Ahead of the Wales vs England game this weekend, who makes our combined XV of the two teams?
15. Leigh Halfpenny (Wales)
Mike Brown’s form is firmly stuck in a trough, and although Halfpenny doesn’t get himself onto the ball as often as some people would like, his metronomic boot more than makes up for it.
14. Anthony Watson (England)
Alex Cuthbert has been too busy throwing his toys out of the pram to be in anything approaching his best form, and while he does raise his game in a Wales shirt, Watson is an electric runner who has been beating defenders for fun in a Bath shirt this season.
13. Jonathan Davies (Wales)
One half of what is rapidly becoming one of the most settled midfield partnerships in world rugby. Hasn’t been tearing up trees in Clermont but, like so many others, he always looks 25% better in the red of Wales.
12. Jamie Roberts (Wales)
The hard-running centre’s obscenely good performance against Northampton was a glimpse of how good Roberts is when at the top of his game. Seems to be peaking at just the right time, and could be one of the players of this Six Nations.
11. George North (Wales)
The best finisher in the Northern Hemisphere, and right up there with the South’s best, too. Jonny May has potential but he’s nowhere near North’s level in the international arena yet.
10. George Ford (England)
Questions remain over his goal-kicking but one thing there is no doubt about is his attacking ability. With good acceleration and a jinking sidestep, he keeps defences far more worried than Dan Biggar ever will.
9. Rhys Webb (Wales)
His form in an Ospreys shirt this year has been nothing short of revelationary, so much so that former Gatland favourite Phillips isn’t even close to the starting shirt. Ben Youngs is never consistently as good as we know he could be.
1. Joe Marler (England)
Consistently excellent in the autumn for England, in both the set piece and loose. Jenkins could be given a tough ride in the scrums by Dan Cole.
2. Richard Hibbard (Wales)
Possibly the toughest call of the lot. If both are at their peak, Hartley is marginally the better player. Neither are, though, at the moment, and throw in Hartley’s disciplinary discretions and Hibbard edges it.
3. Samson Lee (Wales)
So good and yet still so young. Took many plaudits over the autumn for his scrummaging and rightly so; if he can add to his work in the loose, he will be one of the game’s greats. Speaking of, he beats out the returning Dan Cole, who needs to prove his fitness.
4. Dave Attwood (England)
Attwood has always been a brutally powerful unit, but this year has added a dynamism and dexterity to his game which came to the fore in the autumn. Jake Ball is hugely unlucky to miss out.
5. Alun-Wyn Jones (Wales)
You can’t make this team without having probably the most passionate man in world rugby. Lives and breathes the red of Wales and never gives anything less than his all. Blows rookie George Kruis out of the water.
6. James Haskell (England)
Dan Lydiate has upped his game in an Ospreys shirt since moving back to Wales, but Haskell has been a revelation in an all-conquering Wasps back row. The question now is: can he translate that form into an England shirt?
7. Sam Warburton (Wales)
The dual contract is clearly working for him, as he looks fresh. He was instrumental in that win over the Springboks in the autumn, and you could almost hear the entire nation breathe a sigh of relief. Edges out fellow captain Robshaw, who once again epitomised consistency in the autumn.
8. Billy Vunipola (England)
A tough one, as Vunipola wasn’t great for England in the autumn – but his travails weren’t helped by the failure of anyone else in a white shirt to carry effectively. Faletau plays a different role for Wales, more of a link-man, and it’s immensely difficult to separate the two. When Vunipola gets it right, he is the more destructive.
Final count: Wales 9, England 6.
N.B. this is a composite team of the two starting line-ups, any injured/non-selected players weren’t considered.
By Jamie Hosie
Follow Jamie on Twitter: @jhosie43
Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images
8 replies on “Six Nations 2015: Combined Wales/England XV”
Takes me back to the days when this combined side would play one from Scotland and Ireland. The only English back who could get in on merit was ‘Dai’ Duckham!
You’re really looking to stir up a debate here!
I’d go: Marler, Hartley, Cole, AWJ, Attwood, Haskell, Warburton, Vunipola, Webb, Ford, North, Roberts, Davies, Watson, Halfpenny
So an 8 – 7 split in favour of England. Changed my mind several times between Lee and Cole though to the point where I almost sat on the fence. So essentially – I could have ended up with a 7.5-7.5 split!
Tomorrow night should be such a close fought contest!
No outrageous calls in there, though Hartley and Cole could easily be in, and if it’s on form (as it appears to be with Lee beating Cole) Joseph could be ahead of Davies. Wales have the proven internationals, whereas England are banking on some great club form translating to this level.
I like to think that after Fri night you’ll have to put Jake Ball in there. If he continues his rise in form and aggression he’s going to be one awesome second row.
If we were picking from squads I’d have Tips over Haskell and switch 6/7 positions. Arguments for Vuni are sound but they’d make me want to pick Fale. We (Wales) don’t necessarily want carries from the base of the scrum, we want that Martyn Williams style link to the halfbacks.
May over Watson, even if it is the wrong wing (I can never remember who is a left/right wing).
Could easily have the whole Welsh backline in, and I would, and in the forwards, only Haskell and Marler stand out. Attwood, Vunipola, Hartley and Cole are all close calls at their positions, so worst case scenario is a 13 – 2 split.
Brighty, it could all change after tomorrow night. Might be 15 Welsh players! Hoping it might edge in our favour though, but I have to admit that I have gone with Wales as 7 point favourites. My only consolation at this stage, is that we are expected to lose and if we do, we will regroup and wait for players to come back (as long as it isn’t another stuffing) but if Wales lose, where do you go from here. Everyone fit and at home?
Personally, would have Robshaw and Warburton and switch Robshaw to the blindside.
Robshaw is good at linking play and that then leaves room for a destructive carrier at 8 – Vunipola
Tipuric on the bench
And would have Burrell playing 13 outside Roberts.
Well I’d have the roof half open..on the Welsh half only
The stadium staff can then switch it after 40 mins.
Meanwhile for relaxation I’m going to read ‘Freedom Fighters: Wales’s Forgotten War 1963-1993’
I chuckled at that – prefer the droll Enoch to the ranting one! Wales do enter as clear favourites, and if I was SL I’d have kept the roof open, but been a bit more blunt about my reasons – it helps us more than having it closed!