Six Nations Team of the Week: Scotland and France dominate with ELEVEN inclusions while ‘standout’ Italian star joins forward duo
France wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey makes our Six Nations Team of the Week.
With Scotland and Ireland having returned to winning ways, and France turning Cardiff into a suburb of Paris, here’s our Six Nations Team of the Week.
Backs
15 Thomas Ramos (France): Yet another remarkable performance from one of the most gifted players on earth. His interplay and transition work with his back three colleagues was the platform that destroyed Wales. His work in attack was instrumental in getting the ball to the wings, helping stretch the Welsh defence. Ireland’s Jamie Osborne also delivered an impressive showing, grabbing a try and making a critical score-saving tackle as Ireland saw off Italy.
14 Kyle Steyn (Scotland): The first of a couple of near-impossible selections, as the Scottish wing sneaks in ahead of France’s Theo Attissogbe. Steyn’s aerial dominance was a key feature of the Scottish win, running 73 metres and beating six Englishmen in a rounded display. Attissogbe was phenomenal at times, and his try down the left flank when he exchanged passes with Louis Bielle-Biarrey was breathtaking, but the magnitude of the Murrayfield result sees Steyn take the slot. Ireland’s Robert Baloucoune also impressed, crossing for a vital try.
13 Huw Jones (Scotland): The Glasgow Warriors centre delivered once more in the Calcutta Cup as he exposed England’s defence on several occasions in another high-quality outing. His try under the sticks following George Ford’s drop goal charge-down really hammered the nail into the coffin just as England looked to be scraping their way back into the match. Other honourable mentions include Ireland’s Garry Ringrose, who spent 10 minutes at scrum half, but looked back to his best when at centre, whilst France’s Emilien Gailleton showed his class, scoring in Cardiff.
12 Fabien Brau-Boirie (France): Another impossible choice as Stuart McCloskey was absolutely outstanding for Ireland, his star moment featuring a classy basketball offload, but Brau-Boirie topped almost every metric in Cardiff, running 74 metres, beating eight defenders, making 17 tackles and scoring a try on debut. People say he’s the new Yannick Jauzion, and on Sunday’s evidence, we can see why.
11 Louis Bielle-Biarrey (France): Bielle-Biarrey’s residence on the left wing in our team of the week selections is beginning to rival The Eagles’ 204 shows at the Sphere in Las Vegas. The UBB flyer was exquisite, showing a complete skill set on both sides of the ball. Elsewhere, Ireland needed James Lowe back to his very best, and the Lions wing changed the Irish picture under the high ball in an emphatic return to Test rugby.
10 Finn Russell (Scotland): Do you pick France’s Matthieu Jalibert, who conducted a symphony of attacking ambition in Cardiff, or the brilliant Russell, who once again put the Auld Enemy to the sword? The simple truth is, the standard of opposition was poles apart, and on that basis, this one falls with Finn.
9 Ben White (Scotland): Rinse and repeat the discussion on Russell and Jalibert. Antoine Dupont is back, that’s a given, but White’s improvement and his pinpoint boxkicking make him absolutely impossible to leave out. A classy display. A word too for Baptiste Serin; it’s hard to improve upon the perfection of Dupont, but Serin tore Wales apart in the latter stages in Cardiff.
Forwards
8 Jack Conan (Ireland): Conan’s close-quarter power and nose for the line were big features of the Irish collision game, and the big man grabbed an important try in a match that Ireland were perhaps fortunate to win. Coming up the rear, Jack Dempsey also put in a big shift for the Scots, whilst England’s Ben Earl was one of the few English players to come out of Murrayfield with his reputation intact after a round topping 23 carries.
Scotland v England: Winners and losers as Calcutta Cup win ‘saves Gregor Townsend’s skin’ once again
7 Manuel Zuliani (Italy): The Azzurri may be frustrated at falling off the pace in Dublin, but the mammoth flanker was a thorn in the Irish side all afternoon, winning five turnovers, making 16 tackles and enhancing his reputation further. Rory Darge shone in the breakdown for Scotland, whilst both Caelan Doris and Oscar Jegou both walked off in credit for Ireland and France, respectively. Alex Mann deserves a mention for his never-say-die attitude as he carried his heart out 11 times for Wales.
6 Jamie Ritchie (Scotland): A little harsh on France’s Francois Cros, who was his usual immaculate ruck-clearing tackling self in Cardiff, but Ritchie’s emotional impact wins him the shirt. He epitomised the Scottish effort, and it was sad to see him hobble off with what appears to be a serious knee injury. In Cardiff, Aaron Wainwright was the best Welsh performer and never gave up, smashing into the blue wall all afternoon.
5 Mickael Guillard (France): Another monumental performance from France’s rising superstar. He was as ferocious as he was intelligent, using his giant frame to open up space around him for the attacking French talents to exploit. Up at Murrayfield, both Scott Cummings and Ollie Chessum acquitted themselves well in a superb individual battle, whilst Italy’s Andrea Zambonin continued his impact on the tournament.
4 Charles Ollivon (France): A towering performance from Le Grand Charles on his 50th cap as he scored his 19th Test try to maintain a strike rate better than that of most backs. He’s our player of the round as he simply owned Cardiff in a brilliant all-round outing, enjoying life as a lock before spending the second half in the back-row. Elsewhere, Ireland’s Joe McCarthy delivered a physical performance that was much needed in Dublin, and Gregor Brown stood proud as his brave Scots sent England home with their tails between their legs.
3 Simone Ferrari (Italy): The standout prop of this year’s tournament so far, and he toasted the Irish front-row all afternoon without getting the result his efforts deserved. Another star on the losing side, England’s Joe Heyes continued his improvement and shone in both the loose and the tight.
2 Julien Marchand (France): Like Ollivon, he celebrated his 50th cap with a typically rumbling try from close range. And when he finished his shift, Maxime Lamothe continued where Marchand had left off. Italy’s Giacomo Nicotera also delivered another solid display, whilst Dewi Lake couldn’t have done more for his Welsh team, and his tearful rendition of Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau demonstrated exactly what playing for his country means to him.
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1 Danilo Fischetti (Italy): Another losing prop, but he won his battle up front and then some. Nine carries and 12 tackles equal a great return for the pocket-sized loosehead, and he takes the selection from England’s Ellis Genge, who left Murrayfield with his scrummaging reputation intact, even if he’ll have nightmares about his fumble that led to a Scottish try. Jean-Baptiste Gros completes our nominations as he was powerful in the loose for France, but perhaps needs to offer more in the tight.