Team Of The Tournament

by Brendan Cole

RBS 6 Nations Team Of The Tournament:

1. Marcus Horan – Has lots of rugby ability but is now applying it better than at any time in his career, and was fantastic in the last match against Wales. Once derided as a wannabe winger, but if Ireland ever need an emergency scrum-half…..(honourable mention: Gethin Jenkins).
2. Jerry Flannery – Brave and hard-working, and crucially for Ireland was perfect with virtually every lineout throw (Ross Ford).
3. John Hayes – Ireland’s set-piece rock was immense, and even when he struggled on one or two occasions, Hayes set the tone for his team by refusing to buckle (Euan Murray).

4. Alun-Wyn Jones – Very good tournament though he was ultimately eclipsed by O’Connell. Showed bravery to keep playing right to the end in the title decider (Donncha O'Callaghan).
5. Paul O’Connell – Best European lock since Martin Johnson was yet again a force of nature for Ireland.

6. Stephen Ferris – A brutal force in the contact area, and shone as a true sportsman. Tournament’s best six, and the team that has that tends to win (Alasdair Strokosch).
7. David Wallace – Some wobbles, but recovered to carry and tackle with brilliance for Ireland (Fulgence Ouedrago).
8. Sergio Parisse – Though Jamie Heaslip made more than one Championship winning contribution, and did terrific work in the tight, Parisse once again amazed and almost beat Wales on his own (Jamie Heaslip).

9. Peter Stringer – A sub, but Stringer lit up the tournament for Ireland more than once, sparking the team into life against Italy and making that vital break against the Scots (Mike Blair).
10. Ronan O’Gara – Saw plenty of adversity, and there is no question that O’Gara showed more character than any player in this competition (Stephen Jones).

11. Luke Fitzgerald – Perfect execution time after time (Thom Evans).
12. Riki Flutey – Playing for a frustrating England side but was one of the tournament’s chief danger men (Gordon D'Arcy).
13. Brian O’Driscoll – Phenomenal in every game (Tom Shanklin).
14. Tommy Bowe – The try against Wales capped a terrific tournament for the….pacy Monaghan man (Maxime Medard)

15. Rob Kearney – Fantastic in the opener against France and made key plays – including a superb stop on Matt Tait in the England game. The full-backs first job is defence and Kearney did that best of any 15 in the tournament (Lee Byrne).

Player Of The Tournament:

Brian O'Driscoll (Paul O'Connell)

Try Of The Tournament:

Jamie Heaslip's against France had a magical quality to it and set Ireland in motion (Luke Fitzgerald's against Italy was a great team try, Lee Byrne's v France had a lot of class and smart thinking behind it, and Tommy Bowe's was also special - the moment Ireland knew it was theirs to lose.


Coaching Table:

1. Declan Kidney and the entire Irish staff were the class act in this one.
2. Warren Gatland and co produced some excellent rugby and almost nabbed Ireland at the death
3. Martin Johnson stuck to his guns and his team got better through the tournanment, and could be a force next year.
4. Frank Hadden bottled it with his team selection for the first game, but his side improved
5. Nick Mallet's 'Bergamasco at scrum-half' pick will go down in history, and he didn't give his team enough to replace their once vital rolling maul with.
6. Marc Lievremont's France put in a real 'player/crowd' power win against Wales, but the collapse against England was an embarassment that dominating Italy didn't make up for.

 
« Two Quick Points -... | Main


Comments:

This is not a serious selection. Here is my 15. 1. Jenkins 2. Szarzwevski 3. Murray 4. O'Connell 5. Wyn Jones 6. Ferris 7. Williams (although very close) 8. Parisse 9. Ellis 10. Jones 11. Fitzgerald (lots of good performances but his was consistent) 12. Flutey 13. O'Driscoll 14. Bowe 15. Byrne

Posted by Zeleneye on March 23, 2009 at 05:22 PM GMT #

Daft to suggest that all of those Irish players deserve their places. We'll be lucky to have any front row representation on the Lions Team and will not have a scrum half nor a full back on the Lions. Best Irish performance for the Six Nations, David Wallace. Most improved performer,Tommy Bowe.

Posted by Niall Beatty on March 23, 2009 at 07:32 PM GMT #

A bit green tinted glasses I think! 1. Jenkins 2. Szarzwevski 3. Hayes 4. O'Connell 5. Wyn Jones 6. Ferris 7. Dusautoir (even though he played 6) 8. Parisse 9. Blair 10. Flood 11. Fitzgerald 12. Flutey 13. O'Driscoll 14. Bowe 15. Armitage Player of the tournament O'Connell

Posted by Kieran on March 23, 2009 at 07:34 PM GMT #

I would agree with Zeleneye that Brendan's selection is far too biased towards Ireland. Though Thierry Dusautoir was immense in every game-much more than Wallace or Williams. Even though he plays more at no.6 than 7 he can't afford to be left out in the back row. Parra was the most influential scrum-half and Medard the most potent winger. Overall Brendan, great job on the analysis over the tournament - always very interesting and insightful. Keep up the good work! My team: 1. Jenkins 2.Szarzweski 3.Murray 4.O'Connell 5.Wyn-Jones 6.Ferris 7. Dusautoir 8. Parisse 9.Parra 10.Jones 11.Fitzgerald 12.Flutey 13.O'Driscoll 14.Medard 15.Byrne

Posted by gaelactico on March 23, 2009 at 07:35 PM GMT #

As a Welshman, would like to say this, Well done Ireland, thoroughly deseved the Grand Slam, what a game last Saturday, and what a party afterwards, tremendous. Paul O'Connell for Captain of the British and Irish Lions.

Posted by Andy Williams on March 23, 2009 at 07:55 PM GMT #

Excessive number of Irish players on that selection if truth be told. Although where yerman is going with Ellis and Williams I've no idear. 1. Jenkins 2. Flannery/Best 3. Murray 4. Wyn Jones 5. O'Connell 6. Ferris 7.Wallace 8.Parisse 9.Phillips 10. O'Gara 11. Evans 12. Henson (Haha only messing of course!) 12.Fruity 13. O'Driscoll 14. Bowe 15. Byrne by a whisker As an aside, Martyn Williams blatant and filthy stamp on O'Driscoll was fairly awful stuff.

Posted by Kiki B on March 23, 2009 at 08:26 PM GMT #

i enjoyed it too brendan, but an all ireland front row? come on (euan murray? gethin Jenkins?)!

Posted by barry on March 23, 2009 at 10:06 PM GMT #

I totally agree with you brendan. Particularly 8 and 9. Of all the non Irish player Parisse definitely got my attention as a quality player, determined to the end. I'd love to see Stringer on the lions, I believe his outright skill as a scrumhalf would be essential for a team that will only have a few weeks of training together. There will be more then enough physical players to make up for his lack of strength, his smarts as a scrumhalf would allow the backs and forwards to gel better and no fly-half could complain about his crisp lighting pass.

Posted by Aidan on March 23, 2009 at 10:37 PM GMT #

I think Chabel, despite being written off by so many pressmen, had a few wonderful moments. made soem great breaks, and his try, albiet against a beaten Italy, was special, almost Jonah Lumo like (almost).

Posted by ROARERERA on March 24, 2009 at 09:29 AM GMT #

This selection is terrible, Stringer was a sub for the tournament, He is great and all but come on!!!

Posted by Mark Egan on March 24, 2009 at 12:43 PM GMT #

Brendan, I have enjoyed your analysis over the course of the tournament, however your selection is stretching it in the extreme. Zeleneye's selection is far closer to the reality in what was a generally poor tournament. As an irishman I can be both patriotic and realistic - try a dose sometime!

Posted by David on March 24, 2009 at 02:19 PM GMT #

12 Irish players? Come on Brendan!

Posted by Conor on March 25, 2009 at 10:51 AM GMT #

This selection is ludicrous. It's insane to suggest that every position on the team either has an Irish player in the jersey or an Honourable mention. Very nice and very pro-Ireland but you clearly haven't got a clue about rugby Brendan! Seriously, how much rugby did stringer even play? Get a grip!

Posted by Oisin on March 25, 2009 at 12:04 PM GMT #

Gents, you all need to relax. This is not a 'Lions XV', it's a team of the tournament selection. 12 Irish players? I was gutted to leave Heaslip out to be honest. Dusautoir was thoroughly outplayed in Ireland v France. Couldn't have any other French player, though Harinorduquy was also good. Szarzewski? Come on..... Martyn Williams had no sort of tournament at all in my book, and I don't think Stephen Jones would even want to be picked, again on the Wales v Ireland head to head he was outplayed. Gethin Jenkins was tough to leave out, but Horan had the better game in their head to head. Watch the video: Horan cannot be left out of the team of the tournament after his performance in Wales v Ireland. You're picking Lee Byrne on reputation....he was half the player this time around.

Posted by Brendan on March 25, 2009 at 12:40 PM GMT #

I agree with Brendan, If a team of players beats every other team in a tournament then by averages alone the overall skill of the players has to be better than their opposing numbers in EVERY other team within the Tournament, if they werent-then the Grand Slam would not be back in Ireland. Best picked team of the six nations... without a doubt 90% Irish players. We didint win by being carried by one or two players it was a huge team effort in every game and a lot of class was shown by each and every one of them.. Well done lads!

Posted by Daimhin de Naois on March 25, 2009 at 01:47 PM GMT #

You can't pick a team of the 6 nations on the basis of head to head games against Ireland. Has to be based on all the games in the tournament. Ireland did brillant to win the slam but majority of games were played on the back foot and our will to win saw us through, this does not mean we had the set of players in the tournament, just the best team.

Posted by Kieran on March 25, 2009 at 01:53 PM GMT #

To be honest we all dream of a team of Flannery's. 1)Flannery 2)Flannery 3)Flannery 4)Flannery 5)Flannery 6)Flannery 7)Flannery 8)Flannery 9)Flannery 10)Flannery 11)Flannery 12)Flannery 13)Flannery 14)Flannery 15)Flannery

Posted by rob on March 26, 2009 at 03:40 PM GMT #

Team effort indeed. There has been some small degree of talk of this being a poor tournament, rubbish I say. This is just because France played erratically to say the least. In fact their best game in my book was against us in the opener but we were better. The manner in which we won is most satisfying; our ability to alter tactics according to the situation and to up a gear once we got the measure of opponents was brilliant. There was no one going to beat us this year, the team knew that and so did I :-)

Posted by Ronan Holmes on March 27, 2009 at 09:46 AM GMT #

Brendan, sorry must agree with the majority, some dodgy selections. Back 3 no issue although Bowe by a whisker from Medard of France,midfield fine Flutey came strong at the end. Half backs don't agree at all, for me the Wwelsh pair stood out Phillips and Jones, O Gara by his standards was only average, O Leary is too slow and Strings didn't play enough but was super when he did.Back row is tough to call Ferris definitely best 6 in the competition and for me best newcomer,Parisse / Heaslip one great in defence one great in attack but i'm going to go with Heaslip because of his open field play, and now the big surprise, Joe Worsley, he was given a job to do by Johnson and he did it well, 'marked' Roberts out of the match, tackled anything that moved in a French jersey and kept the scots quite.Second row no issue but Donncha was close. Front row Ford, Hayes, what a competition he had everything he did was flawless, and Jenkins. Player of Competition; BOD Try Of Competition BOD v France

Posted by Conor on March 27, 2009 at 11:58 AM GMT #

"Ireland did brillant to win the slam but majority of games were played on the back foot and our will to win saw us through" - Kieran I wouldn't agree with that. The only match I thought we could of lost was the French match, at times they looked like they might cut us to shreds. In the other matches we controled them and we never looked like losing once we got in front, even against Wales as close as that kick was. As for having 12 Irishmen in the team of the tournament, we won the Grand Slam so of course we'll have the majority of players in that team, different story if we hadn't achieved that.

Posted by Colin on March 27, 2009 at 03:14 PM GMT #

Also - I'll admit it was remiss of me to leave BOD's try v England out of the mix.

Posted by Brendan Cole on March 28, 2009 at 01:38 PM GMT #

Conor - no problem re: disagreeing! Perhaps I should have made it clearer that this is my own personal selection......As I've said, the tight calls were Marcus Horan ahead of Jenkins (superb in England match), Parisse/Heaslip, while hooker, scrum-half and full-back actually lacked outstanding candidates compared to other positions. Picking Stringer is a bit of a nod to the power of the sub - key man v.Italy - and Flannery ran the best lineout, as well as making some decent plays around the park. I would have Best ahead of him personally, but you have to give credit where it's due. Euan Murray? Maybe....Rob Kearney also a tricky selection, clincher is that for me Lee Byrne was nowhere near good enough this year. The 10 others I regard as not controversial......I could have ducked some flack by picking less Irish lads but going from position to position, that's how it came out (admittedly, I picked this team the day after the Wales game!).

Posted by Brendan Cole on March 28, 2009 at 01:39 PM GMT #

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