A very entertaining Six Nations campaign has come and gone so, for the last time, our panel of selectors sat down to reflect on all the action they had seen in the last two months. See who they thought impressed the most during the 2009 6N...

It is Wales, surprisingly, who top the list in terms of the number of players the panel selectors have gone for. With four Welshmen in the starting line-up, the Dragons just edge out England, Ireland and France, all of whom have just three representatives a-piece.

Euan Murray and Sergio Parisse once again fly the flags for Scotland and Italy respectively but their performances were perhaps two of only a handful of highlights either of the two countries enjoyed in the Six Nations campaign.

Six Nations Team of the Tournament:

15 Lee Bryne (WAL): The Welsh fullback was supreme in the air, dangerous coming forward and lethal in defence. He had stiff competition from Delon Armitage for the prestigious No.15 spot in our lineup but perhaps we saw his true worth when he was injured during the all-important finale against Ireland. Without him Wales are a weakened side.

14 Tommy Bowe (IRE): If for his Grand Slam winning try alone! Bowe has emerged as an international class finisher and also one of the world best all-round wings. His performances, we believe, should have played him into the Lion starting XV.

13 Brian O’Driscoll (IRE): No arguments, no need for debate, O’Driscoll dragged his team to the Grand Slam and deserves all the credit he gets. Such a talent for so long, he is now a great leader as well. Top marks BoD.

12 Riki Flutey (ENG): Started the Championship with a number of questions still to be answered. One by one though he proved his doubters wrong and, by then end of it, the questions were gone and he was a sure pick for the final team. Deadly with attacking possession and improving every week, he was vital to England’s progress throughout the Tournament.

11 Cédric Heymans (FRA): The experienced wing showed his value throughout the tournament. A fine finisher, who seems to grab tries at important times, he edges out Scotland’s Thom Evans for the No.11 spot.

10 Toby Flood (ENG): A tough one to call this. How do you look past Ronan O’Gara after that Championship winning drop goal? The truth I suppose that none of Stephen Jones, O’Gara, Flood or Godman were particularly outstanding in the campaign. François Trinh-Duc had one fine game while Luke McLean was never in the running. Flood gets the pick due to his improvement and the belief that he might still emerge as the No.10 to take England forward.

9 Mike Phillips (WAL): A three way split ultimately ended up being handed to Phillips. A powerful No.9 who creates problems for the defence around the fringes and yet still provide crisp service. He fought off the challenge of Dwayne Peel for the Welsh jersey and now just pips both Morgan Parra and Mike Blair for the spot.

8 Sergio Parisse (ITA): Unanimous - the Italian leader is a fantastic player who performs at a world class level despite leading a team which lacks the quality to compete. Player of the tournament in many of our books.

7 Joe Worsley (ENG): David Wallace will no doubt feel hard done by, and perhaps rightly so, but Worseley earns his spot due largely to the impact that he made. Have not started the campaign in the first XV, the dramatic improvement in England’s performances following his arrival is evidence enough of the impact he had during the Championship.

6 Thierry Dusautoir (FRA): The French machine toiled throughout the competition. Sometimes battling man alone, he never once took a backwards step and was instrumental in much of the positive play from Marc Lievremont’s men.

5 Paul O’Connell (IRE): It is getting harder and harder to find new ways to praise O’Connell. We warned you at the start of the campaign that we would see a lot of him in these teams and he did not disappoint. A central figure in the Irish camp, few have earned a Grand Slam title more than the Munster man.

4 Ian Gough (WAL): The muscle in the middle - Gough provides the physicality and strength in the Welsh pack. A workhorse whose commitment is inspiring, his tired expression as he left the Cardiff pitch on Saturday showed just how much he has put into the competition over the past two months.

3 Euan Murray (SCO): Without him the Scottish pack struggle, with him, it was steady as a rock. The Northampton strongman started the tournament with unbelievable expectations on his shoulders - clearly he is strong enough to carry that weight as well. Would be our Lions tighthead without question.

2 Dimitri Szarzewski (FRA): The French hooker is often criticized for some simple mistakes but, in a pack which struggled at times, he remained the impressive figure. Powerful and mobile, he is an important weapon in the lose and an imposing part of the defensive line for Les Bleus.

1 Gethin Jenkins (WAL): His development over the last couple of years has been quite remarkable. He stands now as the front runner for the Lions jersey and is rightly considered one of the world’s leading looseheads. A fantastic workrate, with a particularly high tackle count for such a big man, he was one of the first names on every selectors list.

Individual selections:

Peter Murison XV: 15 Delon Armitage, 14 Tommy Bowe, 13 Brian O’Driscoll, 12 Riki Flutey, 11 Cédric Heymans, 10 Ronan O’Gara, 9 Morgan Parra, 8 Sergio Parisse, 7 Joe Worseley, 6 Thierry Dusautoir, 5 Paul O’Connell, 4 Jason White, 3 Euan Murray, 2 Lee Mears, 1 Gethin Jenkins

Nick Pawson XV: 15 Lee Byrne, 14 Tommy Bowe, 13 Brian O’ Driscoll, 12 Riki Flutey, 11 Thom Evans, 10 Toby Flood, 9 Mike Phillips, 8 Sergio Parisse, 7 Joe Worsley, 6 Stephen Ferris, 5 Paul O’Connell, 4 Ian Gough, 3 Euan Murray, 2 Dimitri Szarzewski, 1 Gethin Jenkins

Paul Dobson XV: 15 Lee Byrne, 14 Tommy Bowe, 13 BOD, 12 Riki Flutey, 11 Cédric Heymans, 10 Toby Flood, 9 Mike Blair, 8 Sergio Parisse, 7 David Wallace, 6 Thierry Dusautoir, 5 Paul O'Connell, 4 Ian Gough, 3 Euan Murray, 2 Dimitri Szarzewski, 1 Gethin Jenkins

  • Do you agree with our selections? Leave a comment below!


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