Six Nations Team of the Week - Week Five
March 19 2008
What a week for Welsh rugby! A second Grand Slam in four years, won with the utmost style and over a French line-up that could not even vaguely be considered experimental.
It was a good week for England too, and Italy will be delighted to have got their first win under Nick Mallett. But as you'd expect, Welshmen dominate our Team of the Week...
15 Lee Byrne - The Ospreys full-back has had a complete renaissance under Warren Gatland, and finished it off with as accomplished a full-back performance as you could see.
14 Mark Jones - So often does Shane Williams nick all the wing man glory from Jones that you'd be forgiven for thinking Wales only have the one winger! Jones came within a whisker of scoring one of the tries of the season during the second half, but it is his work-rate that mainly marks him down this time.
13 Jamie Noon - One of the immediate beneficiaries of the dawn of the Cipriani era, Noon revelled in the freedom provided for him by his new pivot.
12 Gavin Henson - We'll forgive him the yellow card and the dodgy coiffure, and instead choose to remember a magnificent defensive performance. Several of the French now know how it feels to be picked up and carried elegantly backwards just as Mathew Tait did four years ago.
11 Shane Williams - A terrific opportunist try helped, but there was also the ability of Williams to back things up in the middle, particularly at scrum-half when Mike Phillips was wrapped up in contact.
10 Danny Cipriani - The King is dropped. Long live the King! Cipriani has become the one to knock Jonny Wilkinson off his perch, a massive achievement.
9 Mike Blair - Scotland's scrum-half and captain scored a belter of a try and controlled things excellently from the base of the rickety Scots pack.
8 Sergio Parisse - Once again, Italy's captain delivered. Inimitable.
7 Martyn Williams - We wonder what Wales would have done without him. Is there a better number seven in Europe at the moment?
6 Alasdair Strokosch - More big tackles, more unerring support, Strokosch kept his head when those around him were losing theirs.
5 Paul O'Connell - Ireland's lone beacon of inspiration (no reference to the bright mop of ginger hair either), O'Connell reminded us that while Ireland's standards are slipping, his are not. A Lions starting spot beckons.
4 Alun Wyn Jones - Is developing into one of those locks that Wales have been missing for a long time. Solid at the line-out, and beginning to thrive in the loose under Gatland's tactics.
3 Martin Castrogiovanni - tough, rugged, endurable, athletic... one of the best in the world.
2 Dimitri Szarzewski - Not many Frenchmen were able to shine in Cardiff, but Szarzewski was indomitable in the face of the fearsome Welsh defence.
1 Gethin Jenkins - Has finally nailed down a starting spot in the Welsh team, and the Welsh fitness coach - who has generally done a terrific job with the team - has transformed Jenkins into something approaching what he was in 2005.
Individual XVs:
Andy Jackson XV: 15 Lee Byrne, 14 Mark Jones, 13 Tom Shanklin, 12 Gavin Henson, 11 Shane Williams, 10 Danny Cipriani, 9 Mike Blair, 8 Sergio Parisse, 7 Martyn Williams, 6 Alasdair Strokosch, 5 Paul O'Connell, 4 Alun Wyn Jones, 3 Adam Jones, 2 Huw Bennett, 1 Gethin Jenkins.
Ross Hastie XV: 15 Andrea Marcato, 14 Mark Jones, 13 Jamie Noon, 12 Tom Shanklin, 11 Shane Williams, 10 Danny Cipriani, 9 Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, 8 Sergio Parisse, 7 Martyn Williams, 6 Alasdair Strokosch, 5 Scott MacLeod, 4 Steve Borthwick, 3 Martin Castrogiovanni, 2 Huw Bennett, 1 Gethin Jenkins.
Danny Stephens XV: 15 Lee Byrne, 14 Mark Jones, 13 Tom Shanklin, 12 Gavin Henson, 11 Shane Williams, 10 Danny Cipriani, 9 Mike Blair, 8 Sergio Parisse, 7 Martyn Williams, 6 Alasdair Strokosch, 5 Ian Gough, 4 Alun Wyn Jones, 3 Martin Castrogiovanni, 2 Dimitri Szarzewski, 1 Gethin Jenkins.
Adam Kyriacou XV: 15 Lee Byrne, 14 Mark Jones, 13 Tom Shanklin, 12 Gavin Henson, 11 Shane Williams, 10 Danny Cipriani, 9 Mike Blair, 8 Sergio Parisse, 7 Martyn Williams, 6 Alasdair Strokosch, 5 Paul O'Connell, 4 Alun Wyn Jones, 3 Adam Jones, 2 Huw Bennett, 1 Gethin Jenkins.
Marcus Leach XV: 15 Lee Byrne, 14 Vincent Clerc, 13 Jamie Noon, 12 Gavin Henson, 11 Shane Williams, 10 Danny Cipriani, 9 Mike Phillips, 8 Sergio Parisse, 7 Martyn Williams, 6 Alasdair Strokosch, 5 Alun Wyn Jones, 4 Scott MacLeod, 3 Martin Castrogiovanni, 2 Dimitri Szarzewski, 1 Gethin Jenkins.
Dave Morris XV: 15 Lee Byrne, 14 Mark Jones, 13 Jamie Noon, 12 Gavin Henson, 11 Shane Williams, 10 Danny Cipriani, 9 Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, 8 Sergio Parisse, 7 Martyn Williams, 6 Alasdair Strokosch, 5 Paul O'Connell, 4 Lionel Nallet, 3 Martin Castrogiovanni, 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 1 Gethin Jenkins