This is an unusually tricky selection this year. No side has truly dominated, having some good and some poor performances both as a team and as individuals in each position. There have also been a large number of injuries so some promising looking players have been ruled out that way. Quite a few teams have also had two players vying for some key positions, making it harder to choose them.
Front Row:
Castrogiovani, Rhys, Mitchell
Cole was unlucky here, but didn't show against Wales or Ireland. Given it was an all new Welsh front row, that cost him heavily. Mitchell might be lucky, but has impressed when stepping in to the void in Welsh props. Rhys too, had a good run as captain and fulfilled all the duties at Hooker without his main props there and in combination that got him the nod. He must have known he was using the wrong ball for that try, but it was one of those bits of gamesmanship that you see so often it's hard to criticise him for trying it.
Locks:
Wyn Jones, Gray
Both have been good in all aspects of modern lock play - line out, scrummage, tackling, ball carrying, clearing rucks etc. They've both had players better at some aspects than them, Shaw in the line out for example, but all round they were the best. Lawes might have been in the list if he'd stayed fit. Nallet had a good try and a lucky one against Wales but it was not really typical of his play. Bradley Davies had a solid championship against the poor sides. He didn't look bad against the better ones but didn't shine either.
Backrow:
Dusatoir, Parese, Warburton
This list was surprisingly easy. You may disagree but I think they were the stand-outs in each position. Again. Harinordiqui could have been in contention, most of the Scots backrow, most of the Irish and the others in the Welsh backrows too. But these were the best players I think - how they'd work in combination is another matter!
9
Phillips.
OK, he wasn't in the running really, until Youngs had a shocker and got subbed early. The French and Irish chopped and changed too much. Scotland and Italy never looked that good at 9.
10
Hook.
Hook is too good to leave out, just like Gatland found. The Irish and English kept chopping and English. Tranh Duc... maybe. But Hook played a lot at 10, made the back line tick and generally kicked well for territory and points when necessary too. He should not have been yellow-carded for a perfectly decent tackle against France.
Centres
Davies, BOD.
One young, one old, both in positions where actually no one really shone throughout. Hape and Tindall - solid in defence, dull in attack, no options save off-load to Foden/Ashton. France... well it's France. Darcy... old, slow and struggling. Italy... had a good game each, but only one and even that was only good. Ansbro looked promising at times, but doesn't quite make it.
Back three
Williams, Foden, Ashton.
Ashton was perhaps the most certain of the picks - even with a dull performance against Ireland.
I don't think Foden is world quality but he's a threat in attack and fast enough against the attacks we've seen to cope. Against SA and NZ - he might be in a lot of trouble.
Williams got the nod over Bowe (who certainly had a good game or two) because of the sheer electricity each touch bought not only to the crowd but to the defenders - even when not playing well he looked threatening because of it.
Still Welsh heavy of course... although some places like Phillips were a surprise to me. Eight from Wales, two from England and two from Italy. Yes Italy, one from each of the rest.
Italy have improved markedly. England look ordinary if you can stop Foden and Ashton as both Scotland and Ireland showed - they're really lacking experience in depth. Can Ireland pull it together for enough matches? Can Scotland build on their good finish? Will Wales suddenly click - sadly I think not but they've got a surprising depth in some places. France are... well French. They could click at the right time or they could fall apart.
I'm still not looking outside the Southern Hemisphere for the winners, and I'm thinking the ABs at the moment.
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