Guinness Six Nations - Team of the Week - Round Three

After victories for France, Wales and Ireland, there is a strong focus on all three teams in Joe Harvey’s XV of the week as the Six Nations reaches the halfway point.

1. Dave Kilcoyne (Ireland) – Making only his first Six Nations start, Kilcoyne really grew into this game as he continued. At the age of 30, Kilcoyne dealt with the threat of Simone Ferrari well and even outlasted his front row opponent, playing for 62 minutes. Making 10 tackles too, Kilcoyne even managed to beat five Italian defenders.

2. Ken Owens (Wales) – Owens played for nearly the entirety of this game, which is of course a surprise for a front-row forward and he was one of Wales’ top performers on the night. Making 10 tackles, Owens’ darts at the lineouts were very good, barely giving England a sniff and, ultimately, was a major part in the Wales win.

3. Demba Bamba (France) – Fans first saw Bamba when he won the World U20s Championship during the summer. What is so impressive about the 20-year-old is that he doesn’t even play top flight rugby. In Pro D2, Bamba has stepped up to top flight international rugby with ease. Beating three defenders when carrying, the youngster even nullified the threat of the well-established Allan Dell at scrum time.

4. Alun Wyn Jones (Wales) – Aged 33, Alun Wyn Jones still isn’t showing any sign of slowing down in a Wales shirt as he captains his country to the World Cup. Making a dominant 16 tackles, the lock inspired the second half come back to beat an England side that many were expecting to blow the Welsh out of the water.

5. Ultan Dillane (Ireland) – A major part of the Irish comeback in the second half, Dillane made a monumental 20 tackles as Ireland had to fight back to beat Italy. Even having to take some time in the medical room after a cut, Dillane stepped up with James Ryan being rested for this game.

6. Wenceslas Lauret (France) – Playing the full game, Lauret made a whopping 22 tackles for his country as they picked up their first win in the championships. Added to this, Lauret consistently broke the gainline each time that he carried the ball.

7. Arthur Iturria (France) – Iturria, like Lauret, had a game to be remembered as well. The openside flanker also played the full 80 minutes for Jacques Brunel. Making 18 tackles of his own in this game, Iturria was mainly useful in defence for France as they finally showed some game management as they beat the Scots.

8. Ross Moriarty (Wales) – Moriarty came into this Six Nations Championship, not having played too much rugby due to concussion. Moriarty really made the hard yards in this one, carrying the ball on 20 occasions for Warren Gatland’s team. He may have only producing 35 meters, however, each one was hard fought and served a purpose.

9. Gareth Davies (Wales) – Since Rhys Webb’s departure for pasture’s new, Gareth Davies’ performances for Wales have been very consistent and Saturday was no different. Passing the ball on 100 occasions and putting the Welsh on the front foot and allowing for them to attack, he was excellent. Playing for 76 minutes, Davies was so consistent and virtually irreplaceable for Wales, a huge shout goes out to Italian Tito Tebaldi who misses out narrowly.

10. Romain Ntamack (France) – Going into this game, there was a lot of focus on this young man. Aged 19, Ntamack started at fly-half, a position that he rarely plays at club level, but he thrived. Displaying a good kicking game, the most surprising thing about his game, was that he made a monumental 20 tackles. Added to this a try, there will be more highlights to come.

11. Josh Adams (Wales) – Adams will forever be remembered in a Wales shirt, purely for his outrageous try against England. Acrobatically gathering the ball and dotting down over the line, Adams was a thorn in the side of England the entire game.

12. Hadleigh Parkes (Wales) – Recapturing the form of his last Six Nations campaign, Parkes was only outplayed by one man, Liam Williams. Carrying the ball so effectively, Parkes was simply magnificent in both attack and defence.

13. Gael Fickou (France) – Much like his fly-half, Fickou was surprisingly strong in his defence. Making a total of 15 tackles, Fickou linked up really well with the young Ntamack and was a very good ball carrying option for the French. Whilst many questioned whether he was a strong option at inside-centre, Fickou proved his doubters wrong.

14. Jayden Hayward (Italy) – When considering that Hayward is only Italy’s starting fullback due to injury to Matteo Minozzi, the New Zealand-born 32-year-old has really stepped up for Conor O’Shea. Carrying the ball for nearly 150 meters, Hayward beat six Irish defenders and was a major part of the Italians halftime lead.

15. Liam Williams (Wales) – Nicknamed the ‘bomb diffuser’ Williams dealt with England’s kicking game all by himself. Each time that Williams took the ball, he confounded the England defenders with his running. Rightfully awarded man of the match, Williams has certainly become Wales’ number one fullback.