RBS 6 Nations 2016: Best Tournament XV
The cream of Europe's rugby crop are still fresh from seeing history made in the 2016 RBS Six Nations, where England became the first team ever to seal the championship with a game to spare.
The competition will be remembered as one of the most open contests in its history after that, with stars from Wales, Ireland, Scotland and France each leaving their marks on the rest of the roster.
Wooden spoon winners Italy are the only unrepresented team in our best XV of the tournament, while a selection of Scotland's stars feature heavily behind England's high of five nominees.
Read on to see who made the cut in our 2016 RBS Six Nations Team of the Tournament, and let us know who you think should have been included.
15. Stuart Hogg, Scotland
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Scotland full-back Stuart Hogg can consider himself the front-runner for the No. 15 jersey on next year's British and Irish Lions tour after a dazzling Six Nations campaign, where he scored two tries in total.
The Glasgow Warriors star was far more influential than that in setting up a host of Scotland's best attacking manoeuvres, however, showing quick feet throughout the tournament and a long-range kicking boot that gives him an added dimension.
With Leigh Halfpenny and Rob Kearney both struggling to regain fitness at present, Hogg stands out as the sizzling all-rounder at full-back to take centre stage in the 2017 trip to New Zealand.
14. Anthony Watson, England
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Bath behemoth Anthony Watson certainly didn't make it easy for himself in attempting to chase down the top try-scorer award in this year's tournament, saving his three scores for the closing games against Ireland, Wales and France.
In a way, that record only further outlines the speedster's credentials as one of Europe's top wingers, and England coach Eddie Jones would be right in considering Watson one of the first players on his teamsheet.
Having only just turned 22 last month, it's somewhat astonishing to think Watson already boasts a Test record of 11 tries in 20 England appearances, standing out as one of the best runners of the ball in Europe at present.
13. Duncan Taylor, Scotland
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Jonathan Davies, Jonathan Joseph and Michele Campagnaro each had memorable Six Nations championships, but none of those midfield stars were as individually influential on their team's success as Scotland's Duncan Taylor.
Former England international Tom May described his incredulity as to why Taylor didn't begin the tournament as part of Vern Cotter's XV, starting every match except their opening defeat to the Red Rose in Week 1.
Once the Saracens line-breaker was in, however, he never looked like dropping out and completely transformed the threat provided by the Scottish line, providing a new and improved platform for the likes of Hogg and Tommy Seymour to attack from.
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12. Jamie Roberts, Wales
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Wales centre Jamie Roberts raised his hand as a man-of-the-match contender in just about every game in which he featured throughout this year's championship, a testament to his leader characteristics in Warren Gatland's side.
The Harlequins star once again showed off his assets as a full bag of tricks at centre and was one of just four Welsh players who failed to miss a minute of their entire Six Nations campaign.
Roberts showcased that leadership quality best with his breakthrough try in the 27-23 win over Scotland, and rugby writer Brendan Gallagher hailed the Welsh star's "storming tournament."
11. George North, Wales
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Wales often operate at their best when the finessed brute strength of George North is operating at full capacity, and thankfully for Welsh fans and neutrals alike, we got to see plenty of that in this year's Six Nations.
After a tough 2015 in which Wales' back line struggled to escape its shackles for great lengths, North was almost back to his best of 2013 and finished the tournament as top try-scorer with four to his name in total.
Along with Roberts and Davies, North was one of the three Welsh backs to play every minute of their tournament, and he blazed his way to 473 carrying metres in all—an average of almost 100 metres per match.
10. Owen Farrell, England
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Owen Farrell has in some ways defied logic by taking the fly-half berth in our best XV despite very rarely actually featuring in that position throughout the tournament. In fact, his shift to centre was one of the main reasons behind England's Grand Slam win, leaving George Ford to operate at No. 10.
But hear us out.
While Ford was given the freedom to play unburdened by Farrell's shadow from the bench, it was the Saracens playmaker who nevertheless paved the way to victory in fly-half-esque manner for England.
Farrell scored 69 points in total—including a try against Italy—and overtook Paul Grayson to go second in England's all-time points-scorer rankings behind only the great Jonny Wilkinson.
Dan Biggar of Wales and Ireland's Jonathan Sexton certainly inspired their teams, but Farrell's all-round, catalytic approach from centre paved England's route to the crown, and he can't be left out of our lineup.
9. Conor Murray, Ireland
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One of only two Ireland inclusions to make our team of the tournament, Conor Murray was once again as consistent as they come, despite the shortcomings exhibited by most of coach Joe Schmidt's men.
His half-back tandem alongside Sexton worked to great effect, and while Scotland captain Greig Laidlaw was a leading points-scorer for Cotter's outfit, Murray committed the fewer amount of mistakes.
OptaJonny also confirmed Murray is the first Irish scrum-half in almost 40 years to score three tries in the same Six Nations/Five Nations tournament.
1. Jack McGrath, Ireland
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Wales' Rob Evans might have got the nod ahead of Jack McGrath were it not for the fact Ireland's upstart averaged almost 70 minutes per game in his five outings, while the Welshman's ratio of just over 51 minutes per game wasn't quite as impressive.
Aside from minutes played, McGrath filled in during the absence of injured Cian Healy with aplomb, and the Sunday Times' Stephen Jones even felt he did enough to earn a starting place in the 2017 Lions team.
2. Guilhem Guirado, France
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The arrival of Guy Noves at the France helm was supposed to herald a new era for Les Bleus and the end of Philippe Saint-Andre's boring reign, but the fact Guilhem Guirado was one of their most exciting players speaks volumes.
That's not to do a disservice to France's hooker and captain, however, considering he finished as his team's top try-scorer after crossing the whitewash twice and figuring as a frequent menace in the loose.
3. WP Nel, Scotland
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One of two Scotland stars to make our XV despite being born in the southern hemisphere, WP Nel helped form arguably the finest front-row combination of the tournament after starting all five matches alongside Ross Ford and Alasdair Dickinson.
In particular, there's reason to label the South African native the best scrummager of this year's Six Nations, growing into his Scottish responsibilities and guiding Cotter's pack to a string of pristine performances.
4. George Kruis, England
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Scotland's Jonny Gray might have made our lineup were he not injured for a Week 5 encounter with Ireland, meaning the ever-present George Kruis takes his slot in the second row.
Jones has a new wave of stars emerging in his squad, and Kruis is certainly among them after seeing his England prominence soar during this year's tournament, where he played all but two minutes of the campaign.
Pinching enemy lineouts proved rudimentary for the 6'6" Saracens star at times, and it's fitting also that he grabbed England's opening try of the tournament before finishing with a decisive display in Paris.
5. Maro Itoje, England
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How terrifying a thought it is for the rest of Europe's locks that two players as talented as Joe Launchbury and Courtney Lawes may no longer be considered starters for England as long as Maro Itoje is around.
In short, the 21-year-old all-rounder is the kind of player around whom England can build their next team—and the one after that—upon, with Itoje showing his skills as a terrifying force in his three starts.
The utility forward was rightly nominated man of the match for his full-throttle display in the tournament decider against Wales, notching 14 tackles and setting up Anthony Watson's tide-turning try.
6. Billy Vunipola, England
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Billy Vunipola was deservedly named among the three England players nominated for Player of the Tournament following the conclusion of this year's event, and it was clear early on the No. 8 was going to glimmer.
Form dependent, the Saracens mauler can play his role as England's rock-bed, and it was fortunate for Jones that Vunipola was back to his best for the great majority of his first campaign at the Red Rose helm.
The 23-year-old's tournament was encapsulated by a prominent outing in the curtain call against France, where he made 18 carries for a massive 81-metre haul, beating four defenders.
CJ Stander is terribly unfortunate to miss out on the blindside berth, but Vunipola has to occupy the spot in order for a certain blood relative to make our lineup just a bit further on.
7. John Hardie, Scotland
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There was a thriving selection of flanker performances that could have booked the No. 7 jersey, with the likes of Sam Warburton, Justin Tipuric, James Haskell and Chris Robshaw all unfortunate to miss out.
But none fit into this year's openside jersey with quite as much comfort as John Hardie, the New Zealand-born back-rower who now looks like an essential component for adopted nation Scotland.
Hardie was a constant menace at the breakdown and turned Scotland into a turnover machine at times, with OptaJonny highlighting his four turnovers in the England defeat as the second-highest tally ever notched by a Scotland player in Six Nations history.
8. Taulupe Faletau, Wales
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Vunipola's adaptability in featuring at No. 6 means he makes the move to flanker so that cousin Taulupe Faletau, who was arguably just as impressive as his relation throughout the tournament, can fit in the pack.
It's something of a travesty the Bath-bound star was left of the Six Nations' 12-man shortlist for Player of the Tournament, especially considering he was one of the few forwards to play every minute, scoring two tries to boot.
While Vunipola was the carrying force England required, Faletau gave Wales a totemic turnover presence and contributed a mighty haul of 69 tackles, missing just four.
All statistics come courtesy of ESPN Scrum.
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