"No Finn Russell" - Six Nations name the official team of the tournament
Rugby NewsWednesday, 29 March 2023 at 14:23
After rounding up the votes, the official team of the 2023 Six Nations has been officially announced with 10 Ireland players selected.
Seven were picked in the pack with the remaining three are among the backline, which features Player of the Championship Antoine Dupont and Scotland's dynamic midfield duo Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones.
Now, let's see what they had to say about each player.
Official Six Nations team of the tournament
1 Andrew Porter (Ireland)
They wrote: "An ever-present in Ireland’s starting XVs through all five rounds, Porter’s solid scrummaging helped lay the foundations for his side’s success."
2 Dan Sheehan (Ireland)
They wrote: "The star of Super Saturday, Sheehan’s double proved crucial in Dublin as Ireland defeated England to seal the Grand Slam."
3 Finlay Bealham (Ireland)
They wrote: "There were fears in some quarters about how Ireland would cope without Tadhg Furlong but Bealham quickly allayed those with three consecutive assured displays alongside Sheehan and his fellow heavy metal fan Porter."
4 Thibaud Flament (France)
They wrote: "Flament needed just five minutes to open his account for the competition, crossing for France’s first try in the Round 1 win over Italy, and later delivered a performance for the ages against England at Twickenham."
5 James Ryan (Ireland)
They wrote: "The lock crossed against Wales and Italy, made five turnovers – a joint-high across the Championship – and crunched into 66 tackles, while he also took over the captaincy when Johnny Sexton was absent in Rome."
6 Peter O’Mahony (Ireland)
They wrote: "Sometimes there is no substitute for experience and Peter O’Mahony continued to prove his worth for Ireland during the 2023 Championship."
7 Josh van der Flier (Ireland)
They wrote: "He hit his usual high standards at the breakdown and in contact – no Irish player made more tackles than his 67 – and even showed his versatility by filling in throwing into the lineout against Scotland due to injuries elsewhere in the pack."
8 Caelan Doris (Ireland)
They wrote: "A player who could succeed Van der Flier when World Rugby’s 2023 awards come around, Doris’ ascent shows no sign of stopping."
The talismanic No.8 set the tone for Ireland’s Championship with a try just two minutes into the opener against Wales and won the Player of the Match award following a superb display in the win over France in Round 2.
9 Antoine Dupont (France)
They wrote: "Player of the Championship for the third time in four years, there is not much to say about Dupont that has not been said already."
10 Johnny Sexton (Ireland)
They wrote: "If any player deserved a successful swansong in this competition, it has to be the Championship’s all-time leading scorer."
11 James Lowe (Ireland)
They wrote: "One-third of Ireland’s deadly back three, Lowe made headlines with a remarkable acrobatic finish which proved key to the win over France in Round 2."
12 Sione Tuipulotu (Scotland)
Tuipulotu had a taste of the Guinness Six Nations last year but this was the campaign in which he made the No.12 shirt his own.
13 Huw Jones (Scotland)
They wrote: ""Another key part of Scotland’s ruthless attack, Jones crossed four times – including going over for the opener in the win at Twickenham in Round 1.
14 Damian Penaud (France)
They wrote: "The leading try-scorer in the 2023 Championship was on hand to finish off five of France’s 21 tries."
15 Hugo Keenan (Ireland)
They wrote: "He made himself a main character in this year’s Championship through his rock-solid defence, composure under the high ball and strong kicking game – also on hand to score vital tries against France and Italy."
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