The Rugby Pod - Team of The Six Nations

1 – J. McGrath – To keep a Lion and seasoned international like Cian Healy off the starting team requires something special. McGrath is something special. Regularly topping the tackle count, he is a menace both in the scrum and around the park.

2 – G. Guirado – France still have many issues to address, but the role of captain and leader has been solved. Guiardo was the standout performer for France throughout the tournament, with tries turnovers and tackles, he led his men admirably. Now they just need to follow.

3 – WP. Nel – Scotland’s tighthead provided a solid platform for his men. Not only is he the best tighthead in the tournament, he also gets through a huge amount of work, bouncing tackles, pilfering ball and generally making a nuisance of himself.

4 – M. Itoje – Jones tried to play down the hype, but Itoje had other ideas. The giant Saracens lock was nothing short of spectacular in his first tournament. He stormed onto the scene as a substitute against Italy with two turnovers and grew to become one of England’s key men in the tournament.

5. G. Kruis – England have found a second row partnership that could last quite a while. Kruis was instrumental in turning England’s lineout into a turnover machine. His graft around the pitch was impressive and defensively he was crucial to Gustard’s plans.

6. CJ. Stander – Stander’s debut couldn’t come soon enough for Irish fans and he did not disappoint. The star of a faltering Munster team, Stander has brought this form to the green jersey and he will soon by plying his trade at number 8 and terrorising defences with his abrasive carries.

7. J. Hardie – Scotland’s recruiters have found another gem in the form of Hardie. He’s the perfect seven and helped Scotland emerge from wooden spoon contenders to become title challengers. A few more finds like him and Scotland fans will be smiling a lot more.

8. B. Vunipola – There was no stopping the big man this tournament. His go forward momentum was crucial for England and Jones will be praying that he remains fit for their tour to Australia. Faletau also had a great tournament, but Vunipola gets our nod.

9. C. Murray – Sniping, tackling, marshalling, passing and box kicking. Murray has it all. He is worth his weight in gold for Ireland and has become one of their key men. He pops up with crucial tries and is invaluable to the team.

10. J. Sexton – France set the tone when they targeted the Irish number ten in Paris. Late hits, big men running down his channel and personal attacks, Sexton dealt with everything and emerged the better man. Biggar was also excellent for Wales and these two men will battle it out for the ten jersey in New Zealand.

11. A. Watson – While Vakatawa made some Hollywood cameos against England, Watson showed his pedigree throughout the tournament. Popping up with crucial tries, solid in defence and a constant threat. After much debate, England have settled on the right winger.

12. J. Roberts – Just because you can predict what he’s going to do, does not mean you can stop it. Roberts does not mix things up because he doesn’t need to. He will run over you time and again in pursuit of the gain line, and there are very few who can stop him

13. M. Campagnaro – Italy struggled throughout this tournament, but one of the few rays of light was the continued growth of Campaganro. He helped Italy achieve some go forward ball and along with Sarto, he offers Italian fans something to pin their hopes on.

14. G. North – The big winger is back to his best. Four consecutive tries, his confidence is back and he looks unstoppable in full flow. Having trimmed down, his pace is back and thankfully he has avoided any more head injuries, allowing him to concentrate on what he does best.

15. S. Hogg – The Scottish speedster was on fire this tournament. He tore the Irish defence to shreds in Dublin and was a constant threat throughout the tournament and put in a near flawless man of the match performance against France. He also has a humongous boot from hand and tee.

Written by Fred Culazzo for The Rugby Pod - www.TheRugbyPod.com