Made it: Hamilton and Halfpenny
Now that the dust has settled across Europe, Planet Rugby thought it was only right to hand out some praise to the stars of Six Nations, Round Three.
Without further ado, here comes our offering - be sure to send in your own 15-1 team selections.
15 Leigh Halfpenny (Wales) - If Wales goal-kicking coach Neil Jenkins could adopt him, we are pretty sure he would. Jenkins watched on as the full-back slotted six from seven on Saturday in another impressive Six Nations showing. The last time the Lions won a series the full-back kicked...
14 Alex Cuthbert (Wales) - I could watch that line he hit over and over. Cuthbert was put through a seemingly non-existent hole in the Italian defence by Dan Biggar, showing great pace to go into the corner for a match-sealing try in Saturday's game. He made a cool 57 metres at Stadio Olimpico.
13 Manu Tuilagi (England) - While not in great form when coming off the bench in Round Two, Tuilagi was back up to his best in his first start of Six Nations 2013. One journalist Down Under has already sounded the warning to beware the Samoan trouble coming their way on this Lions tour.
12 Wesley Fofana (France) - Such an unlucky call on Luke Marshall, who was superb in his Irish debut against Scotland. The Ulsterman cut the line on several occasions early in the piece but unfortunately loses out to this French try-scorer. Not bad as a centre is he?
11 Craig Gilroy (Ireland) - Hunger aplenty with a try putting his side 0-8 up. Gilroy was busy throughout and was certainly undeserving of being on the losing outfit. One positive for him to take - if he can mask the defeat - was that he did his Lions prospects no harm at all.
10 Dan Biggar (Wales) - It was pleasing to see the Osprey answer his critics. Bossed it.
9 Greig Laidlaw (Scotland) - Morgan Parra may count himself unfortunate to miss out on this jersey as his return was overshadowed by a gritty Laidlaw showing. Four penalties from the busy scrum-half was enough to win the day for Scotland. How? We're still unsure.
8 Louis Picamoles (France) - While many would opt for Tom Wood for another admirable showing at eight, the running of Picamoles combined with his tireless efforts around the field sees him sneak this. Wood will no doubt slot back into the six jersey against Italy.
7 Chris Robshaw (England) - Saturday's man-of-the-match has done his British and Irish Lions captaincy chances no harm at all. While another skipper, Scotland's Kelly Brown was bloodied in victory - another touring must for us - Robshaw led England very well again.
6 Ryan Jones (Wales) - I don't think enough credit has been laid at the door of Jones. Since stepping in for Wales in Round Two as skipper, the Ospreys veteran has been a big factor in turning things around. A workhorse for a back-row that amassed a total of 41 tackles.
5 Jim Hamilton (Scotland) - Was relentless in his pressure on Rory Best at line-out time and rightly picked up the man-of-the-match award at Murrayfield. It was a real old school showing from Hamilton and one that got under the skin of their stunned opposition.
4 Richie Gray (Scotland) - Hamilton's P.I.C gets the nod here ahead of Joe Launchbury, which was a difficult call due to the England man's efforts at HQ. But Gray was part of a dogfight at Murrayfield as his combination with his 30-year-old lock partner proved critical.
3 Adam Jones (Wales) - Take your pick. Nicolas Mas and Geoff Cross were impressive for France and Scotland respectively while Dan Cole was good in patches for England. However, the Welsh pack were on top of the Italian scrum for most of the afternoon.
2 Richard Hibbard (Wales) - In contrast to the tighthead position, our hooking jersey was more who was left than who stood out. Apologies to Hibbard who was decent enough but honestly, there was little opposition as his main competitors failed to catch our eye.
1 Ryan Grant (Scotland) - Yes he was carded but it was so petty that we looked the other way. Grant formed a fine partnership with Cross and like the engine room behind him was a workhorse. His physicality was a plus for Scotland while fifteen tackles shows his fitness.
By Adam Kyriacou
@PlanetRugbyAK
Comments
ben7 says...
6 Welsh? Really? they were awful! and it was against Italy who were abysmal! England beat France who looked good again yet they only have 2? Strange....
Oh and i love this "One journalist Down Under has already sounded the warning to beware the Samoan trouble coming their way on this Lions tour."
I think you can call him English now. HALF THE WALLABIES ARE FOREIGN! Including Samoans
Posted 21:36 25th February 2013
TVaddict says...
@davodiablo
He was playing an 'in your face' style, never lost control. Who was better at 10? Biggar? Flood makes more of an impression!
Posted 21:32 25th February 2013
ABlack says...
What is different about this years 6N compared to last years 6N? 2013 is boring me to death with the quality of play very poor. Is it the weather, the coaching or the players? or combination of all that makes the 6N a boorfest with limited skills and little quality Rugby each year.
This year seems worse for some reason???
Posted 20:51 25th February 2013
heart_of_oak says...
sneggy1983 - please keep that attitude going. I certainly hope all Aussies laugh themselves silly at the thought of Robshaw coming out there and assume they'll be able to outplay him with one had tied behand their backs. Please please keep on thinking stuff like that. And while you're chuckling away at the thought of easy victories over our lads, why stop at Robshaw ?
I sincerely hope none of our players or coaches will take the Aussies for granted. Australia can put out a damn good team and will be very very hard to beat.
Posted 19:32 25th February 2013
NHsaints says...
The lions become more and more obvious now - Robshaw, Halfpenny, Hogg, Tuilagi, Cole, Healy and Jones (adam) are absolute certainties, Jenkins, Cross and Corbisiero (if fit) will probably finish that prop sextet after some really strong displays this weekend, Biggar did his chances some good and Farrel did his chances no good. Cuthberts will almost certainly be in the mix as will Gilroy, BOD is still in the mix at 13 after an effective if indifferent display and JD has played himself right back into contention for the centres over the past 3 games. SOB is a must after some really good linebreaks and Brown, Wood and Jones should be flying to Aus this summer. I think Marshall (despite an excellent first game) will miss out on account of not being tried and tested, he might just make the midweek team. Gatland is so spoilt for choice when it comes to Locks and Scrum halves that I needn't even comment on those positions as so many players are still potential candidates for those shirts. Hookers...well Hartley is clearly a bit rusty and off form, Ford was ok but nothing special, Youngs is still too unreliable in the lineouts (as clearly is Best), and the best two of the weekend really falls to Hibbard and Ken Owens for being solid enough...there's still time yet though in every position for someone to sneak in on the outside (Marshall, Morgan, Faletau, Beattie, Grant, Biggar, North, Ashton, Brown, Goode, Roberts, Ford, Hall, Hamilton and so on are all still in contention).
Posted 19:02 25th February 2013
Gleek says...
My Lions Match day squad
1. Healy
2. Best
3. Cole
4. Grey
5. Parling
6. O'Brien
7. Robshaw (c)
8. Falatau
9. Youngs
10. Sexton
11. North
12. Roberts
13. Tualagi
14. Bowe
15. Halfpenny
16. Hartley
17. Marler
18. Jones
19. Lawes
20. Wood
21. Care
22. Farrell
23. Hogg
Posted 18:34 25th February 2013
Bones7 says...
@sneggy1983, I think Robshaw admittedly looked a little off the pace against two fliers and pilferers in Nyanga and Dusautoir but having such a big bloke carrying the ball, tackling and rucking so often is a bonus for any side. If you put him in a back row with Wood and Brown or O'Brien who are all opensides in their own right the breakdown will take care of itself.
Posted 18:21 25th February 2013
JamieTheProp says...
Robshaw and Wood are the stand out back row players of the tournament so far - if players are being picked on form they would both start the first test for the Lions.
That said I had Dan Cole down as a definite starter for the Lions - after this weekend I'm not as sure! The Welsh front row looked very impressive at the weekend.
I think the Wales game will be the tough one for England so it will be interesting to see how the breakdown (and scrum) battle goes there. That will be some way to deciding who is favourite for 1, 3, 6, 7.
Competition for places can only be a positive thing - may the best players win!
Roll on a great summer of rugby. I would imagine there will be less Irish and Welsh players than anyone might have predicted before the 6 Nations with substantially more Scots and a few more of the English.
Posted 18:15 25th February 2013
lawynd says...
@sneggy1983 - Robshaw's acquitted himself well against everyone he's been up against thus far, including now Thierry Dusattoir and Richie McCaw. Yet, Sam Warburton is supposedly some sort of god at the breakdown but has been left wanting...I know who I would rather choose!
Posted 17:48 25th February 2013
Jhamer25 says...
Lions team of the weekend
1. Gethin ( oh and spartacus you will see when he goes head to head with dan cole how good dan is at scrummaging, you mock gethins scrummagind ability but im sure last year at twicks gethin got the better of dan as adam tore corbisiero apart)
2. Rory
3. Adam
4. Richie gray
5. Big Jim
6. Ryan jones
7.Chris robshaw
8. Johnnie beattie
9. Greg laidlaw
10. Dan biggar (not many other options but he did ok)
11. Hogg (know he is a fullback but too good to leave out)
12. tuilagi
13. Luke marshell
14.Mike brown
15. Leigh halfpenny
Posted 17:36 25th February 2013
davodiablo says...
TV Addict . Owen Farrell looked anything but "iceman" on Saturday . What was up ?
Posted 17:02 25th February 2013
Spartacus says...
Gethin Jenkins smashed a scrum! Now I have heard everything.
Posted 15:24 25th February 2013
sneggy1983 says...
If Robshaw start at 7 for the lions Pocock, Hooper even gill would have an absolute field day at the breakdown. With halfpenny the likely starter at full back there wont be a need for Farrell to be in the team. Lets be honest apart from his kicking he does nothing else in attack. I am struggling to see what the obsession is with Robshaw imo he was a better player during the SA tour where even Steve Walsh praised his breakdown work. He may be a good leader but the two games Ryan Jones as been in has done far better work. To go Australia you are going to need an out and out 7 or Pocock will be licking his lips. Gethin Jenkins is starting to get back to his world class self again awesome in the scrum and in the loose.
Posted 15:08 25th February 2013
ArmchairGeneral says...
6 Welsh above with only 4 from England + France combined when it was by far the toughest game on the weekend. In a Rome game dominated by rain and scrums PR selects Wales's 14, 10 and 15. Gethin Jenkins should be there with Jones and Biggar who did little and didn't even have to kick points along with Cuthbert who i think did not touch the ball in the first half and blew an intercept try chance should be nowhere near this list. Trin-duc in but Picamoles out. Wood in. Para in. Given the England bench won it, and Tom Youngs epitomised that recovery and Hibbard was the least strong of the Welsh front 3, Youngs gets the nod at 2.
Posted 14:48 25th February 2013
TVaddict says...
Lions team based on this weekend only:
1) Gethin Jenkins - Smashed the italian scrum
2) Richard Hibbard - Best of a bad bunch
3) Adam Jones - Smashed the italian scrum
4) Joe Launchbury - Tackled his life out
5) Jim Hamilton - Excellent at the breakdown and in the lineout
6) Rob Harley/Tom Wood - Both fantastic
7) Chris Robshaw - Well yeah
8) Sean O'Brien - Always a threat going forward
9) Greig Laidlaw - Controlled the game very well
10) Owen Farrell - 'Ice man'
11) Stuart Hogg - Pure attacking threat plus no performers at 11
12) Luke Marshall - Some silky line breaks
13) Manu Tuilagi - Power personified
14) Sean Maitland - Great in defence, no one else stood out
15) Leigh Halfpenny - So obviously a lion they should call him Simba
Posted 14:24 25th February 2013
Saint_Andre91 says...
At last Picamoles gets some credit. It's worth noting that he was not good enough to get MoM according the PR match report (it went to Wood instead) but now he's picked over Wood in the team of the week. That what I call 'consistency'
Maybe they read the poster comments after all...
Posted 14:16 25th February 2013
melkdave says...
No arguments from me,a good representation,of the players who stood out this weekend imo.
Posted 14:12 25th February 2013
marko72 says...
Next up, the list of 'Who has played their way out of contention?'
Answers on a Guinness beermat please
Posted 14:06 25th February 2013
fozza says...
Centre 12, not sure about Robshaw, still time to go but he's doing his chances the world of good!
As for Scots, I would take Brown, Laidlaw, Hogg, Gray for certain other who may be in the mix but probably not currently the favourites: Cross, Hamilton, Beattie, Maitland. Did I miss anyone?
Posted 13:54 25th February 2013
GCP_jones says...
WHAT!!!!!
Where's O'Gara, Earls and Jamie 'Captain Fantastic' Heaslip.
.....THIS IS A DISGRACE....
Posted 13:51 25th February 2013