Six Nations: Team of the tournament

Ireland dominate our Six Nations team of the tournament after winning their third Grand Slam.

15. Matteo Minozzi (Italy)

Rob Kearney was exceptional for Ireland and produced some stellar performances but Italy’s firecracker at the back gets the nod. A real running threat who scored tries in four successive games. Minozzi was also safe under the high ball and brave in defence.

14. Keith Earls (Ireland)

He may not have the scoring record of a Jacob Stockdale, but he played a massive part in their success. One of the hardest working wingers in the game, Earls is always busy and his defence is quite exceptional.

13. Huw Jones (Scotland)

Ringrose was a serious contender but Jones shone this tournament especially against England where he scored a brace. His acceleration plus a quick eye for the gap meant that Jones was always a threat with ball in hand. He ran some beautiful lines to keep the defence guessing and also did his part in defence.

12.Hadleigh Parkes (Wales)

May not have had the best of games against France but was top drawer for the rest of the campaign and earns his place. A very smart player, his decision-making was exceptional and really helped bring some fluidity and direction to the Wales attack.

11. Jacob Stockdale (Ireland)

What a finisher! Made history by becoming the first man to score seven tries in a single Six Nations campaign and had to work incredibly hard to achieve that.

10. Johnny Sexton (Ireland)

Joe Schmidt paid tribute to Sexton for his winning mentality and his ability to play through the pain. He may not have had his kicking boots on at time but made up for it with his game management. He was instrumental in one of the moments of the tournament when he landed a last-gasp 40m drop-goal after 41 phases to pip France and set them on the road to the Grand Slam.

9. Conor Murray (Ireland)

Has underlined his credentials as the best scrum-half in the world at the moment and was the player of the tournament. His kicking out of hand was exceptional as was his ability to attack around the fringes and put the opposition on the back foot. Controlled the pace of the game very well and stepped up to take over the kicking duties when Sexton had an off day.

1. Cian Healy (Ireland)

Healey was an imposing presence in Ireland’s scrum, the seasoned campaigner performed his set-piece work superbly, and also did not miss a tackle in the competition.

2. Guilhem Guirado (France)

France certainly missed him in their final game against Wales as Guirado put in a real captain’s stint this campaign. His leadership helped France get back to winning ways against Italy and England. The hooker may have had the odd off throw but more than made up for it with his carries, work at the breakdown and his tackle count was exceptional too. A great work ethic.

3. Tadhg Furlong (Ireland)

Not sure how someone who is so immovable in the scrum can then get around the rest of the paddock the way he does. Not only does he have the power and the strength to carry and dominate in the set piece, but also the footwork and passing game of a world-class back – which he used to great effect to create the extra man in midfield to send Bundee Aki over against England. One of the stars of the tournament.

4. James Ryan (Ireland)

What a debut Six Nations campaign for Ryan who is yet to taste defeat in an Ireland jersey. Grabbed his chances with both hands as he made his mark with big carries, plenty of turnovers and a dominate aerial display at the lineout.

5. Alun Wyn Jones (Wales)

Alongside Ryan’s youthful exuberance we have the experienced campaigner who seems to be getting better and better. AWJ has played a heck of a lot of rugby this season but showed no sign of slowing down with an all-round performance. Has that never-give-up attitude and always steps up to the mark. Scotland’s Johnny Gray was unlucky to miss out.

6. Aaron Shingler (Wales)

Sebastian Negri and John Barclay made this a tough decision but Shingler just pipped them to the post. Made the most of his chances after backrow injuries for Wales with huge performances against Ireland, Scotland and England. A big man, with plenty of pace, Shingler also knows how to handle the breakdown and was a real handful in this area. Also showed his athleticism in the lineout and was huge in defence as well.

7. Hamish Watson (Scotland)

Another competitive position where Dan Leavy and Yacouba Camara pushing Watson all the way. Watson is what we want in our No 7 though, quick to the breakdown with those ‘special’ skills to steal or slow the ball down. Hard to stop when he carries, Watson was key in getting Scotland over the gainline with some big carries.

8. CJ Stander (Ireland)

If Ireland are carrying the ball, chance are its Stander doing the carrying! A massive 95 carries this campaign kept Ireland going forward and allowed his backs to attack on the front foot. Matching his relentless drives was his defence and he rounded things off with a superb try against England at Twickenham.

(c) Sky News 2018: Six Nations: Team of the tournament