Grand Slam winners Ireland dominate Will Greenwood’s Six Nations Team of the Tournament with eight players while no Englishman makes the cut after their highly disappointing fifth place finish…
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Will Greenwood revealed the players who have really caught his eye. Wales are the second-best represented nation in the former England centre’s team with three players with Scotland contributing two players and France and Italy having one player each in the XV.
Keith Earls, Jacob Stockdale, Jonathan Sexton, Cian Healy, Tadgh Furlong, James Ryan and CJ Stander- key figures in Ireland’s third ever Grand Slam, which they memorably sealed at Twickenham over the weekend, get the nod.
While for second-placed Wales, the cool and composed Hadleigh Parkes, skipper and talisman Alun Wyn Jones, and all action flanker Josh Navidi are all named by the 2003 World Cup winner.
Scotland who finished third have the outstanding Huw Jones and the dynamic Stuart McInally named in the XV. With the athletic Yacoub Camara and the dangerous Mateo Minozzi the French and Italian representatives.
The former Harlequins and Leicester back has chosen a formidable team which, on the whole, most fans and pundits would probably agree with.
With the only real areas of surprise being at full-back where Ireland’s Rob Kearney and Scotland’s Stuart Hogg were overlooked, inside-centre where the excellent Bundee Aki failed to earn selection and finally at hooker where French skipper Guilhem Guirado- who enjoyed another fine tournament- missed out on selection.
But the 45-year-old generally justifies his selections well and his team would take some stopping.
Here’s his XV:
15. Matteo Minozzi (Italy)
14. Keith Earls (Ireland)
13. Huw Jones (Scotland)
12. Hadleigh Parkes (Wales)
11. Jacob Stockdale (Ireland)
10. Jonathan Sexton (Ireland)
9. Conor Murray (Ireland)
1. Cian Healy (Ireland)
2. Stuart McInally (Scotland)
3. Tadgh Furlong (Ireland)
4. Alun Wyn Jones (Wales)
5. James Ryan (Ireland)
6.Yacoub Camara (France)
7. Josh Navidi (Wales)
8. CJ Stander (Ireland)
Read More About: 2018 Six Nations, alun wyn jones, cian healy, cj stander, conor murray, england rugby, Hadleigh Parkes, Huw Jones, ireland rugby, Italian Rugby, Jacob Stockdale, james ryan, jonathan sexton, Josh Navidi, Keith Earls, Matteo Minozzi, scotland rugby, stuart mcinally, tadgh furlong, wales rugby, will greenwood, Yacoub Camara
