RugbyRebels

15 Stuart Hogg
14 Anthony Watson
13 George North
12 Gäel Fickou
11 Louis Rees-Zammit
10 Matthieu Jalibert
9 Antoine Dupont
8 Taulupe Faletau
7 Hamish Watson
6 Josh Navidi
5 Tadgh Beirne
4 Alun-Wyn Jones
3 Tadgh Furlong
2 Ken Owens
1 Wyn Jones

16 Julien Marchand
17 Cyril Baille
18 Kyle Sinckler
19 Iain Henderson
20 Justin Tipuric
21 Ben Youngs
22 Paolo Garbisi
23 Brice Dulin

Certainly didn't think there'd be that many Welshman in at the beginning but they have been good. Was tempted to put Sexton on the bench but it's only really the last couple of games he's looked decent. Everyone else is rubbish whilst Garbisi looks class even with nothing around him... Second row was a bit odd too. I'm sure if Le Roux had been playing more he'd be in there and AWJ gets in for leadership as much as anything. Henderson looked good in a solid kind of way every time I saw him.

Dan Biggar was excellent. Henshaw too. Beirne looked better at 6 imo. Ollivon and Alldrit were also outstanding, but there's a lot of competition in their positions. I'd have Liam Williams ahead of Dulin, and maybe ahead of Hogg....shock horror.

I’m so confused by this North at 13 thing. Has he actually been any good there?

Mikey Brown wrote:I’m so confused by this North at 13 thing. Has he actually been any good there?

Yes.

AWJ the penalty merchant in his own 22? No, great captain but I'd take any of the three Irish locks particularly after the way they dismantled England. Similarly Henshaw should be in there as he was exceptional this tournament.

The competition for those backrow spaces is pretty tough as mentioned leaving out the French 7 and 8 I harsh on them.

Henshaw and Fickou in the centres for me. Johnny Gray was good when he played.

fivepointer wrote:Henshaw and Fickou in the centres for me. Johnny Gray was good when he played.

They were both best at 12, but Fickou looks like a 13 all day for me, oddly.

Banquo wrote:Dan Biggar was excellent. Henshaw too. Beirne looked better at 6 imo. Ollivon and Alldrit were also outstanding, but there's a lot of competition in their positions. I'd have Liam Williams ahead of Dulin, and maybe ahead of Hogg....shock horror.

Dan Biggar, meh. Beirne, I know, but I think both Navidi and Watson were brilliant. And Beirne was pretty much as brilliant in the second row, especially against England. Ollivon and Alldrit (and Curry!) yes but I think the other 3 were better.
Williams fluffed his lines against France but I might still start him for the Lions over Hogg, and Dulin is wonderful. But Hogg's counter attack is fantastic and he really carries that team.

Mikey Brown wrote:I’m so confused by this North at 13 thing. Has he actually been any good there?

He really has. It's an experiment that has failed so many times before, but I thought he was brilliant all tournament. Henshaw very close, but not quite as consistently great.
To be honest, for the last 10 years I've though North has been living off the promise he showed in his late teens/early twenties. This is the first time in ages he's looked remotely dangerous.

Dan. Dan. Dan. wrote:

Banquo wrote:Dan Biggar was excellent. Henshaw too. Beirne looked better at 6 imo. Ollivon and Alldrit were also outstanding, but there's a lot of competition in their positions. I'd have Liam Williams ahead of Dulin, and maybe ahead of Hogg....shock horror.

Dan Biggar, meh. Beirne, I know, but I think both Navidi and Watson were brilliant. And Beirne was pretty much as brilliant in the second row, especially against England. Ollivon and Alldrit (and Curry!) yes but I think the other 3 were better.
Williams fluffed his lines against France but I might still start him for the Lions over Hogg, and Dulin is wonderful. But Hogg's counter attack is fantastic and he really carries that team.

Dan Biggar was excellent- he's very underrated, maybe because he's a bit of a nob. Beirne is a very different player to Navidi, and there are better second rows imo. Ollivon in particular has been magnificent, but its a tough call at 7; Faletau has been outstanding tho.
Henshaw has been excellent.
Dulin has been very mixed, and Williams much better. I think Hogg is excellent, but also can blow hot and cold- Williams imo is a better player for linking the back 3.

Dan. Dan. Dan. wrote:

Mikey Brown wrote:I’m so confused by this North at 13 thing. Has he actually been any good there?

He really has. It's an experiment that has failed so many times before, but I thought he was brilliant all tournament. Henshaw very close, but not quite as consistently great.
To be honest, for the last 10 years I've though North has been living off the promise he showed in his late teens/early twenties. This is the first time in ages he's looked remotely dangerous.

Henshaw has been playing 12 very well with Ringrose at 13; Henshaw less good at 13, though very good against us.

Jones
Marchand
Furlong
Itoje
AWJ
Berine
Curry
Faletau
Youngs
Ford
Williams
Fickou
Henshaw
LRZ
Hogg

Couldn't work out how to include Keenan and Ringrose too. Pretty close to picking Price ahead of Youngs but just came back to the speed of play

1 French LH
2 Owens - after a ropey start
3 Furlong
4 Le Roux
5 Beirne
6 Ollivion
7 Watson
8 Alldritt/Faletau both exellent

9 Dupont
10 None - Russell, Sheedy and Jalibert were pretty good, Biggar was crap for the first half and Sexton smells
11 VDM
12 G Ficou
13 Harris
14 Zammit
15 Hogg

W Jones - Single handly took a player out the game consistently
French 2
Z Fagerson
J Gray/Itoje/AWJ
Tipuric
No other 9 was consistently competent
Henshaw