Six Nations Team of the Week: Scotland and Ireland dominate again after outstanding wins in Round Two
Now that the dust has settled on an epic Round Two of the Six Nations, we have gone through the action to pick the best players from the weekend.
Scotland again has the most representatives after a stunning win against Wales to claim the Doddie Weir Cup, whilst Ireland is also well accounted for after a massive win against France.
Six Nations Team of the Week
15 Hugo Keenan (Ireland): Another huge weekend for Keenan as he finished a brilliant attacking move by Ireland and bossed the back all afternoon. Also, again, Ange Capuozzo shone for the Azzurri, whilst Blair Kinghorn coming on early as a replacement underlined his versatility.
14 Kyle Steyn (Scotland): Two tries and a spirited display from the Scot gets him the nod on the right wing, with France’s Damian Penaud and Ireland’s Mack Hansen also impressing.
13 Garry Ringrose (Ireland): A tough choice at outside centre with Scotland’s Huw Jones and Italy’s Juan Ignacio Brex both in great running form, but Ringrose is arguably the form centre in the world at this moment in time.
12 Ollie Lawrence (England): Inside centre has been a huge problem position for England in recent times, and in Lawrence, they might just have found the solution. He gets the nod despite strong showings from Scotland’s Sione Tuipolotu and Ireland’s Stuart McCloskey, who again was outstanding in the absence of Robbie Henshaw.
11 Duhan van der Merwe (Scotland): Another huge game from a huge man; he is the fulcrum of Scotland’s resurgence and was in dazzling form once more. Ireland’s superb James Lowe and off the bench, England’s Henry Arundell both deserve a shout-out for impressive performances.
10 Finn Russell (Scotland): Again, an incredibly hard choice as Johnny Sexton was magnificent for Ireland, but Russell’s passing and impish cheek were a delight to watch. Owen Farrell may still be too conservative for some, but he certainly gave England focus against Italy.
🧙♂️ A mesmeric performance from Finn Russell.#GuinnessSixNations #SCOvWAL pic.twitter.com/4PLNo4y6pq
— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) February 11, 2023
9 Antoine Dupont (France): At times, it seemed like Dupont v Ireland in Dublin – his strength in tackle and power in carry are astonishing for such a small man. Conor Murray’s experience couldn’t be illustrated better than his calm head for Ireland under pressure, whilst Scotland’s Ben White again showed his value to Scotland’s form in Murrayfield.
8 Caelan Doris (Ireland): Our Player of the Week as Doris completely eclipsed everyone on the pitch in a brilliant display. Scotland’s Matt Fagerson was quietly instrumental in his team’s win, whilst Wales’ Jac Morgan ran the tank dry in Wales’ defeat.
7 Jack Willis (England): England have missed the Toulouse star for two long years, and he returned in typical style with an all-action try-scoring display at Twickenham. Josh van der Flier always seems to achieve excellence as a default performance minimum these days, whilst Luke Crosbie again put in the graft for Scotland.
🏴 Outstanding comeback performance from Jack Willis. #ENGvITApic.twitter.com/Ns1wJ5WqCQ
— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) February 12, 2023
6 Jamie Ritchie (Scotland): His last-minute jackal to hold Wales out showed just how much of a leader the young Scot has become and deservedly hoisted the Doddie Weir Cup into the sky for the first time. England’s Lewis Ludlam again enhanced his reputation with a formidable showing of carry and catch, whilst Anthony Jelonch was easily France’s best forward in Dublin against an equally impressive Peter O’Mahony. Meanwhile, for the Azzurri, Seb Negri was outstanding and put in one of his best performances at Test level.
5 James Ryan (Ireland): A massive shift from a massive man up against a superb French lineout, Ryan’s presence was vital for Ireland. Scotland’s Grant Gilchrist was splendid at the coal-face against Wales, and England’s Ollie Chessum was a tower of power as he nipped over for his first Test try against Italy.
4 Richie Gray (Scotland): The veteran lock is having a renaissance in the engine room for Scotland, and he takes the shirt from Ireland’s Tadhg Beirne, who looks to have picked up a nasty injury and an improved Maro Itoje for England.
3 Finlay Bealham (Ireland): Absolutely massive for Ireland as he left everyone gasping at the deftness of his passing to set up Keenan’s try. Zander Fagerson was also impressed on his return for Scotland, and England’s Kyle Sinckler looks back to his powerful best for the Red Rose.
2 George Turner (Scotland): Turner’s long extended throws were a crucial part of Scotland’s lineout strategy as they tore Wales apart in the set-piece, and he also nipped over for a try. England hooker Jamie George bumped and banged all afternoon for England, whilst Ireland’s Rob Herring did well for his team.
1 Andrew Porter (Ireland): A superb performance from big Leinsterman year saw him get the better of Uini Atonio yet still have the energy to fly over for a short-range try. Scotland’s Pierre Schoeman was in sparkling form running hard in Murrayfield, and at Twickenham, England’s Ellis Genge battered the Italian line with tireless carrying all day.
