21/03/2012
Now that the VI Nations is finished, MotivaGoal has selected the team of the tournament. Several players made their case to be included but only fifteen of them were lucky enough to be named. Half a dozen Welshmen, a trio of English, a couple of Irish, two French, one Scottish and a lone Italian shape our supersquad included below:
15. Leigh Halfpenny (Wales) – the most prolific point scorer of the competition. He is quick, elusive, strong and a good long distance kicker. You can ask Strettle about his defensive skills with that try-saving tackle at the last minute against England. He ousts Kearney who was in great form and showed composure under the high ball.
14. Tommy Bowe (Ireland) – leading try scorer with five, he always poses a threat when put in space with the oval in hand thanks to his speed and pace. Alex Cuthbert was unlucky not to be included in the lineup with some mixture of power and beautiful sidestepping that ended in three tries for his country.
13. Jonathan Davies (Wales) – two tries against Ireland were his total tally but his defensive skills and his brilliant ball carrying ability have turned him into an indisputable piece in the Welsh midfield.
12. Wesley Fofana (France) – The Clermont- Auvergne centre scored four tries in his four first matches. He is capable of running great angles in attack and everybody would like to know why the best inside centre of the competition was sent to play on the wing for the last match. We are all willing to see more of him in the near future.
11. George North (Wales) – McFadden is still sore after this big fellow ran over him during the first weekend. Only 19 years old, he is not a prospect any more but a reality. He scored only one try but his presence was always a risk for any defensive line. The winger is meant to be one of rugby biggest stars.
10. Owen Farrell (England) – started playing as inside centre and had to change to fly-half where he imposed himself with a fusion of composure and solidity. He showed he can be reliable kicking through the uprights. England has found the man to wear the number 10 in the coming years.
9. Mike Phillips (Wales) – did not have a tough competition here as no one actually stood out to claim the starting spot. He is sometimes criticized because of his decisions but usually delivers with his strength and physicality.
1. Gethin Jenkins (Wales) – showed his abilities come scrum time and overwhelmed as usual with his presence in the loose. He might be the most complete prop in Europe right now. Alex Corbisiero did not do bad either.
2. Rory Best (Ireland) – although he was part of the first row demolished by the English on St. Patrick’s Day he deserves the nomination as a starter for his solid performances, his two tries and his accurate throwing. During the tournament he became Ireland’s most capped hooker and deputized for the captaincy after injuries to both O’Driscoll and O’Connell.
3. Dan Cole (England) – At least one of the English props deserved to be included in this team because of the obliteration of the Irish first row. Tough decision anyway, as Adam Jones was ever present throughout the tournament.
4. Richie Gray (Scotland) – scored a great solo try against Ireland. Easy to spot on the pitch because of his huge frame and his long blonde hair, it is his effort at the line-outs and his colossal work rate in the loose which makes him a sure member of the Lions’ expedition to Australia next year.
5. Geoff Parling (England) – helped anchor the English line-out. At 28 it looks like he has found his way towards the test arena. He edges the fierce Paul O’Connell since the Irish could only play three games because of injury. The green pack looked vulnerable without him.
6. Dan Lydiate (Wales) – The best player of the tournament. He was on the field for four games, as he missed the first one by injury, and was named man of the match in two of them. A true defensive warrior.
7. Thierry Dusautoir (France) – the French captain always leads by example. Although the team effort was far from ideal, he played as consistent as ever. Topped the table of tacklers with 79! Chris Robshaw and Ross Rennie could both have been chosen for this spot too.
8. Sergio Parisse (Italy) – is the soul of Italy. His list of tasks in a match is endless: carrying the ball, helping in the line-outs, fighting for the possession in every ruck, tackling, tackling and tackling again. Mentions to Denton and Morgan, two newcomers to the competition, are due here.
Chito MuñizBBA Universidad de Cantabria
Carleton University Business Program
Redactor MotivaGoal
Twitter: @Chitomuniz
Twitter: @Chitomuniz
