Six Nations - Team of the Week - Round 5

Round 5 brought us a day packed with drama and, depending on your alcohol consumption, memories.  Let’s see who stood out this week...

1.  Gethin Jenkins – No question.  Fantastic performance from the loosehead, both in the scrum – where he had Cole in trouble – to the loose, where he was everywhere.  This is the Geth we’ve all been waiting to see.  Honourable mention to Andrea Lo Cicero, who had a cracker in his last outing for his country.

2.  Leonardo Ghiraldini – The Italian hooker enjoyed a phenomenal afternoon with a well-functioning lineout and a powerful showing around the park, moving around with the energy of a flanker.  Of the Lions candidates, Richard Hibbard probably impressed the most in a dominant forwards display whilst Tom Youngs was still solid in a retreating pack.

3.  Adam Jones – His resurgence this Six Nations is complete.  He looked lazy and unfit for the first two games but his performances over the last 3 matches have been absolutely top drawer in the scrum.  Hopefully we’ll see him more around the park now as well.

4.  Mike McCarthy – Stood out in Ireland’s loss as their best player, showing his power with a couple of awesome carries that really caught the eye.

5.  Alun Wyn Jones – Utterly majestic performance from the Osprey, dominating the breakdown with an intense physicality his opposition couldn’t match.  Geoff Parling deserves a mention though for a battling performance in a retreating pack.

6.  Alessandro Zanni – An all action, abrasive performance from the flanker saw him steal another man of the match award from Parisse, and rightly so.  The flanker was everywhere and a constant thorn in the Irish side at the breakdown.  Sam Warburton also put in a strong shift for Wales, whilst Antoine Claassens also impressed on debut for France.

7.  Justin Tipuric – An unbelievable display that was filled with energy, Tipuric not only showed his disruptive skills at the breakdown but also showed the skills and vision of a top class centre when setting up Alex Cuthbert.  Chris Robshaw was superb in a losing performance as well and didn’t deserve to be on a defeated team.

 

8.  Sergio Parisse – Brilliant once again, it’s really getting quite tiresome.  Some of his handling skills defy physics, they’re that good.  Inspirational and behind everything positive his side do (aside from when he gets sent off...).  Just edges out Louis Picamoles by a hair after the Frenchman put in another bullocking display, whilst Toby Faletau put in a workmanlike shift for Wales and Jamie Heaslip showed signs of getting back to his old self for Ireland.

9.  Maxime Machenaud – Only played a half but did enough to take the tempo to a level the Scottish couldn’t live with, setting up a try in the process with a sharp piece of running.  Conor Murray, Greg Laidlaw and Mike Philips all put in impressive shifts, as well.

10.  Luciano Orquera – Oh Luciano, the neutral’s favourite player.  He may look like Manuel off Fawlty towers minus the moustache, but his kicking was rock solid and his game management was bang on the money.  Dan Biggar also put in another solid display behind a rampant Welsh pack, whilst Paddy Jackson grows in maturity with every game.

11.  Giovanbattista Venditti – The big winger plays on the right but I’ve accommodated him on the left because of his work rate and the fact he scored a try a number 8 would have been proud of.  Could easily have been George North, who was a menace throughout to the English defence.

12. Wesley Fofana – He is just so, so good.  He somehow gets through gaps that a particularly petite supermodel couldn’t get through.  His finish for his try was world class.  Of the Lions lot, Jamie Roberts got his hands on the ball a bit more and Brad Barritt was a solid presence as always, whilst Matt Scott was quiet until he set up a try with a fantastic break.

 

13.  Mathieu Bastareaud – The barrel really came into his own in the second half, getting involved in both the tries and making some serious yardage in the process.  Good at what he does.  Not a great Saturday for British and Irish 13s, but Jonathan Davies and Sean Lamont were both solid.

14.  Alex Cuthbert – I’ve had my doubts, but this was some class finishing.  His first showed top-notch pace and awareness to leave Brown behind and he kept his depth just right for his support line for his second.  Brilliant display.

 

15.  Leigh Halfpenny – Irritatingly hard to criticise.  He barely put a foot wrong and is, as far as I’m concerned, the premier goalkicker in European, if not world, rugby.  Fantastically gutsy in defence as well.