Front Row: Rob Evans, Guilhem Guirado & Lorenzo Cittadini
Guilhem Guirado is the only player in the front row to have retained his place, after once again being the French team's inspiration, carrying well and scoring a try and also throwing perfectly from the lineout. Rob Evans and Lorenzo Cittadini also carried strongly, and with no missed tackles between them they were strong in defence too, Evans and Guirado managed to add a turnover to their already impressive stat sheet.
Second Row: Maro Itoje & Jonny Gray
Maro Itoje also retains his place, somewhat controversally over his team mate George Kruis, who was also very impressive against Ireland. Although I feel Maro is better suited to play at 6, there is no denying that Ireland felt his impact at the weekend, with Itoje carrying strongly, tackling well and grabbing a turnover, performing better in all of these areas than Kruis. The star second-row of the weekend though was Jonny Gray, who was immense against the Italians, racking up 20 tackles, winning a turnover and carrying very strongly.
Back Row: Chris Robshaw, Alessandro Zanni & Billy Vunipola
Chris Robshaw was the best 6 of the weekend after a solid performance against Ireland, he pips the likes of Barclay and Stander with his good carrying, great pass for an English try and also his strong defence. He didn't set the world alight, but proved himself in what many feel is his best position. Alessandro Zanni makes the side with his impeccable defence and strong ball carrying, and he was one of few players in the Italian side that really challenged the Scots, and outshone his opposite number. Another player that did exactly that is the destructive Billy Vunipola who makes the side after missing out to Faletau last week. It's difficult to leave him out when he's making almost 100 metres per match and causing the defence nightmares. Another fantastic game for big Billy, who has been the best 8 in the Northern Hemisphere so far this year.
Half-Backs: Gareth Davies & Dan Biggar
The best half-back pairing on form have made the team of the week for game week 3, with both players providing a real threat everytime they touched the ball, running well but also controlling the back-line well, leading to a comfortable victory against France. They combined for 125 metres when they carried the ball, beating 7 defenders. This pair will be a real worry for the English in 2 weeks time.
Centres: Owen Farrell & Robbie Henshaw
Whilst he would perform better at 10, Farrell is continuing to impress, being a good attacking threat and giving better distribution at the weekend. It was the man in green at 13 who impressed the most though, with vicious carrying that allowed him to mark up over 100 metres, brushing defenders off with ease, even though he never actually got his try. Neither player really impressed in defence, but with the ball in hand they looked dangerous and will certainly have caught the eye of their resepective opponents in the next round.
Back 3: Jack Nowell, Anthony Watson & Stuart Hogg
Three very strong performances with ball in hand for these 3 have secured them their spot in the team of the week. Jack Nowell, with his terrible hair, managed to make 54 metres, whilst his team mate managed 87, and bagged himself a try whilst he was at it too. The English wingers have the pace and the strength to cause headaches for most defences, and they proved it against the men in green. They also put in a decent shift when defending, and always looked to get involved in the game. One man that really showed us what he can do in attack was Stuart Hogg, once again. He skipped past 6 defenders on his way to making 99 metres from just 9 carries, and he also secured 2 assists for his side. He was as crucial as always, and when they win you will always see a good performance from this man.
So, what do you think? Have we missed anyone out? Are you furious that your favourite player didn't make it? Let us know in the comments or tweet us @FourBallsBlog.
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