Team of the 6N
By Tony Curtis Last updated: 17th March 2008
Parisse: Outstanding
Related links
News
- Scots pair rue Azzurri loss
- Wilkinson hails Cipriani
- Skipper hails Slam stars
- Ashton hails team effort
- Hadden "gutted" with defeat
- RBS Six Nations 2008
Report
Gallery
Teams
Also see
As Wales fans nurse some sore heads this morning after celebrating the RBS Six Nations Grand Slam, Skysports.com looks back on the team of the tournament.
Unsurprisingly, there is a fairly strong Welsh flavour to the XV - with Warren Gatland turning them from World Cup chumps to Euro champs in the space for five months.
However, there is still a place or two for the other nations, while the captaincy also goes to a surprise selection...
15 Lee Byrne (Wales)
The Ospreys full-back has been in the form of his career and from the moment he scored the crucial try against England he hasn't looked back. Safe under the high ball and free-flowing in attack.
14 Vincent Clerc (France)
The France winger got his tournament off to a flying start with two tries against Scotland and a hat-trick against Ireland. Was a constant threat throughout the competition with his electric pace.
13 Tom Shanklin (Wales)
Desperately disappointed not to start against England, Shanklin got his head down and worked hard. His reward was a series of faultless displays and a winning partnership with Gavin Henson.
12 Gavin Henson (Wales)
At last things are coming together for the talented Ospreys. The appointment of Gatland, along with Shaun Edwards and Rob Howley, has paid dividends with Henson enjoying probably his best spell since he burst onto the scene.
11 Shane Williams (Wales)
Almost certain to be named as the player of the tournament after a number of electrifying displays. His sheer pace terrifies defences - and his six tries in five games was just reward for his efforts.
10 Ronan O'Gara (Ireland)
A difficult choice with Wales rotating between Stephen Jones and James Hook, Jonny Wilkinson out of form, Andrea Masi not a fly-half despite what Nick Mallett might suggest, Chris Paterson stuck out on the wing and Marc Lievremont constantly shuffling his pack. Ireland have been poor during the tournament, however O'Gara has been consistently their best player - and without him things would have been worse.
9 Mike Blair (Scotland)
The Edinburgh scrum-half has almost single-handedly tried dragging Scotland through the tournament. He was the star of the victory over England and has performed miracles in a struggling side.
1 Andrew Sheridan (England)
The behemoth prop is one of the best scrummagers in the world and without him up front England look lost. Added to his reputation with a superb tournament.
2 Dimitri Szarzewski (France)
Like Sheridan, his presence in scrum is critical with his absence noticeable as Ireland almost drove their way back into the game after his substitution. Szarzewski is also a dead-eye in the lineout, hitting his men consistently.
3 Martin Castrogiovanni (Italy)
Strong, solid and dependable, Castrogiovanni has got about the donkey work with the glee that only a front-rower could have. Not many will have liked coming up against the Azzurri prop at the Six Nations, whether in the tight or loose.
4 Lionel Nallet (France)
It is difficult not to feel sorry for the France captain , who has consistently performed well at the tournament, only for others around him to struggle. A passionate performer who will bounce back.
5 Alun Wyn-Jones (Wales)
The Wales second rower is a highly polished lineout operator - and his ability to disrupt the opposition jumpers as well as securing his own ball was critical for Wales.
6 Jonathan Thomas (Wales)
Overcame his head bang against England in fine style to drive Wales on. Happy to do the dirty work in the runks and mauls by putting his body on the line.
7 Martyn Williams (Wales)
Why, oh why did he ever retire? The Cardiff man showed he is playing some of the best rugby of his career and is likely to be in the mix for the Lions if he continues this form.
8 Sergio Parisse (Italy, captain)
While many will go for Wales captain and No.8 Ryan Jones, there is no doubting the impact of Parisse on the tournament. Italy's star man time and time again, Parisse seemed to be everywhere on the pitch. If he wasn't hammering into the tackles, he was popping up on the wing to create an overlap.
| Time | Fixture |
|---|---|
| Guinness Premiership | |
| Saturday 10th May | |
| 15:00 | Sale vs London Irish |
| 15:00 | Leeds Carnegie vs Wasps |
| 15:00 | Saracens vs Bristol |
| 15:00 | Leicester vs Harlequins |
| 15:00 | Worcester vs Newcastle |
| 15:00 | Gloucester vs Bath |
| Time | Result |
|---|---|
| Guinness Premiership | |
| Wednesday 7th May | |
| Newcastle 13 - 32 Wasps | |
| Sunday 4th May | |
| Harlequins 16 - 23 Sale | |
| Newcastle 28 - 25 Leicester | |
| London Irish 43 - 20 Leeds Carnegie | |
| Wasps 17 - 25 Gloucester | |
| Saturday 3rd May | |
| Bath 66 - 21 Saracens | |
| Bristol 21 - 22 Worcester | |
| Sunday 20th April | |
| Sale 53 - 10 Newcastle | |
| Saracens 29 - 40 Wasps | |
| Saturday 19th April | |
| Worcester 20 - 23 Bath | |
Features
Trouble at the Top
The Rugby Club travelled to Leicester to find out what was happening in a troubled Tigers camp.
On Sports Saturday
Ed Chamberlin is joined by Steve McClaren, Billy Davies, Lewis Moody and Chris Adams.
They might be giants
Miles Harrison looks to the crucial clash between Gloucester and Bath as both go in search of greatness.
Experts & Blogs
Latest Features News
Trouble at the Top
The Rugby Club travelled to Leicester to find out what was happening in a troubled Tigers camp.
They might be giants
Miles Harrison looks to the crucial clash between Gloucester and Bath as both go in search of greatness.
Rugby World hotshots
June's edition of Rugby World profiles James and Robert Lewis - identical twin hotshots.
Class of 2009
The Rugby Club asked four famous Lions who they think should coach the 2009 squad in South Africa.
Hill retires
Join the Sky Sports Debate by sending us your views and highlights on the career of England great Richard Hill.
Comments
Ross Dunn says...
Not a bad team. Obviously a few people are not going to be happy with some of the selections, and, in my mind, only Szarzewski and the both Williams are the cast iron certs in that team. Don't agree with O'Gara there, although, he was the only outside half to start every game of the tournament. Looking at the Irish team, would say that only 2 or 3 would be in contention for this team, including Kearney, Reddan and possibly O'Connell. Scotland the same, and for my money possibly Strokosh in for Thomas? Italy were a bit drab behind although they did cut one or two moves, only for canale to drop the final pass. Up front is their real strength and Castrogiovanni and Parisse are the best picks of their pack by a long way. France are a bit of an unknown, pressure situations got the better of them against Wales, England and the second half against Ireland. However, in a few years time the French will be a strong side because of it, and will learn to deal with such pressure games. In terms of player involvment from the English side, thought flood had a good tournament and could be an outside to feature in the above side instead of Henson. They have got a quality player in the making in Cipriani and i thought Wigglesworth did well when called upon. Then on to Wales. By a country mile the best side in the tournament, and a fully deserved Grand Slam. Don't agree with the notion that the other sides were poor because they were in transition, as although Wales had the same players, a whole new coaching staff were introduced and as a result, had to start from scratch. Dead heat at number eight with Jones and Parisse, but i would go with Jones on the basis that he captained a Grand Slam winning side, so therefore, should captain this one.
Posted 19:00 19th March 2008
Andrew Kearny says...
Henson mediocre?! what planet are you on? he missed a maximum of 3 tackles all tournament! he brings down the biggest guys, clears huge distance with his kicks getting wales a far way from trouble. he's started 10 matches in the 6 nations, and wales have won them all. says a lot. He completely destroyed us at croke park. And you know it... jealousy is a weird thing
Posted 09:21 19th March 2008
Ahmed Davies says...
why the hell is IAN GOUGH not in this team?! he was by far the best second row in the whole tournament. he did some huge tackels, he hit every ruck and was always at every breakdown. he was a huge physicl presence for the wales team and was a big factor in them actally winning the grand slam, not only this he is also a great friend of mine and i am deeply upset by the fact that he has not been included in this team.
Posted 22:17 18th March 2008
Paul Sheehan says...
Henson?? Are we now to listen to this again? Rubbish against Ireland, mediocre against France and the other teams, and now watch the media build him up. The man is a mediocre Rugby player, stop please please making him out to be something any rugby player can see he is not. Average at very best.
Posted 10:36 18th March 2008
David Brown says...
First of all, I'm an England fan and yes Wales deserved to win the Grand Slam and beat England, no question of that. They were the best team and played the best rugby. Was the quality of the competition high? For an answer to that, just look at who came second; England with the dire rugby they played. They didn't deserve to finish in the top half of the table. I'm not a sore loser, but of course I hate to see Wales win the tournament. To me the man of the competition was Marc Lievermont. He typified to me someone who is not scared to lose. He understands that the 6 nations straight after the World Cup is probably the most insignificant of the lot and he wanted to look at new players. Give it a couple of years of sensible selection an I think France will be an incredible team. Lievermont will have learnt more than any other coach about his squad. Gatland will have learnt that the same team that got knocked out in the qualifying stages of the World Cup can perform when coached well. He needs to work out what to do when key players are injured which has been the downfall of recent Welsh teams. One last note to all the Welsh fans. Please end this hypocrisy of complaining about the English for talking about the World Cup when we are constantly subjected to talk of the Welsh teams of the 70's. At least our greatest acheivments happened in this millenium.
Posted 09:11 18th March 2008
Glyn Kembrey says...
Well done Wales, don't get big or pigheaded, train, work hard, keep fit, belive in yourself and be like the Old players the Welsh side that won everything and were the biggest part of The Lions tour. The Team was full of talent better than any English, French, Irish side of its day. People forget the fright Wales Gave England and the All Blacks in the 2003 World Cup, and the Fiji-Wales Game in 2007 was the best of the tournament . England are just bullys up front with little talent behind, and boring to watch. Wales are world class, just play with passion and excitement . The side that wins is not alwys the best and most exciting side. Just look at England's record on that. Good Luck in South Africa Lads
Posted 21:39 17th March 2008
Phill Thomas says...
I find it laughable that Wales have won two grand slams in four years and everyone puts it down to lack of opposition. Wales stopped the opposition from playing as simple as that. Now I don't mean to be one eyed but was anyone saying that when England were winning their grand slams? I know I wasn't. Come on, credit where credit is due. And a game lasts eighty not fourty minutes Sheridan was blowing out of his backside by the end.
Posted 21:36 17th March 2008
Gareth Pierce says...
Pretty happy with the bulk of selections. Lock was always going to be a tough choice with Borthwick, Ian Gough and the Irish boys all performing well at times over the tournament (in addition to the two you've put in the team). I hope Mike Phillips doesn't become complacent after a very good tournament because he has fantastic potential (only Kelleher matches him for aggression and physical presence), but his service can be erratic to say the least. I do hope there's a more dynamic choice available at 10 than O'Gara, but he is good at what he does. Stephen Hook/James Jones anyone? Happy with the rest. Good to see England involving the backs a bit more against Ireland, but it's a shame it took there to be nothing left to play for to coax them into it. It strikes me that they are picking the wrong backs at the moment. Tait should be in, Simpson-Daniel should be in, Josh Lewsey should certainly be there and Olly Barkley (court cases permitting). Sackey and Vainikolo are big and relatively fast, but it strikes me that neither seem to have what you'd call a rugby brain. Can't wait to see what Wales do in South Africa - unlike Ruddock, who was undermined by his coaches, his actions and his players, these coaches simply will not tolerate complacency. Ireland seem to be in a similar position to England post-2003, having held onto ageing players too long, without blooding enough youngsters. Bye bye O'Sullivan, if the IRFU can afford the pay-off. France will be a big danger next year.
Posted 21:29 17th March 2008
Noel Mullins says...
As an Irishman I feel there shouldn't be any Irish players on the team. They were a disgrace to our country. Thankfully I am a Munster man so I have a team to be proud of. True what my fellow Irishman below said about Kearney. Definitely the only positive coming out of the tournament. Not better than Clerc yet though. A bit dillusional there boy. Can't believe Ryan Jones isn't on the team. He is amazing. As for O'Gara, no way. Stephen Jones or James Hook should be ahead of him. Delighted for Wales and Warren Gatland. I Thought he was doing really well when he coached Ireland and it was definitely work in progress when he was there. We were definitely making strides forward under him before the IRFU and Eddie O'Sullivan stabbed him in the back. Very hard for me to say this but I'm delighted we lost to England because now O'Sullivan has to go. If he isn't gone before the summer tour there is definitely some irregularities within the IRFU. Who gives a coach a new contract before a major championship? Now it will cost the IRFU a fortune to terminate his contract because he is refusing to resign. I'm refusing to support them as long as he is in charge.
Posted 21:28 17th March 2008
James Lambe says...
Despite there being many Welsh players in the side, i can not believe you have not put Ryan Jones at number 8! Firstly he led Wales to the Grand Slam but was an immense ball carrier through out the tournament...Parrise was good but not as good as ryan
Posted 21:09 17th March 2008
Andy Lewis says...
I agree with the team in general - a case could seriously be made for at least 13 Welsh players and Ryan Jones/Parisse and Martyn Williams would terrify even the AB thoroughbreds. Lets stop hedging praise for the Welsh (and I speak as a very English Englishmen). They played more rugby, better and more often than anyone else and absolutely deserve the Grand Slam. No garbage please about the standard of the opposition - Wales beat what was put in front of them, the others didnt. Two wild card selections for the team, Matthew Tait for Leclerc. Pace to burn, can do several jobs and if he was not Engliah would be talked about as a real star and Patterson at 10. Can do everything and never misses kicks - whay on earth he is wasted on the wing is unbelievable. Worst 15 Parks, Vainikolo, Balshaw and 12 others........
Posted 21:09 17th March 2008
William Hughes says...
although parisse had an awesome tournament ryan jones has been outstanding since the word go. the amount of times he pushed wales over the gain line has been amazing, also ian gough was a work horse all the way through, playing the best rugby of his career. future looks bright for wales, and it pains me to say it but also for england. once they start to pick cipriani and tait regularly they wil have some much neededspark in the backline and they have some young talented forwards. im afraid i cannot see ireland doing much in the coming seasons they have too many old out dated players. Wales won the grand slam, Come on!!
Posted 20:43 17th March 2008
David O'leary says...
Brian Kearney must have made an impact. 21 years of age and just starting for Ireland. Scores 2 tries, makes some great breaks, excellent kicking and a great defensive tackler. Just because Vincent Clerc scores a hatrick against a weak first half performance by Ireland and has an average tournament otherwise. Swap those two. Kearney is a rising star.
Posted 19:45 17th March 2008
David James says...
What I remember of the England game is not Sheridan battering the Welsh tight heads but Sheridan being absolutely spent by the end of the game. If the loose head's job was merely scrummaging then probably Sheridan but the Welsh props are there to make a difference in their open play, and their open play is a lot more fluid than the dire English effort. If the Lions went on tour this summer, there is no doubt in my mind that Jenkins would again get the nod over Sheridan.
Posted 19:02 17th March 2008
Sheep Head says...
What is O'Gara doing in the side? He has to be the most over rated stand-off in history. Apart from his kicking out of hand, what does he have to offer? absolutely nothing. He has no creativity and Stephen Jones showed the world how average O'Gara is when he kept him in his back pocket in the Triple Crown game. As for all you cynics who have commented on Wales winning an average tournament and not being a match for the southern hemisphere sides, shame on you. Wales played well enough to make the opposition look average, and as for the southern hemisphere teams, Wales have not played any yet, so how do you no they are no match? While the selection of Sheridan is merited, whoever above posted a comment about having Gethin Jenkins in his pocket for the first half of the opening game is dillusional; the game lasted 80 minutes, not 40. The second half performance from the England front row was awful, so selecting that as your example for his selection is very poor. Finally, I would just like to thank Gavin Henson for leading the defensive efforts. Wales only conceded 2 tries, and non from open play, which is a tournament record, so as for the moaning Englishman who commented on why Henson shouldn't be selected, you obviously don't know much, how many tries did England concede again? and Jamie Noon instead? what have you been drinking? Jamie Noon had an average tournament, apart from some good breaks, he is defensively frail and compared to Henson, who is the complete package, Noon isn't good enough to clean his boots! Well done WALES.
Posted 18:38 17th March 2008
Paul Paul says...
You have to laugh don't you. Douglas Mccarthur says... "Seems to be some very bitter comments left on here from disgruntled English fans." At the time he posted there were no comments on the board that obviously came from England fans. "Richard Jenkins says... I get so bored about hearing some England fans moaning about the success of the Welsh team." Presumably he was referring to comments like these: "Wales were the best team this year, no doubt. The results speak for themselves, and I'm English. They play rugby to score tries." "the wales game showed how england have become a team of natural losers as opposed to the winners of 2002-3. " "Wales deserved the win, they were not only the best team in the tournament, but actually exciting to watch too." "how the Welsh must be proud of such an awesome team display over the 6N, they were by far the best team" "Well done wales. from an englishman's point of view it is hard to look back at what could have been if we kept our heads in the Wales match, but you boys deserve the grand slam!" Ohh those arrogant whining ungrateful English. Come on lads, play fair you had written those comments weeks or even years ago. The XV looks good but how about Patterson in at No.10, even though he only played in that position for a short time, he was better than O'Gara who had an average tournament.
Posted 17:44 17th March 2008
Matt Slade says...
Congratulations to Wales. As an Englishman I have no problem in saying that as they fully deserved to win this year. However some of the Welsh comments left here are so narrow minded and biased it makes me laugh. The majority of players in this team of the tournament should be Welsh, yes. However, Ryan Jones ahead of Parrise... no chance, Jones is a class 8, but Parrise is world class in a very poor side and almost carrying the Italians single handed. Sheridan deserves his spot ahead of Jenkins as let's face it, England's front row destroyed the Welsh 1st half in the opening game and it certainly wasn't Jenkins beating Sheridan that changed the game. On the point of 'transition periods'. That is no excuse. Wales played the best rugby this year so won fair and square... however to claim they are up there with the greats of the past etc is premature to say the least. Wales against SA, All Blacks or even Australia... I doubt very much they could beat any of them. France, England and maybe Ireland... on their day they are always capable of doing it. Wales comfortably beat poor teams this year and played great rugby but when the other teams sort themselves out, sorry but the Welsh just won't cut it.
Posted 17:21 17th March 2008
Pádraig Greenwood says...
I thought Marcus Horan was outstanding for Ireland and should be in the team ahead of Sheridan. Kearney and Bowe will be world stars in the future but Ireland have a lot of improving to do and O'Sullivan must go. If only we had had an extra 30 seconds in Paris, who knows what could have been?
Posted 17:00 17th March 2008
Andrew styles / Ed taylor says...
Okay... First off congratulations Wales by far and away the best TEAM of the tournament, rugby resembling southern Hemisphere sides, you have a great coach in Gatland. As for the 6 nations selection, definietey need Shane Williams and James Hook when he played. However Tom Shanklin as the outsanding number 13 in the tournament is ridiculous, every game Jamie Noon played he was excellent and was by far the best outside centre of the tournament. As a team England were shocking for much of the tournament however this cannot discount the contribution of individual players - Haskell, Lipman and Croft were outstanding for England and should be included in the 6 nations side, again Andrew Sheridan was a force for England up front and is among the top 3 props in the world. Whoever said that Martyn Williams is the best number 7 in the world has obviously not seen Richie McCaw play, don't be silly and let biased opinions get the better of you. Cedric Heymans in for Bryne and Parrisse was clearly the number 8 of the tournament bar none.
Posted 16:52 17th March 2008
Steve Price says...
my wife is english, and is very disgruntled that I came home from a visit to the motherland with two little Welsh jerseys for our toddlers Roll on South Africa ! Cymru am byth !
Posted 15:42 17th March 2008
Add Comment*
All fields are required