2022 Six Nations Team of the Tournament so far (Round Three)

A weekend of excellent rugby was had in the third round of the 2022 Six Nations as England, Ireland and France all picked up wins.

The two-week break gave the top players a chance to recharge and come back to produce stronger performances as England and France both picked up Saturday wins while Ireland beat Italy on Sunday.

England took on Wales in a major clash on Saturday where Marcus Smith was Man of the Match in a game that the Welsh narrowly lost to their rivals.

Tournament Leaders France continued their dominant march to the coveted Grand Slam title with a comprehensive win against Scotland. Gregor Townsend’s side has now been hit with back-to-back losses.

The third game played was between Andy Farrell’s Ireland and Kieran Crowley’s Italy side. Ireland were looking to bounce back after there tough defeat to France in round two. It wasn’t to be Italy’s afternoon as a red card to their replacement hooker forced the Azzurri to play with thirteen men. The Irish side capitalised and put up a thumping 57 points on the Blues.

As it stands, France top the table with three wins from three while Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales all follow. Italy sit at the bottom of the table.

After three rounds of action, check out our Team of the Six Nations so far

Round Two Team of the Six Nations

Fullback – Melvyn Jaminet (France)

The French Fullback has been in frightening form. Jaminet has really shown his quality for France off the kicking tee as his points against Ireland proved to be too much to mount a comeback. His came play from the back against Scotland in the second half keeps his position here

Winger – Damien Penaud (France) (replaces Gabin Villiere)

Another French back, Penaud takes his teammate Gavin Villiere’s position in this list. His performances against Italy Ireland and now Scotland have been mesmerising. Scoring two tries against Scotland at the weekend killed Scottish hopes of a chance to comeback.

Outside Centre – Gary Ringrose (Ireland)

Proving himself to be of the world’s most dynamic backs, Ringrose opened his Six Nations with a wonderful performance against Wales scoring an excellent try. Against the French, Ringrose tackled extremely well and was a bright light in a disappointing result. Ringrose had to leave the field against Italy with a head injury but returned to marshall his fellow backs to great success.

Inside Centre – Gael Fickou (France)

Hard not to pick Fickou as he is the engine that helps run the French backline. A constant scoring threat and a dogged defender, Fickou’s flair is an amazing asset to this French outfit. His try against Scotland proves just how dangerous he can be.

Winger- Mack Hansen (Ireland)

Hansen started his tournament off with a Player of the Match performance against Wales setting up a try for Aki. Against the French the URC top scorer notched a beautiful try off the kick-off. Hansen has pretty much carried his club form with him to the national team. Facing Italy, Hansen helped to connect play coming off his wing and distributed excellently.

Fly-Half – Marcus Smith (England)

The young successor to Owen Farrell, Marcus Smith is really proving himself for Harlequins and England. Smith once again put a phenomenal performance in against Wales to prove his youth has no bearing on his quality. Another Man of the Match award signifies his skill

Scrum Half – Antoine Dupont (France)

Player of the Tournament last year, Dupont is in fine form and is looking to make himself a back-to-back winner of the award. His performance against Ireland just showed his value as he set up a try and finished one off. Against Scotland he was once again the best player on the pitch as he earned another Man of the Match.

The ultimate scrum half.

Antoine Dupont's dazzling footwork sets up s sensational France try.@Breitling #GuinnessSixNations #SquadOnAMission pic.twitter.com/cblJNPJiVV

— Guinness Men's Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) March 1, 2022

No. 8 – Gregory Alldritt (France)

France’s captain and leader Gregory Alldritt can do it all, from disrupting at the breakdown to carrying the ball he is an immensely talented player. His work around the pitch and his leadership help drive France such as when the game got close with Ireland. Besides Dupont Alldritt has been France’s player of the tournament. He has completed a total of 32 tackles averaging 10 a game and he has made 218 meters carrying the ball, a truly mesmerising statistic. The Frenchman made mince meet of the Scottish as no one could get him to deviate from this style of play.

Flanker – Caelan Doris (Ireland) Replaces Taine Basham

Doris missed out on last years tournament due to a concussion that had him out for quite a while. This year however Doris has continued his Autumn nations form and really impressed in the green jersey. His last two Irish performances against France and Italy have been excellent. His ball carrying is electric making almost 200 meters in this tournament. The Leinster man has also made 35 tackles showing his effectiveness on either side of the ball

Flanker – Josh van der Flier (Ireland)

The Leinster Rugby man has been in the form of his life and he has certainly brought that to international Rugby. Recording a massive thirty tackles in only two games, van der Flier makes his presence known on the pitch. Against Italy he was everywhere making gainline breaks and missing one tackle throughout the entire game

Second-Row – Maro Itoje (England) replaces Johnny Gray (Scotland)

Itoje in the last two matches has really found his for once again in a white jersey. Due to how dynamic he is, he can play both Second-Row and Flanker, but his recent perform against Wales proves how useful he is as a lock. His maul drive helped cripple Wales as on attack he was pushing the team forward and in defence he did everything to legally bring the maul down. With 16 tackles over the tournament, his attacking side has been more prominent, averaging 33 meters per game in carries.

Second-Row – Will Rowlands (Wales)

Rowlands has proven his value to the Welsh set up this tournament as he has been one of their most dependable stars. Over the first three games of the tournament he has completed a massive 37 tackles for Wales. At the lineout he is a great asset as he is an safe option for his own side, but for the opposition he is a threat in the air. Rowlands has proven to comfortable on the ball also as he is averaging 49 meters a game in all three games.

Prop- Tadgh Furlong (Ireland)

One of the best, if not the best in his position, Furlong has impressed in Irish green since his first performance. A strong display against Wales that showcased some excellent skill with his feet and hands helped solidify this position. His 70 minutes played against France also show how fit the prop is. After Italy Furlong has averaged 24 meters a game, a brilliant statistic for a prop forward. His tackling was also superb not missing one in the game against the Azzurri

Prop- Cyril Baille (France)

Baille broke onto the scene in the last Six Nations and since then he has only gone from strength to strength. Averaging five tackles a match he uses his power around the pitch. His try against Ireland also gave France valuable time to quell the Irish comeback. Against Scotland he made eleven tackles and dominated his opposite number to keep his spot in this team.

Hooker – Ryan Elias (Wales)

Elias is probably the most secure player on this list and has he has been heads above the other players in his position. Over the two games played he averages a whopping 45.5 meters with the ball. This is coupled with an average of 8.5 tackles a game also. A man of the Match award also adds to this. Although Wales fell to England Elias has really proved to be a dependable payer and one if not the best hookers in the northern hemisphere