6 Nations Round 2 Team of the Week

Ireland were felled in Paris, Wales vanquished Scotland, and England made a dominant statement in another intense weekend in the 6 Nations. There were standout performers from many of the nations but here are the fifteen that we felt made the biggest impression.

1. Eddy Ben Arous:
Always difficult for us to pick a sub for this role, but Ben Arous made a huge impact for France when he was introduced. As per usual he was effective in the loose, but in the end it was in the scrum that Ben Arous made the biggest impact. Nathan White and Tadhg Furlong could not stop the French prop, and this played a huge role in the French win.

2. Guihelm Guirado:
The order from Guy Noves going into this match seems to have been for France to batter Ireland physically, and that is exactly what they did. Guirado was a prominent figure in that regard, tackling like a tank all day long. Noves seems to have made a wise choice in his captain, as Guirado’s form continues to improve.

3. WP Nel:
Once again the Scottish prop was a rock for his side, who have struggled to carry their World Cup form into the 6 Nations. Nel has taken Scotland’s biggest weakness (the scrum) from last seasons tournament, and turned it into a viable platform that they can use to release the likes of Finn Russell, Mark Bennett and Stuart Hogg.

4. Alun Wyn Jones:
Wales were looking to resurrect their campaign after the draw with Ireland, and as ever, the man to step up and carry the mantle was Alun Wyn Jones. Jones was constantly working for Wales, in addition to remaining one of their best targets at lineout time. His physicality seemed to have a major impact on the Scots, while certainly rallying his teammates.

5. George Kruis:
The young Saracens lock has enjoyed two weeks in a row on this list, and once again he performed admirably. He may not have shone with ball in hand, but he was phenomenal at lineout time, and his 13 tackles attest to his high work rate. Kruis and Itoje may be the second row pairing to look out for under Eddie Jones.

6. CJ Stander:
In a miserable day for Ireland, Stander stood out. His 19 carries and 15 tackles show just how hard the Munster No.8 worked in his second Ireland cap. John Barclay of Scotland is certainly worth mentioning, as both he and Stander fought to the very end, and continue to make big impacts for their sides. Stander will be a great leader for Ireland going forward, as he appears to be a Jamie Heaslip 2.0.

7. Yacuba Camera:
I feel I have to mention Tommy O’Donnell, who made an immense 20 tackles coming on for an injured Sean O’Brien, as well as Scotland’s John Barclay, but it is Camera who gets the nod here. The 21 year old flanker showed his power and pace as he went to battle with the Irish pack. All the hype surrounding the young man seems to be well justified given his performance.

8. Billy Vunipola:
Good though Damien Chouly was, Vunipola was simply better. He made 10 tackles, carried 19 times for 62 meters, and offloaded twice, causing major problems for an Italian side that struggled mightily. The calls for Ben Morgan to start over him will probably remain, but Vunipola’s form trumps any argument.

9. Gareth Davies:
The Welsh scrumhalf was an electric attacking presence for Warren Gatland’s side, making 59 meters with ball in hand and scoring a try. His service was quick and efficient allowing Dan Biggar and Rhys Priestland to pull the strings for Wales, and kept his side on the front foot for much of the match.

10. George Ford:
Ford was masterful at 10 for England, pulling the strings as Jonathan Joseph cruised to a hat trick in Rome. The Ford Farrell pairing seems to be clicking along nicely, as Farrell helped Ford to score a brilliant try, but it was Ford’s excellent play from 10 that kept England moving forward and at pace.

11. Anthony Watson:
We were tempted to go with Thom James for his contribution for Wales, but Watson gets the nod for us in the end. His pace, vision, and agility were on display on Sunday for England. He made 79 meters with ball in hand, and showed no hesitation to get himself involved throughout the match.

12. Jamie Roberts:
The Wales inside center was phenomenal again. Statistically he might not have been the most notable player on the weekend, (Robbie Henshaw, Duncan Taylor, Jonathan Danty, and Owen Farrell were all statistically better) but once again Roberts was at the heart of everything for Wales as he continues to plow on towards a Lions spot in 2017. At 29, Roberts is showing no signs of slowing down, which will warm Warren Gatland’s heart.

13. Jonathan Joseph:
Really never any questions here. Joseph’s hattrick was just the tip of the iceberg in what was a simply outstanding performance. Joseph made 75 meters and 2 clean breaks as he lead England to their dominant performance. If Joseph can carry that form into England’s match against Ireland we could see the talk of an England grand slam get very serious.

14. George North:
The massive winger wasted no time reminding us all of his talents when in form, scoring a brilliant try for his side. After being effectively silenced a week ago, North was full of hunger on Saturday, running for 99 meters, 3 clean breaks, and an outstanding 8 defenders beaten. Hopefully this is a sign that North has fully rediscovered his best form for Wales.

15. Maxime Medard:
The French wolverine is back, with Medard crushing Irish dreams with a late score. Ireland struggled to stop the electrifying fullback all day long, as Medard cruised to 87 meters while beating 4 defenders. The return of Medard at fullback is a clear sign of the style of play Guy Noves is looking to instill, and that can only be a good thing.