6 Nations Winners and Losers #1

Player of the Week

Henry Slade’s performance against Ireland finally silenced the doubters, whose numbers had been dwindling anyhow, that had questioned his constant selection at 13, but Eddie Jones’ faith in the Exeter centre paid off in abundance as Slade was not only instrumental in terms of the scoreline, but helped orchestrate the team as a 2^nd fly-half alongside Owen Farrell, and also acted as the perfect contrast to the bulldozing Manu Tuilagi, which added variety to England’s attack and caused Ireland countless problems. Slade’s two tries reflected his determination and tenacity that drove England forward, the first a successful chase and retrieval of Jonny May’s kick that had seemed a lost cause, the second a stunning interception where the Chiefs man plucked Johnny Sexton’s pass out of the air then somehow maintained control of the bobbling ball at full stretch before scoring. Slade’s versatility was also showcased when in the dying minutes he began to be the one kicking for territory despite Ford and Farrell both being on the pitch at that time, which shows the faith that the players as well as the coaches have in him. It’s early days, but Slade is looking like he could be one of England’s best players in this year’s 6 Nations, and he is certainly deserving of Round 1’s Player of the Week.

Honourable mentions must go to Stuart Hogg, whose running from deep terrorised the Italian defence but as it was the Italians it’s hard to gauge how good the full-back really was, and the England and Leicester duo of Ben Youngs and Jonny May. Youngs’ kicking out of hand and May’s relentless determination to win the ball in the air proved to be a fatal combination for Ireland and in particular Connor Murray, generally considered to be the best box-kicker in the world, as the Munster man struggled to adapt to being beaten at his own game. May’s try after 2 minutes and his kick down the line for Slade to chase and score were also pivotal in England’s victory and the winger solidified his place in the team for probably the remainder of the tournament, barring injury or suspension.

Worst Player of the Week

Yoann Huget is a prime candidate for worst player of the week, but as well as his bizarre assist for George North, Huget did get a try of his own so it would seem unfair to brand him with such a title. Sebastian Vahaamahina’s equally costly intercepted pass also makes him a contender, but the worst player in Round 1 of the 6 Nations is Wales’ Liam Williams, purely for his selfish solo run in the first half against France where he could have put it on a plate for Jonathan Davies and guaranteed a try, but instead went himself and fumbled it on the line. The Saracens winger is lucky Wales emerged victorious, otherwise his error would have been exposed to much more scrutiny.

Winners and Losers

Winners

1. Dan Biggar – Came on and looked infinitely better than Anscombe, and remained calm during a frantic game

2. Owen Farrell – Converting that 47 yard penalty, plus 2 very difficult conversions, put clear daylight between England and Ireland

3. Blair Kinghorn – The future looks bright for Scotland’s young hat-trick hero

Losers
1. Angelo Esposito – Immediately after scoring a try, the Italian wing tried to take a quick conversion directly in front of the posts, only for his drop-goal attempt to go wide and condemn Italy’s fightback to a mere consolation

      2. Morgan Parra – 2 very kickable kicks went astray from the French scrum-half, and while there were much more glaring mistakes in the game, Parra’s missed points from the kicking tee ultimately proved to be the difference

          3. Joe Schmidt –In World Cup year and his last year at the helm, Schmidt was outclassed by Jones as Ireland’s Grand Slam defence turned out to be a non-starter

Team of the Week

15 – Stuart Hogg - Scotland                                          1. Mako Vunipola - England        

14 – Jonny May - England                                            2. Guilhem Guirado - France

13 – Henry Slade - England                                          3. Kyle Sinckler - England

12 – Manu Tuilagi - England                                        4. Maro Itoje - England

11 – Blair Kinghorn - Scotland                                     5. Paul Willemse - France

10 – Owen Farrell - England                                        6. Arthur Iturria -France

9 – Ben Youngs-England                                              7. Tom Curry - England

Coach – Eddie Jones - England                                    8. Louis Picamoles - France