Team of the Week: Six Nations, Round Two

Adam Kyriacou

With the dust having settled on Round Two of the Six Nations, we take a look back over the recent matches to select our Team of the Week.

There’s a healthy mix of players this week as Ireland, England and France all have four representatives while Italy boast three after impressing in defeat. Agree or disagree? Have your say in the comments section below.

Team of the Week: Six Nations, Round Two

15 Jayden Hayward (Italy): Given an opportunity in the starting XV and grabbed it with both hands. He’s never let Italy down and on Sunday against France the New Zealand-born full-back was a steady and confident figure at the back, setting up two tries and making over 100 metres with ball in hand. That was enough to edge Jordan Larmour to this jersey, with the Irishman excellent against Wales.

14 Jonny May (England): Firstly a mention for Ireland wing and coach’s dream, Andrew Conway, after another outstanding effort for his country, typified by hard work. Mattia Bellini also stood out for Italy in Paris with his try-scoring showing. However, in horrendous conditions at Murrayfield, May was brilliant as he bounced back from an early mistake to put in a superb wet-weather shift.

13 Robbie Henshaw (Ireland): While it was a day cut short by injury, Henshaw can be very proud of his efforts in Dublin. He got the Irish on the front foot, with his running game causing Wales real problems on Saturday. Nick Tompkins struggled defensively and Henshaw was a major reason why as Ireland turned the screw in the 13 channel. France’s Arthur Vincent also did well on his first start.

12 Bundee Aki (Ireland): Alongside Henshaw and in a fascinating clash with Hadleigh Parkes, Aki was also solid in the Irish midfield. Mentions go to Carlo Canna following his workmanlike performance for Italy while England’s Owen Farrell also did well in difficult conditions. However, we felt Aki just about deserved this shirt, which he has made his own for Ireland after another no frills showing.

11 Matteo Minozzi (Italy): It’s fantastic to see the Italian back to the form that saw him excel in the Six Nations two years ago. Minozzi has been hampered by injury since then but looks back to his best right now, with Sunday’s performance excellent news for the Azzurri. It is not just his speed and step but intelligence too as he creates space for others. Jacob Stockdale gets a worthy mention here.

10 Johnny Sexton (Ireland): France fly-half Romain Ntamack came close after showing flashes of brilliance against the Azzurri, but his uncharacteristic goal-kicking saw him fall down our pecking order. George Ford also stood out as a leader for the English but we plump for Sexton as he controlled a brutal clash with Wales. He never shirks the physical and it was a day for that in Dublin.

9 Antoine Dupont (France): A joy to watch once again. Early on against Italy the French forwards lived off their scrum-half’s quick thinking and darts and it was positive to see the pack also back themselves with offloads in close quarters. If Les Bleus are able to build on these passages they will be a genuine force. Dupont is the jewel in the crown though as he sees off Conor Murray with ease.

8 Gregory Alldritt (France): Ireland’s CJ Stander put in another excellent shift by constantly disrupting Welsh ball at the breakdown, but the Frenchman produced a superb all-round display against Italy. After impressing in Round One, Alldritt carried on his fine form by showing his vast array of skills. The La Rochelle number eight carried hard, running for 77 metres, and was a threat at the contact area, while he also made 14 tackles.

7 Sam Underhill (England): In a game which was suited to defence, the powerhouse Bath flanker unsurprisingly led from the front. Just like in the World Cup, Underhill displayed his outstanding ability to send ball carriers backwards, preventing the Scots from gaining any momentum. That tackling prowess helped the Red Rose control the first half when they were playing against the wind as they went into the interval 3-0 ahead. He edges out Wales’ Justin Tipuric, who was one of the few players to emerge with any credit from their display in Dublin.

6 Tom Curry (England): We have shifted the Sale Sharks player over to form the partnership which proved so effective at the World Cup after his much-improved effort on Saturday. Curry played well against Scotland despite the difficult conditions, but it was his core defensive skills which shone at Murrayfield. The back-row made nine tackles and slowed down Scottish ball at the breakdown, while he also secured a couple of vital turnovers, as he takes the position from Italy’s Jake Polledri.

5 Paul Willemse (France): When the South African-born second-row was handed his debut by Jacques Brunel last year he struggled, but the Montpellier man has been excellent over the opening couple of rounds. His set-piece work was sound but it was in the loose where the lock made the most impact by running for 33 metres in attack and a joint team-high 16 tackles in defence. As a result, he edged the duel with Niccolo Cannone, who will be a staple of that Italy pack over the next decade.

4 Dean Budd (Italy): There were some good performances from England’s Maro Itoje, whose defence and set-piece work shone, and Ireland’s Iain Henderson, but Budd stood out in a losing cause for the Azzurri after coming in as a late replacement for Alessandro Zanni. With ball in hand, the 33-year-old showed impressive athleticism to run for 38 metres, while he also worked at the set-piece and in defence, making 13 hits.

3 Tadhg Furlong (Ireland): The tighthead’s scrummaging isn’t back to its best quite quite yet, which is where England’s Kyle Sinckler impressed in the second half against Scotland, but the Leinsterman was powerful in the loose at the Aviva Stadium. Furlong touched down for his fifth Test try – and a fourth in his last eight international matches – as Ireland overcame Wales for their second win in the 2020 Six Nations.

2 Julien Marchand (France): Although the French miss Camille Chat’s explosiveness in the loose, Marchand has filled in nicely for the absent Racing 92 hooker. The 24-year-old was ubiquitous in the opening period and consistently got his team over the gain line. He was also solid in the set-piece and, as a result, gets into the XV ahead of Jamie George (England) and Rob Herring (Ireland).

1 Ellis Genge (England): Only played 23 minutes but once again made a significant impact as Eddie Jones’ men edged Scotland at Murrayfield. Although starting prop Mako Vunipola did some good work in the opening hour, Genge’s scrummaging prowess helped the Red Rose control the final quarter. He also touched down for the match-winning try as England secured a crucial victory in Edinburgh. Elsewhere, France’s Cyril Baille enjoyed a solid day at the office, holding up his side of the scrum and impressing in the loose.

 

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