Team of the Week: Kearney double
The Kearney brothers, Rob and Dave, headline the Irish-dominated team when we sat down to name our famous weekly selection.
As was to be expected, the table-topping Irish team totally dominates the selection – providing more than half of our starting XV and another good number bubbling under.
Eight Irish players have made our frontline selection, with France (four) and England (three) making up the numbers.
Ireland also dominate our back-up squad – with six Ireland players 'bubbling under', followed by England, France and Italy (three each).
Seven players return from last week – fullback Rob Kearney (Ireland), wings Yoann Huget (France) and David Kearney (Ireland), flyhalf Jonathan Sexton (Ireland), flank Chris Robshaw (England), lock Pascal Papé (France) and Cian Healy (Ireland).
Team of the Week – Round Two:
15 – Rob Kearney (Ireland):
This was a tough call, as the both Kearney and England's Mike Brown were near flawless.
Bubbling under: Mike Brown (England)
14 – Yoann Huget (France):
We'll forgive him the one missed tackle, as he made so many others – to go with his impressive running stats.
Bubbling under: Andrew Trimble (Ireland)
13 – Luther Burrell (England):
Not just with ball in hand, which included three clean breaks, but also on defence he showed his class.
Bubbling under: Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland)
12 – Wesley Fofana (France):
Fofana showed just how dangerous he can be when he put the game to bed in the 45th minute.
Bubbling under: Gordon D'Arcy (Ireland)
11 – Dave Kearney (Ireland):
He has now firmly established himself, alongside brother Rob, as one of Ireland's most potent attacking weapons.
Bubbling under: Hugo Bonneval (France)
10 – Johnny Sexton (Ireland):
Produced a masterclass in how to control a game.
Bubbling under: Jules Plisson (France)
9 – Conor Murray (Ireland):
His defensive work set him apart in a weekend where some players' basic skills left a lot to be desired.
Bubbling under: Danny Care (England)
8 – Louis Picamoles (France):
This brute gave France the go-forward momentum when they needed it most and tackled his heart out.
Bubbling under: Sergio Parisse (Italy)
7 – Chris Robshaw (England):
One of the few bright lights in an otherwise very dull game.
Bubbling under: Chris Henry (Ireland)
6 – Peter O'Mahony (Ireland):
Made the breakdown his own playfield and owned it.
Bubbling under: Yannick Nyanga (France)
5 – Paul O'Connell (Ireland):
Towered above the rest like the colossus he is.
Bubbling under: Joshua Furno (Italy)
4 – Pascal Papé (France):
Missed a couple of tackles, but his workrate was phenomenal and was key to his team's forward dominance when they took control in the second half.
Bubbling under: Devin Toner (Ireland)
3 – Mike Ross (Ireland):
His impressive scrum work aside, he was also impressive on defence at times.
Bubbling under: Dan Cole (England)
2 – Dylan Hartley (England):
We'll forgive him his one missed tackle, as his workrate was impressive enough to edge the rest.
Bubbling under: Rory Best (Ireland)
1 – Cian Healy (Ireland):
His stocks are rising at an impressive rate – based on his improved scrumming (given that his direct opponent was B&I Lions veteran Adam Jones) and his great ball-carrying ability.
Bubbling under: Alberto De Marchi (Italy)
Our individual selections!
Michael de Vries XV: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Yoann Huget, 13 Luther Burrell, 12 Wesley Fofana, 11 Hugo Bonneval, 10 Johnny Sexton, 9 Danny Care, 8 Louis Picamoles, 7 Chris Robshaw, 6 Peter O'Mahony, 5 Paul O'Connell, 4 Pascal Papé, 3 Mike Ross, 2 Dylan Hartley, 1 Cian Healy.
Paul Dobson XV: 15 Rob Kearney, 14 Andrew Trimble, 13 Luther Burrell, 12 Wesley Fofana, 11 Dave Kearney, 10 Jonathan Sexton, 9 Conor Murray, 8 Sergio Parisse, 7 Chris Robshaw, 6 Peter O'Mahony, 5 Paul O'Connell, 4 Pascal Papé, 3 Dan Cole, 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 1 Alberto De Marchi.
Quintin van Jaarsveld XV: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Yoann Huget, 13 Luther Burrell, 12 Wesley Fofana, 11 Jonny May, 10 Jonathan Sexton, 9 Conor Murray, 8 Louis Picamoles, 7 Chris Robshaw, 6 Peter O'Mahony, 5 Paul O'Connell, 4 Devin Toner, 3 Martin Castrogiovanni, 2 Dylan Hartley, 1 Alberto De Marchi.
Jan de Koning XV: 15 Rob Kearney, 14 Yoann Huget, 13 Brian O'Driscoll, 12 Wesley Fofana, 11 Dave Kearney, 10 Jonathan Sexton, 9 Conor Murray, 8 Louis Picamoles, 7 Chris Robshaw, 6 Peter O'Mahony, 5 Paul O'Connell, 4 Pascal Papé, 3 Mike Ross, 2 Rory Best, 1 Cian Healy.
Previous selections:
Team of the Week – Round One: 15 Rob Kearney (Ireland), 14 Yoann Huget (France), 13 Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland), 12 Jamie Roberts (Wales), 11 David Kearney (Ireland), 10 Jonathan Sexton (Ireland), 9 Danny Care (England), 8 Sergio Parisse (Italy), 7 Chris Robshaw (England), 6 Yannick Nyanga (France), 5 Pascal Papé (France), 4 Devin Toner (Ireland), 3 Nicolas Mas (France), 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini (Italy), 1 Cian Healy (Ireland).
