15. Stuart Hogg (Scotland)
Hogg narrowly edges out opposite man Leigh Halfpenny, after another showing which confirmed he is back to his breathtaking best. There are few more dangerous broken field runners around at the moment, and he showed all of his bags of pace to race away for what looked, at the time, a crucial try.
14. Jonathan Joseph (England)
Move out to the wing after Mike Brown’s early injury, but he still popped up inside the outside man for both of his superbly taken tries. The first one was a feat of genuine individual brilliance, leaving Haimona clutching at thin air before ghosting past a couple of would be defenders to the line.
13. Luca Morisi (Italy)
Looked on a different level to everyone else in an Italian shirt on Saturday. Spotted a big dogleg and exploited it brilliantly for his first try, and swotted away the admittedly weak effort at a tackle from Jonny May for his second, to score when he had no right to. Can he back it up for the rest of the championship?
12. Jamie Roberts (Wales)
Once again, it wasn’t a hugely prolific weekend for inside centres in the Six Nations. Roberts wasn’t especially eye-catching, and yet he was quietly effective in bringing those around him into space and worrying defenders by running committed dummy lines.
11. Liam Williams (Wales)
Whether George North returns for the next game or not, Williams will surely not be the man to lose his place. It was a typically abrasive performance from the fullback-come-winger, who made comfortably the most metres of anyone on his side, and also finished with three clean linebreaks.
10. Johnny Sexton (Ireland)
Sexton might have been out for some time with concussion issues, but you couldn’t tell from the way he threw himself around the park (often worryingly – the head clash with Bastareaud was sickening). Still, it was a hugely committed performance from Sexton, whose kicking, both tactically and at the poles, was also exemplary.
9. Ben Youngs (England)
Youngs showed superb presence of mind to dart over for a try from a quick tap penalty in the second half, when all around him had hands on hips awaiting another scrum. It was typical of his confidence at the moment, and he continues to threaten fringe defences with his bursts from the base of rucks.
1. Joe Marler (England)
Gethin Jenkins is hugely unlucky to miss out after answering all of his critics at Murrayfield, but Marler’s insanely powerful showing was simply a cut above. Whether it was at the set piece, against a scrummager as accomplished as Martin Castrogiovanni, or in the loose where he made plenty of tackles; whatever he hit, it went backwards.
2. Ross Ford (Scotland)
There was very little to shout about for hookers this weekend. Ford makes the team by virtue of always being a willing carrier of ball, although he didn’t always go forwards. The Scottish lineout was also steady, for the most part, and he didn’t miss any tackles.
3. Uini Atonio (France)
The introduction of France’s reserve front row threatend to take the game away from Ireland as the visitors finished comfortably the stronger. Jack McGrath felt the full effect of all 24 of Atonio’s stones as he gave the Leinster loosehead a torrid time at the scrum.
4. Alun-Wyn Jones (Wales)
If Jones looked weary against England, he had rediscovered his appetite for work by the time he stepped out onto the Murrayfield pitch. The Wales stalwart was everywhere for his side, winning loads of line-out ball and always offering himself as, more often than not, an effective carrier.
5. Yoann Maestri (France)
Another powerful performance from the giant lock, who is starting to prove that he can be consistently rather than sporadically excellent in a France shirt. He was easily the best player on his side on Saturday, and made a whopping 15 tackles without missing any.
6. Peter O’Mahony (Ireland)
There was more evidence this weekend of the brilliant breakdown work that won him so many plaudits during the Championship last year. It was generally an unfussy performance from O’Mahony, who negated any influence Dusautoir and Le Roux hoped to have at the contact area. Not necessarily an eye-catching performance, but in the same unit as Heaslip and O’Brien, someone has to do the gritty stuff.
7. Chris Robshaw (England)
Another week, another massively industrious performance from the England captain. He ended the game with 19 tackles this week, making him once again the top defender from across the weekend. He is beginning to look exactly like the leader England need him to be in a Rugby World Cup year.
8. Billy Vunipola (England)
Vunipola was markedly improved from last week, both in the way that he varied his game more (he only carried twice more than he passed) and in the efficacy of his ball-carrying. He provided front foot ball time and again which gave the English backs the platform from which to excel.
By Jamie Hosie
Follow Jamie on Twitter: @jhosie43
Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images
14 replies on “Six Nations 2015 Round 2: Team of the Week”
Alex Dunbar is very unlucky to miss out. Really starting to look like a top class centre in attack and his work at the breakdown is outstanding.
Disagree on 12. Not necessarily picking Roberts is wrong, more that statement that is wasn’t a good weekend for those in the 12 shirt. Dunbar was absolutely outstanding, Roberts too was good and Twelvetrees has a very good game as well. Dunbar would walk in for me.
For me Hogg was also in a completely different league to Halfpenny on Sunday so I’m struggling to see how that was a difficult choice. What a player he is with ball in hand, just seems to ghost through gaps!
I agree with you about Hogg and Dunbar. Particularly Dunbar, who I thought was excellent in attack and defence.
However, going to have to disagree with you again – this time about 12T. A couple of decent passes which is nothing more than the basics to be expected at this level. However he missed 30% of his tackles and off 8 carries made just 6 metres.
So, from the Wales game we have seen that 12T can tackle and from the Italy game we’ve seen that he can pass, perhaps we need the next game to see that he can make yards with the ball and then after that perhaps he’ll put it all three together in the same game and never look back! At least I hope he does
Disagree on 12T’s – his tackling is definitely a worry, but I don’t think looking at his meters made stats are fair. We know 12T’s isn’t that type of centre. I thought his distribution was top notch and it worked really well when he stepped in at first receiver. Analysing his meters made stats seems crazy to me though, he’s never claimed to offer that.
His tackling stats worry me though, and this isn’t the first time. Thought the option of his at first receiver worked really well though, and whilst there were a couple stand out passes that you mentioned, the rest of his distribution was very good as well. That’s what he offers from 12 so that is what I’d judge him on.
I don’t think its too much of an ask that an inside centre carries the ball!
Saying ‘he doesn’t offer that’ is no excuse as he should offer that. I’m not saying that he needs to be making 50m breaks every game but he needs to be a viable option – otherwise its far too predictable
He’s a big lad as well – there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be carrying the ball more, getting over the gainline, giving the forwards a target to generate quick ruck ball and freeing up space elsewhere
What were the stand out passes by the way – I’m sure I’ve just forgotten them but I cannot think of anything overly spectacular
There was a nice miss pass to set May off in the first half that stands out in my mind… can’t say I remember many more off the top of my head.
It’d be great if he offered more, but he doesn’t. He had Burrell outside who should have been offering that go forward ball. I’d never start questioning Roberts for his lack of passing game or not coming in at first receiver and throwing miss passes – that isn’t his game.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful is a 12 came along that offered the perfect mix between a 12T or Roberts type option – unfortunately they’re quite rare! Toomua is probably quite close actually!
But although Roberts may be a bit one dimensional, he does that dimension exceptionally well consistently. Other than that, he does also offer good off-loads from time to time and generally very solid defence
12T offers decent passing most of the time with the occasional great pass, generally poor defence and not much with the ball in hand. He doesn’t do any of these things exceptionally well
I’m not suggesting that 12T slam through defenders like Roberts or offer fast feet and thought like Eastmond, just that a bloke who is 6ft 4 and weighs 16 and a half stone who plays rugby at the very top level, should be able to carry the ball a bit!
You are right that someone that does all three things very well is relatviely rare. Slade could offer it and hopefully we’ll see that over the nexct few years
I didn’t say 12T regularly offers a great passing game – simply assessed his performance against Italy; where I felt he did offer that.
As I said, it’d be great if 12T could carry better, and it’d also be great if he could pass the ball and act as a second receiver consistently – he unfortunately hasn’t managed to do that.
Dunbar over Roberts for me but otherwise spot on. I didn’t think Jenkins had a good game though. He seemed average at best to me
Not sure about Billy V. Yes, in the second half he showed up well but for the first 40 he looked like he was on holiday. No urgency,no dynamism,not much momentum. Parisse made him look like he was going backwards.
I like Vunipola. When he IS on his game he is a beast,but he has to be at it from the first whistle,not forty minutes to warm up and get his head right. Perhaps it’s a confidence thing. If so SL has to take him to one side and get him in the zone because if he can become an 80 minute player on a consistent basis he will become world class.
C’mon Big Billy!
I think what Billy V has added to his game a lot the last year or so is his work rate. An 8, no matter who you are, can not constantly be dynamic, making breaks, offloading etc etc. Previously when that wasn’t happening for Billy V he did become completely anonymous. He now offers real work rate at the ruck and makes a lot of tackles. That combined with his x-factor carrying game means he is extremely dangerous and very useful.
Coupled with the fact he’s had Haskell (someone he played with quite a bit at club level) playing exceptionally at 6, compared to Wood, who was been largely anonymous in the ball carrying stakes in the AI’s.
jury is still out on the England Midfield,
another 6N another solution to the problem. JJ looks the business but it is still the inside slot where we have a real issue. Ford has helped a lot as he plays flat he facilitates that position a lot more than Farrell did.
Burrell is not an inside center in my book although I like him at outside. I still think England should have developed Manu into an inside center although time has run out on that one, people say he cannot pass the ball well enough but look at the other options they all have their weaknesses. If people really believe that Burgees is an option at inside center then surely Manu can play there as well. At least he knows how to play union.
Interesting given he plays almost all of his rugy at inside centre…
Interesting point is that Ma’a Nonu was not much of a passer when he started playing 12 fro NZ. it is a part of his game he has really developed, along with his kicking. No time for Manu to develop it this year, but one for the future.