycen]

In the back row Morgan is world class, I thought he was amazing against NZ in the last tour and against SH team's in the AI. Warburton is incredible, O'Brien is also world class and would start for NZ.

 

[bw245]

In the back row Morgan is world class, I thought he was amazing against NZ in the last tour and against SH team's in the AI. Warburton is incredible, O'Brien is also world class and would start for NZ.

2 years ago O'Brien would've started for NZ, don't know about now. Think he needs more time.

 

[The Jones Boy]

There isn't anybody in the northern hemisphere who would start for the All Black back row.
Not until the ageing Richie moves on and then Warburton would get a look in.
Kaino the Colossus and Read are just too good to replace.
Ben Morgan wouldn't make the All Black squad until he started laying off the pies and doing his roadwork, and then his hands would let him down and he lacks the pace to play at that level for more than 20 minutes.

 

[welshglory]

Probably only an on form Cian Healy

 

[j'nuh]

Murray shouldn't be at 9 for me. Ireland are good for their box kicking game, but against Wales when it wasn't working, Murray was rendered completely ineffective. Reddan came on and there was an obvious improvement.

I would go with Webb.

 

[TheSaffycen]

There isn't anybody in the northern hemisphere who would start for the All Black back row.
Not until the ageing Richie moves on and then Warburton would get a look in.
Kaino the Colossus and Read are just too good to replace.
Ben Morgan wouldn't make the All Black squad until he started laying off the pies and doing his roadwork, and then his hands would let him down and he lacks the pace to play at that level for more than 20 minutes.

O'Brien when fit would make the squad. Also I agree that Morgan wouldn't make your squad but I think that every other nation, other than SA, he would be the starting 8. Also I don't think you've watched him much if you think that his hands would let him down, he's not Read but Vito doesn't come close to him (I use Vito as I see him as your back up 8)