Six Nations: Team of the Weekend

March 13, 2017
6052
Ultimate Rugby

Round 4 of the 6 Nations took place over the weekend. Another highly entertaining round of action took place. England notched their 2nd successive 6 Nations title and travel to Dublin in the final round to claim a potential World record for consecutive Test match victories, having equalled New Zealand's record of 18.

1. Rob Evans

A strong performance from the loosehead against an Irish scrum that had got the upper hand on all of its opponents. Evans pitched in with 10 carries, albeit with little success, but that took a toll on the tiring Ireland defence.

Evans coped well with the highly regarded Tadhg Furlong, while contributing significantly in the loose.

2. Ken Owens

Owens was immaculate with his lineout throwing and put in an impressive 14 tackles in a bruising encounter. The hooker has been brilliant for the Scarlets this season.

The Welsh hooker has a massive engine and the complete skill set. All nine of his throws hit the target, with both of North's tries coming from line-out moves.

3. Rabah Slimani

After displacing Uini Atonio, the Clermont tight-head delivered a much better performance.

Slimani worked hard in the loose, making 8/9 tackles & 3 carries for 13 metres for his side, delivering a clean line break.

4. Courtney Lawes

Lawes is enjoying a new lease of life under Eddie Jones. He has excelled on his return to the Test fold.

A safe pair of hands in the lineout laying the ball perfectly to Youngs that led to two of England's first half tries.

Lawes imposed himself around the frings & at the breakdown. He was their top forward carrier, with 11.

5. Joe Launchbury

A leading contender for player of the tournament. The Wasps second-row got through a barrage of work for his side, that allowed England thrive on the ball.

He continues to lead England's defensive effort, making 22 tackles for his side that stemmed the Scotland attack & enjoyed some success with ball in hand.

6. Sam Warburton

A brilliant performance in defence by Warburton set the tone for the Welsh physical dominance over Ireland.

Making more tackles than anyone else on the pitch (21), is thriving under his new role without the arm band.

Warburton highlighted his leadership in the win & has put his hand up to lead the Lions in the summer after this display.

7. Justin Tipuric

On the occasion of his 50th cap for his country, Tipuric once again displayed his talents.

Tipuric claimed 9 out of the 11 lineout throws for Wales. Has formed a world class partnership with Warburton.

8. Louis Picamoles

A monster effort from the No. 8. Picamoles carried 16 times & made 15 tackles.

Picamoles picked up a try for his outstanding efforts in Rome. Picking up 67m for Les Blues in an open encounter.

6 offloads and 7 defenders beaten on the day for the French powerhouse.

9. Rhys Webb

A strong performance from Webb saw him create the first try for North with a smart supporting run to take an offload from S. Williams & released a wide pass to Halfpenny.

Webb was physical in defence and got the better of Ireland scrum-half Conor Murray in their battle for the Lions No. 9 shirt.

10. Camille Lopez

The French out-half brought his three-quarters into the game with devastating results.

Lopez scored 20 points & completed 14 tackles. Completing all of his kicks from the tee.

Lopez is forming an exciting partnership with scrum-half Baptiste Serin.

11. Virimi Vakatawa

A fine week for the French wing as he scored a try that put Italy out of the game and racked up some impressive numbers.

Vakatawa made an average of more than 10m per break. Beating 8 defenders and making 4 clean breaks.

Proved how dangerous an open field runner he could be as he consistently broke the Italian defensive line.

12. Gael Fickou

After a quiet display in Dublin, Fickou was back to his best against Italy. His early try paved the way for an emphatic French victory.

Fickou gained 82m from 6 runs, beating 5 defenders & making 3 clean breaks. Completing 11 of his 12 tackles in the process.

13. Jonathan Joseph

A quite special performance from the returning Bath centre. Three tries, each of differing styles paved the way for a record equalling win for England at Twickenham.

The first try saw Joseph display his pace and power, the second one came from dazzling footwork and the third saw him cut a lovely inside line to break cleanly from short range.

Joseph made 120m from 9 runs, beating 5 defenders, 4 clean breaks, 1 offload and 1 try assist. Outstanding performance from the nailed on Lions 13.

14. George North

North was back to his devastating best with two tries against Ireland in Cardiff.

His first was a brutal display of power as he carried both Simon Zebo and Keith Earls over the try line to score, while his second was the result of a great drive from the Welsh pack.

A mazy run towards the end of the victory over Ireland triggered one last attack as his side searched in vain for the bonus point.