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Heineken Cup: Team of Round Six

21st January 2013 12:12

Heineken XV of the week 6 2013

Top games: Healy and Paillaugue

Now that the dust has settled across Europe, Planet Rugby thought it was only right to hand out some praise to the stars of Heineken Cup, Round 6.

Without further ado, here comes our offering - be sure to send in your own 15-1 team selections.

Team of Round 6

15 Stuart Hogg (Glasgow) - While there was Clement Poitrenaud performing strongly in the snow - before rather strangely being substituted - we went for a Warrior for our first pick. Hogg carried for 115 metres and eight tackles in victory over Northampton and fully deserves this jersey.

14 Chris Ashton (Saracens) - A brace of tries against Edinburgh will give England winger Ashton a timely confidence boost in the run-up to next month's Six Nations. His first score showed a clever bit of communication with Owen Farrell, latching onto the fly-half's cross-field kick well.

13 Sireli Naqelevuki (Exeter Chiefs) - The imposing centre was often Exeter's go-to man as the Fijian force constantly barged his way through the middle - gaining 57 metres in total for his team. And when he wasn't tearing up Leinster's defence in the backs, Naqelevuki was a menace in the forward exchanges too - talk about multi-tasking! A solid effort overall, considering he was up against Gordon D'Arcy and Brian O'Driscoll who also deserves praise for a scoring a try and setting up another.

12 James Downey (Munster) - He is someone Northampton have missed since making the move across to Ireland. Downey's directness was evident on Sunday as Munster got over the advantage line, which allowed the likes of hat-trick hero Simon Zebo space to cut loose. Downey sees off Paddy Wallace, who was solid in Ulster's historic win in France.

11 Simon Zebo (Munster) - Count 'em... 1,2,3! Munster needed to win with a four-try bonus point to keep themselves alive and man-of-the-match Zebo provided three of them. He continues to go from strength to strength, and has become an expert finisher. If you need further proof, take a look at his second try that wrapped up the bonus point...pure class!

10 Nick Evans (Harlequins) - Once again he was instrumental in a Quins win with a great place-kicking display considering the conditions. But where Evans really made an impact was with his outstanding positional play. He always seemed in the right place at the right time in the prolonged game of aerial ping-ping with the Biarritz kickers. Sarries veteran Charlie Hodgson deserves a shout out for scoring one try and creating another.

9 Benoit Paillaugue (Montpellier) - In an inspired performance against Toulon, Paillaugue controlled the game brilliantly along with Francois Trinh-Duc, marshalling his pack and putting in plenty of troubling kicks for the opposition. His goal-kicking was also excellent.

8 Louis Picamoles (Toulouse) - Is there a better number eight in Europe at the moment? We don't think so. That fateful non-try (where he crossed but was unsighted to the TMO) seemed inevitable as soon as Toulouse were awarded a 5 metre scrum, such is the power of the man. He showed super hands to get the ball through a gaggle of defenders too - pity all those bodies were in the way of the cameras. A mention too for Ireland skipper Jamie Heaslip, who did get the ball down over the line and had a strong day with ball in hand.

7 Sean O'Brien (Leinster) - Exeter's pack was bullied off the pitch in their own backyard, and it was largely thanks to this man and Cian Healy (who we'll discuss a little later). O'Brien was Leinster's leading tackler (10), and put his pilfering skills at the breakdown to good use - turning over several balls for the visitors. Equally dangerous with ball in hand, Ireland's star flank made plenty of hard yards for Leinster too. A shame it was all in vain for his side.

6 Julian Bonnaire (Clermont) - It was touch and go whether both Clermont flanks would make our team but in the end we sided with Bonnaire over Alexandre Lapandry. While he is an openside that wears six (the French style), we had to get him in with 20 tackles made.

5 Mamuka Gorgodze (Montpellier) - The Georgian talisman was in good form against Toulon, making more tackles than anyone else on his side and punishing defenders when he was on the charge. Right at the core of this impressive Montpellier team, the reception he received when returning to the field underlined his importance to his club.

4 Geoff Parling (Leicester) - With lots of kicking going on at Welford Road the line-outs were always going to be crucial and Parling did a great job, claiming seven for Tigers and pinching one off Toulouse. Just as importantly, he put in another big shift in the engine room making 11 hits, more than anyone else on the park with the exception of Thomas Waldrom.

3 Matt Stevens (Saracens) - For the second successive Monday, Stevens makes our team of the round. The retired international once again performed strongly for Sarries and was rewarded for his efforts with a try. He will form a fine balancing act with James Johnston.

2 Agustín Creevy (Montpellier) - No hooker impressed more in Round 6 than Creevy, with his ball-carrying epitomising his side's power up front. His lineout work was also accurate, with Montpellier winning 15 out of 18 throw-ins. Gets the nod over Saracens' Schalk Brits.

1 Cian Healy (Leinster) - Backing up his aggressive 40 minutes against the Scarlets, Healy was effectively used like an NFL running back against Exeter. His productive outing yielded 11 carries and 38 metres made, whilst scrums on Leinster's feed were up a 100 percent.

Comments

QKRAM79 says...

Haha ...

Posted 20:43 24th January 2013

Norm says...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conor_O'Shea

Sorry Sincero he wasnt born in Kerry although his dad play for the kingdom. Turns out he was born in Limerick. Thats better isn't it?

Posted 18:22 24th January 2013

Norm says...

Actually Sincero O'Shea is from Kerry, his dad was an all ireland medal winner from the kingdom

Stop making a prat of your self

Posted 18:18 24th January 2013

qkram79 says...

@Sincero .... seriously mate if you're going to call someone illiterate, monosyllabic or a knuckle-dragger will you at least use a spell checker ... if you don't, the point you are trying to make might disappearer along with the banter.

Posted 17:30 22nd January 2013

Sincero says...

Wowzers... played rugby... not like anyone else. Well done! Of course, your monosyllabic ramblings express I think some objection to what I've posted. Anything in particular? Any cogent argument? No? Just idiotic insults? Fair enough... that's the Munster honourable way.

Out from the sewers you crawl to gloat... it's been a few years... let's just say you don't endear yourselves to anyone who knows you.

I used to support Munster as an Irish team, but after the general populace of knuckle-draggers discovered rugby c.2008, the banter disappearer, the insults flew, the silence in Thomond just endless morons shouting insults... let's say you lost any respect, and the decent core of Munster support, now massively out-numbered, lost control of the ship. You illustrate just how that has happened.

If you had any decency about you you'd concern yourself with reeling in the gloaters on these forums. Instead, you decide to have a go at me because I point out making a sudden fuss over Downey and Zebo based on that joke match is perhaps a tad premature? Well done, genius.

Posted 15:15 22nd January 2013

carpelone says...

I can not comment on this team as I did not see all the games.

But yes, Montpol 9 was immense, although Toulon were not playing at his best.

A question to all Munster's fans. What's wrong with your scrum-halves, they are all dirty, coward prats.

Players like Murray (by the way, the slowest SH in business) will eventually get sorted out.

Posted 11:18 22nd January 2013

QKRAM79 says...

@Sincero. I've supported Leinster as my second team for years but listening to the crap that you and your mates have been spouting on here for the last while has totally changed my outlook. For your information I've actually played rugby in Dublin for the last 11 years.

Posted 10:06 22nd January 2013

Sincero says...

Qkram79 says...

'Sicero you're a sad little clown aren't you. I suppose you've booked your tickets for London in the Amlin like a proper die hard Leinster fan ... Oh I didn't think so.'

Actually, I'm sorting that trip this week. See you there, you illiterate gobshite? No idea who you are, but I can estimate. Crawled out from under your rock? Discover rugby circa 2008 like 90% of Thomond ticket buyers? Please enjoy your thrashing from Conor's lads. He's a Dub, by the way.

Posted 04:44 22nd January 2013

daveyboyo says...

@ NHSaints, Bowe is out for the 6Nations. Tore lateral ligaments in his knee a few weeks back... Hopefully the back three will be 15 Kearney 14 Gilroy 11 Zebo

Posted 00:31 22nd January 2013

KiwiRooster says...

Tough ask for Philippe Saint-André to chose between Machenaud, Parra and Paillaugue at number 9 now. As far as I can tell, Machenaud remains a certain first choice. But if PSA really wants to keep Trinh-Duc at number 10, he will have little choice but to sacrifice Parra given their inadequacy. Trinh-Duc needs a 9 capable of launching him on a fast track. Paillaugue did that so brilliantly against Toulon.

Ireland backs are going to rip through defences me say. May none of these guys get injured from now until the start of the 6 Nations. Fingers crossed.

Hopefully the weather will allow a more running type of game than in Leicester (although Toulouse tried their best to keep us entertained) by early february.

Posted 23:43 21st January 2013

lawynd says...

What international career, Isograford? Perenially playing second-fiddle to Carter is preferable to actually winning things as the main-man, is it? And he was unlikely to ever win anything with the Blues or Highlanders either.

Posted 22:50 21st January 2013

Stag says...

Murray was like mike Philips in his pomp. Never took a backward step.

Posted 22:32 21st January 2013

ArmchairGeneral says...

@backingLeinster: ah that will be it. And i was so smug about that observation! You must be educated... bet you're a Quinns fan really... deep down.

Posted 20:28 21st January 2013

NHsaints says...

Chris Henry deserves a spot in the Ireland squad at least on the bench if not starting games. Zebo was again pretty good but he still vanishes on the back foot which is why I think Bowe and Gilroy should be the starting wings for Ireland this 6 nations (if not Gilroy then Fitzgerald). Downey surely now deserves a shot in the Ireland 12 jersey, he's deserved it for the last 3 years playing for Northampton and now he's home he's shown again that he's 20 times better than D'arcy. In fact...look at this from a tactical point of view...O'Driscoll used to shine in the Ireland 13 shirt when D'arcy fixed defenders because they knew he could beat them one on one, and so gave BOD the outside of his man or a one on one. Now though even if there's a prop defending the 12 channel he knows he can take D'arcy and win so BOD becomes the only real target...get Downey in there and he'll not just be fixing a man but he'll be drawing in others as well.

Posted 19:54 21st January 2013

lawynd says...

@ben7 - you could always educate yourself, or alternatively use a little bit of common sense; what do the words 'running' and 'back', in a team sporting context, suggest?

Posted 19:09 21st January 2013

Isograford says...

Oh Nick Evans, an International career wasted so you can collect club rugby accolades. What a crowning achievement you can look back on.

Posted 19:02 21st January 2013

swiwi says...

@THESKUTCH

...because Chris Ashton leads by example...

Posted 18:09 21st January 2013

ben7 says...

I don't know what an NFL Running back is..... This is a Rugby website

Posted 18:03 21st January 2013

THESKUTCH says...

Quins will destroy a poor Munster team and Zebo will soon be found out. Celebrating in that manner has no place of a rugby field!

Posted 16:09 21st January 2013

papachinzo says...

Healy's reign at No.1 will sadly end now. If only Leinster had less injuries during the double header against Clermont...

Posted 15:59 21st January 2013

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