Six Nations Team of the Week: France, Ireland and Italy all well-represented after impressive wins

Colin Newboult
Add as a preferred source on Google

Now that the dust has settled on the final round of the Six Nations, it is time to announce the Planet Rugby Six Nations Team of the Week.

Ireland lead the way after their dominant victory over Scotland with Italy and Grand Slam champions France just behind following wins over Wales and England respectively.

Team of the Week on Planet Rugby is sponsored by Sportsbreaks.com, the Official Travel Agent for Rugby World Cup 2023. Join them in France for an unforgettable tournament with England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales fixtures available, as well as knockout fixtures including the Rugby World Cup Final itself. Packages include an official match ticket and a minimum two nights hotel accommodation at a handpicked hotel.

Six Nations Team of the Week

15 Ange Capuozzo (Italy): Just when all seemed lost for Italy at the end of their previously winless 2022 Six Nations, their knight in white and blue armour saved the day. On the final passage of play in their clash with Wales, Capuozzo returned a kick from inside the Italian half down the wing past several would-be tacklers. He found himself just metres away from the try-line with one defender to beat, so he drew in the man to set up Edoardo Padovani for a walk-in. Paolo Garbisi’s conversion won the game 22-21, but it was Capuozzo’s audacious break that brought Italy back into the game in the closing moments. The full-back also used his agility and acceleration to save Italy from a sticky situation inside their in-goal area. For Ireland, Hugo Keenan was also outstanding in the 15 jersey during their convincing win over Scotland.

14 Freddie Steward (England): Following Max Malins’ omission from the England squad, regular full-back Steward was pushed out to the wing so that George Furbank could come into the squad at 15. In his unfavoured position, Steward’s high-ball ability was still on show and helped win the Red Rose some key aerial battles. The 6ft 5in Leicester Tigers player scored their only try of the day, further securing himself a place in the squad ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup. He gets in ahead of Scotland’s Darcy Graham, who was busy throughout.

13 Joe Marchant (England): The Harlequins star has gone under the radar this tournament, but he has been one of the Red Rose’s better players. Marchant was yet again excellent for England in their defeat to France. His overall class and quick bursts of pace provided the side’s attack with the spark they needed and he ran for 106 metres overall. Defensively, it was much of the same, with the centre living up to the reputation he has gained in the Premiership as one of the top defensive backs due to exceptional positioning, discipline and technique.

12 Gael Fickou (France): Fickou was phenomenal. The centre scored a try for the French and carried well all evening. Although he was great in attack, his defence was more notable. His tackling and work at the breakdown helped the French massively, providing two crucial turnovers to help suffocate England’s efforts. Despite playing at 13 during this tournament, he has played plenty at number 12 for France, especially when Virimi Vakatawa has been fit and firing, so we’ve moved him inside one to accommodate Marchant in our weekly line-up.

11 Monty Ioane (Italy): If we ignore how he ruined a try-scoring opportunity, Ioane had a fantastic game. The wing ran for a whopping 174 metres throughout the 80 minutes, breaking seven tackles along the way. He has emerged as a key player in Kieran Crowley’s squad and if he delivers more performances like the one he delivered on Saturday against Wales, more wins can be expected for the Azzurri. It was a good week for back three men with James Lowe, Gabin Villiere and Josh Adams also standing out for their respective nations on Saturday.

10 Johnny Sexton (Ireland): During the game in Paris, both Romain Ntamack and Marcus Smith had their moments, but for overall consistency and control of the match, Sexton takes it. The Irish back has enjoyed a superb tournament and once again dictated proceedings as the hosts dominated Scotland. He kicked well out of hand and off the tee, and created problems for the Scottish defence with ball in hand.

9 Antoine Dupont (France): This is tough on Ireland’s Jamison Gibson-Park, who ended an excellent Six Nations on a high note with another brilliant individual display, but Dupont was utterly majestic on Saturday. The scrum-half’s speed of thought and decision-making at the base of the ruck was exemplary, while he showed his try-scoring instincts to latch onto Gregory Alldritt’s off-load to touch down for the decisive try at the Stade de France. Dupont was also excellent defensive and ended as Les Bleus’ third top tackler. Just an incredible player.

8 Gregory Alldritt (France): Talking of incredible, Alldritt was similarly excellent for the French. He hasn’t been at his best for France over the past year, but he has re-found his form. Right from the first game, the number eight was outstanding and he continued in that vein throughout the competition, culminating in this fine effort. The La Rochelle back-row was simply outstanding against England in both attack and defence as Les Bleus deservedly claimed the Grand Slam.

7 Josh van der Flier (Ireland): A word for Italy’s Michele Lamaro who is a wonderful player and leader and has a Sergio Parisse-like effect on the team, but Van der Flier has operated at another level this year. The flanker was always a good link man and an absolute workhorse, but his efforts at the breakdown have improved while his ball-carrying is so much better. Van der Flier is not the biggest but he’s quick and has used that dynamism to great effect over the past two months.

6 Anthony Jelonch (France): Perhaps goes under the radar in the French back-row but he is crucial to the way they operate. His defensive efforts have been key and he regularly scythed down England carriers on Saturday, while he slows opposition ball effectively. Jelonch won one turnover at the contact area and was Les Bleus’ top tackler with 14. As a result, he sees off the challenge of Italy’s Giovanni Pettinelli and Ireland’s Caelan Doris.

5 Niccolo Cannone (Italy): The Azzurri’s forwards deserve plenty of credit for the foundation they laid for their backs in that memorable win in Cardiff and Cannone was one of his team’s unsung heroes after coming off the bench and delivering a superb performance. The Benetton man took the fight to his opponents with some strong carries but also did well on defence with 12 tackles made during a 32-minute stint on the field.

4 Tadhg Beirne (Ireland): The Munsterman has cemented his place in Ireland’s run-on side and was in the thick of the action as the Triple Crown winners took Scotland to the cleaners at the Aviva Stadium. Beirne impressed as a ball carrier and made a solid impact in that department as he finished with 40 metres gained from seven carries. Also impressed in the lineouts where he won five balls and made seven tackles. He comes in ahead of France’s Cameron Woki.

3 Tadhg Furlong (Ireland): After a rare quiet game in Ireland’s Round Four victory over England at Twickenham, Furlong was back to his usual high standards against Scotland on Saturday. The 29-year-old faced a tough adversary in Pierre Schoeman in the scrums but edged that battle with several impressive shoves in the set-piece and made his mark with ball in hand where he gained 20 metres from five runs. He was also prominent on defence where he made 11 hits and also won a crucial turnover.

2 Dan Sheehan (Ireland): The fifth Irishman in our pack, Sheehan might be a rookie at Test level but he played with the authority of a seasoned player against the Scots. The 23-year-old caught the eye with the excellent execution of his core duties, particularly his throw-ins to the lineouts which were accurate throughout a 62-minute stint on the field. Sheehan also made his mark on attack where he made 68 metres from 15 carries which included three broken tackles and a deserved try while he also impressed on defence with nine tackles made. Italy’s Giacomo Nicotera was next best.

1 Danilo Fischetti (Italy): There were several fine performances across the three matches played with Ellis Genge and Schoeman putting their hands up with fine showings in losing causes for England and Scotland respectively. We’ve settled on Fischetti, however, as he emptied the tank during a 69-minute shift for the Azzurri at the Principality Stadium. He stood up well in the scrums, was a willing ball carrier but also shone on defence with 11 tackles and won two crucial turnovers.

Sportsbreaks.com are delighted to be an Official Travel Agent for Rugby World Cup 2023. Join us in France for an unforgettable tournament with England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales fixtures available, as well as knockout fixtures including the Rugby World Cup Final itself. Packages include an official match ticket and a minimum two nights hotel accommodation at a handpicked hotel.

READ MORE: Five takeaways from the Championship as France live up to pre-tournament expectations

 

video thumbnail

Four Italians make team of week

Outstanding displays from Capuozzo, Fischetti and Ioane

England