Tag: Hugo Keenan

2023 Six Nations: Team of the Tournament

2023 Six Nations: Team of the Tournament

We’re 1 week on from Super Saturday and the conclusion of the 2023 Six Nations. And what an edition it was! We saw Jonathan Sexton overtake his predecessor Ronan O’Gara to become the new leading points scorer in tournament history in what is expected to be his last ever match in the competition. We saw Ireland win only their third Grand Slam in the Six Nations era (their fourth in the entire history of the tournament), despite playing the majority of a half of rugby with no recognised hooker. We saw France let loose against England in a timely reminder of how dangerous the are offensively, while England began life under Steve Borthwick and Wales began the second Warren Gatland era. Scotland gave fans hope by winning their opening 2 matches for the first time in the Six Nations, only to fall away against the Irish and French, while Italy looked better than they have in years, only to end with the Wooden Spoon. And over it all loomed the spectre of the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France this Autumn…

And so it is time to bid farewell to the tournament by picking the 15 men who make my Team of the tournament. Let me know how my picks compare to yours!

Guinness Six Nations

So without further ado, my Team of the 2022 Six Nations is:

1) Pierre Schoeman: You can always tell when the Edinburgh loosehead has ball in hand from the entire Scottish crowd yelling “Schoe!” And they were doing it plenty this year, as the big man carried 60 times throughout the tournament, behind only Freddie Steward (62) and 11 more than the nearest front row (Ellis Genge). With 244 metres made and  broken tackles, Schoeman played a huge role in getting the Scottish attack on the front foot.

2) Dan Sheehan: George Turner’s lineout issues cost him in the fight for this spot, and while Giacomo Nicotera did very well in this area, he did not have the same impact in the rest of the game as Sheehan. Sheehan is one of the new generation of hookers coming through: big and physical but with the pace and footwork to be a threat anywhere over the pitch and a poacher’s eye for the line. His second try against England highlighted exactly why he makes this list, and don’t be shocked to see him regularly competing for this spot.

3) Finlay Bealham: Was given a chance to start with Tadhg Furlong injured and Andrew Porter now considered a loosehead, and took the opportunity with both hands. Scrummaged well, carried hard and generally did such a great job that Furlong’s absence was barely felt. His role in assisting Hugo Keenan’s try against France put the shine on a fine highlights reel. A pity that he was ruled out of the later stages of the tournament through injury.

4 & 5) Thibaud Flament & Federico Ruzza: Honourable mentions here for Richie Gray, who played a key role in the Scottish lineout before injury, and Ollie Chessum, who thoroughly outplayed teammate Maro Itoje and was one of the few to emerge from the hammering against France with any credit. Thibaud Flament not just secured his spot in the French XV with his performances this year but added an extra dimension to their attack with his strong but dynamic running that allowed him to carry in wider channels, and his ability to keep the attack going with a deft offload, while his  tries were also the joint-most among forwards, level with teammate Charles Ollivon. Meanwhile, Ruzza was at the centre of the Italian lineout—the most successful in the competition this season—with 39 lineouts won (more than double the tally of the next player) and a further 2 lineout steals (joint second, behind James Ryan – 5). But he was so much more than just a set piece specialist, with 28 carries for 139 metres with 6 broken tackles and 4 offloads helping to create a platform for the attack, and 55 tackles made leaving him joint-third among the Azzurri.

6) Sebastian Negri: He may not do the flashy work, but the Zimbabwe-born flanker will happily do the grunt work to allow the Italian flair players to flourish. You can always rely on him to go into contact hard, whether on offence (58 carries, 277 metres, 11 broken tackles) and defence (45 tackles, 4 dominant tackles). Does the hard work to create the platform for the backs, while also got a try for his efforts

7) Charles Ollivon: The former captain is looking back to his best. Made the third-most tackles of any French player (65 – joint-seventh most among all players) alongside 4 turnovers (2 of them in the tackle). In attack, he continued to show his quality in space, with 45 carries for 219 metres with 5 broken tackles and 5 offloads. His 3 tries were the joint-most among forwards, level with Thibaud Flament.

8) Caelan Doris: Was unlucky to miss out on a spot in my “Top 5 number 8s” article as he split his time in the national team between 6 and , but has now firmly established himself as the starting number  for Ireland and a top 5 in the world at the position. Doris is at the heart of almost everything good for Ireland, carrying hard (54 carries for 275 metres, third most metres made among forwards) nd is able to keep play going with well-timed passes either during or just before contact, while also putting in a shift in defence (50 tackles, 5 turnovers won).

9) Antoine Dupont: Honourable mention to Ben White, who took on the starting role for Scotland and was consistently reliable, but Dupont is on another level. While Ireland did well to nullify him, he showed in the rest of the games why he is regarded as one of the best players in the world. Controlled games with his ability to kick off both feet, while remaining both elusive and incredibly strong. May not have scored as many tries as we are used to seeing him score, but still finished with 4 assists and one of his own. His try-saving tackle when Mack Hansen looked certain to score will live long in the memory.

10) Finn Russell: The easy selection here would have been Sexton after leading his team to the Grand Slam, but that feels like giving into the fairytale story. Finn Russell is a magician. While not everything works out, he just smirks off the mistakes and goes again. But when it works, boy does it work, and with the team frequently putting him on the front foot, it was working this tournament, to the tune of 4 assists and key roles in many other tries. Scotland’s hopes lie in Russell and Gregor Townsend remaining on at least professional terms.

11) Mack Hansen: So I generally prefer to pick a left wing and a right wing, but while Ethan Dumortier impressed in his first Six Nations and Duhan van der Merwe continued to show his quality for Scotland, there were 2 clear standouts on the right wing who could not be ignored, so Mack Hansen gets the nod here. A great all-rounder, Hansen has the pace and ability in the air to excel at Test level, but his experience of having played 10 before moving to Ireland shows in his play, as he is frequently found coming off his wing and acting as another playmaker in wider areas to help Ireland expand their attack, while he also holds his own in defence and contributed 4 turnovers.

12) Sione Tuipulotu: Jonathan Danty’s impact on the final 2 rounds after returning from injury were almost enough to secure this spot, but he misses out to Scotland’s Sione Tuipulotu. Secured his spot in the Scottish midfield and now we are starting to really see the best of him. Can carry and hit hard, but also has incredible subtlety, highlighted by a lovely grubber kick assist for centre partner Huw Jones against England—1 of 3 assists in the tournament this season.

13) Huw Jones: Could I really split up “Huwipulotu”? Not on this tournament’s performances! I was surprised to see Jones given the 13 shirt over Chris Harris, but his chemistry with Glasgow teammate Tuipulotu and (perhaps more importantly, Finn Russell) saw the Scot with the Welshest name ever excel. Made ground not just when in space but also through contact, finishing with 441 metres (sixth-most among all players) off just 39 carries, less than anyone above him, and with 15 tackles broken. His 4 tries left him joint-second in the tournament, level with Blair Kinghorn and behind just…

14) Damian Penaud: It’s crazy; Penaud is just 26, but needs just 12 more tries to equal Serge Blanco’s all-time record for France. The wing added 5 to his tally this tournament (the top try scorer) to highlight how clinical he is, while amassing 399 metres (seventh-most among all players), 25 broken tackles and an assist off just 28 carries. Don’t be shocked to see him pushing to be the top try scorer at RWC2023. Oh and for those wondering, Julian Savea’s 8 tries in RWC2015 are the most in a tournament (6 or 7 is the most common tally for a top scorer), so Penaud breaking the French try-scoring record by the end of the 2024 Six Nations is a distinct possibility.

15) Hugo Keenan: The model of consistency retains his place from the 2022 Team of the Tournament. Always seems to be exactly where he is needed in both attack and defence, continually dealing with the opposition kicking game, while his 54 carries this year saw him top the charts for metres made (564) along with 11 broken tackles, 2 tries and an assist.

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2023 Six Nations: Ireland v France

2023 Six Nations: Ireland v France

Could this be the tournament decider in round 2? The top 2 teams in the world rankings met at the Aviva Stadium having both come through the first round with victories despite performances that were not completely convincing. And a physical start hat saw both teams fronting up on the gain line ended with an early penalty for the visitors, which Thomas Ramos duly dispatched. However, a mistake from the fullback when trying to deal with James Lowe’s kick down the 5 metre channel gifted the hosts with a 5m lineout just a minute later, and though the maul was well defended, a series of strong Irish carries culminated in Andrew Porter driving over the line, only to be held up by his opposite number Cyril Baille. The net Irish attack was much more clinical; a dummy from Finlay Bealham to the looping Conor Murray created a gap for the tighthead to send Hugo Keenan through a gap on the fringe of a ruck and back himself to reach the line for the opening try after just 8 minutes. Ramos narrowed the gap with a try, and as the game began to open up and the play got extremely loose, the French found a chink in the Irish defence to put Anthony Jelonch through a gap, with a smart offload from the flanker sending Damian Penaud over. France were their own worst enemies though, Ramos’ clearance was charged down from the restart to gift the Irish with possession on the 22, and when the ball game wide to the left, James Lowe was adjudged to have successfully denied gravity to dot down as Penaud tried to tackle him into touch, Jonathan Sexton’s missed kick from the touchline just allowing Les Bleus to hold onto their lead. Things soon got worse for the French though after a monstrous collision between Uini Atonio and Rob Herring was reviewed for a head contact and resulted in a yellow for the French tighthead, and the Irish soon took advantage of the extra man to force his way over from close range. Ramos cut the lead by 3 as the visitors returned to a full complement, but as Romain Ntamack was intercepted trying a play that wasn’t on, Mack Hansen looked certain to score only to be manhandled away from the line by Antoine Dupont. Yet once again a French error in their own 22—this time a knock on from Jelonch on his own try line—gifted the Irish a chance, only for Cyril Baille to once again save the day by holding Conor Murray up over the line, while the Irish scrum half also found himself knocking on as he stretched for the line in the final seconds of the half, leading to the hosts settling for a Sexton penalty to end the half at 22-16.

The hosts were struck a blow early in the second half as Tadhg Beirne was helped off the pitch just 5 minutes after the restart, while Sexton’s match was brought to a premature end just minutes later. After throwing caution to the wind with their play int he first half, Les Bleus were playing a much more structured and territory-focused game in the second half, but when a 5-22 from Hugo Keenan gave Ireland a lineout deep in French territory, the hosts went through the phases to force a penalty, which Ross Byrne kicked to extend the lead to 9. Ramos responded with a drop goal just after the hour—his last act before being replaced by Matthieu Jalibert—but another French error within 10m of their line gifted Ireland another opportunity, only for replacement hooker Ronan Kelleher to be held up over the line. With Craig Casey upping the tempo from the bench at scrum half and combining with Byrne to keep the French pinned back, Garry Ringrose broke through Jalibert’s tackle out wide to go over with just 8 minutes left to earn the bonus point and secure a 32-19 victory.

rugby ireland crest
rugby france crest

Ireland

Hugo Keenan is just quietly going about his business becoming the best fullback in the world. There really appears to be no weakness to his game!

In attack, he has a great range of passing to ensure that him hitting the line will not negatively impact a move, an eye for a gap, and a fantastic blend of pace and agility to take advantage of any gap he finds, as highlighted by his try today. In defence, he is a reliable ackler, but really stands out is his positioning. And in the kicking game, he is dominant in the air—somewhat reminiscent of Rob Kearney with his reliability under the high ball—while covering the backfield in a way that makes it look easy, while his own kicking game is dangerous enough to allow him to turn a kicking duel in his favour.

It really is incredible to watch him play, and he must feel like such a comfort blanket to his teammates. He truly is a great example of how just doing the basics really well and being consistent can make you one of the best in the world.

France

Last week, I wrote about how Italy overplayed against France and it cost them the match. Well it seems that France looked at that performance and said “hold my glass of wine.” After 3 years of creating a structured but fluid attack, the team suddenly reverted to the French team of old, throwing the ball around with abandon.

Now of course, we know that the Irish defence is one of the best in the world, but by throwing the ball around how they were, the French were generally giving the Irish a chance to reset their defence, or in many cases actually set up a counterattack of their own. But even worse was how unnecessary it felt, as when they played their usual structured game, they were generally making good ground and winning penalties.

Yes attacking like that can lead to beautiful tries like Damian Penaud’s. However at this level of the game, you need something much more structured and reliable to consistently cause the best defences problems.

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Ireland in New Zealand: Team of the Tour

Ireland in New Zealand: Team of the Tour

We are one week on from that historic day that saw Ireland ear their first series victory over the Kiwis in New Zealand. A fantastic 3-Test series saw the Irish recover from a disappointing defeat to make history 2 weeks running to win the series 2-1, while the wider squad also got plenty of rugby during the tour with a 2-match series against the Maori All Blacks, which ended 1-1.

And so, as we spend this period after the Summer Tours patiently waiting for the beginning of the Rugby Championship,it’s time to look back over the tour to create my combined XV. Now this one will be a little different, as I have made the executive decision to base this on all 5 matches rather than just the Test series.

Who do you think should have made the XV? Let me know in the comments below.

My combined XV from Ireland’s 5-match tour of New Zealand is:

1) Andrew Porter: Oh how the All Blacks miss Joe Moody. In his absence, George Bower got the start in all 3 Tests… and if you’ve watched Squidge Rugby’s video on the 2ⁿᵈ and 3ʳᵈ Tests, you’ll know how poor his performances were! In contrast, Porter continues to play at a high level after moving over from the tighthead side. He may still have room for improvement at the scrum and should arguably have received a red card for his high tackle on Brodie Retallick, but in the loose he remains an important player in both directions, and carried well for an important early try in the 2ⁿᵈ Test.

2) Dan Sheehan: It was a quiet series for Codie Taylor as New Zealand struggled to create anything in attack. Sheehan meanwhile completely outplayed his more experienced opponents, being solid at the set piece and being an ever-willing carrier in the loose, with some clever footwork helping to beat the defenders. With Rónan Kelleher currently out injured, this Test series may have just given Sheehan the advantage in the race for the #2 jersey.

3) Tadhg Furlong: Maybe not the most notable performances from the Leinster tighthead, but he was solid and reliable all around the park, which is more than can be said for the All Blacks’ options.

4 & 5) Tadhg Beirne & Kieran Treadwell: Regular readers will know that I’ve been championing Beirne since his Scarlets days, but now his quality is becoming impossible to ignore even in the biggest Test matches. Solid and reliable all around the park, he put in some great carries to help get the Irish on the front foot, but really stood out in defence. If he wasn’t stopping the All Blacks with a tackle before the gain line, he was getting in with the jackal to win a crucial turnover or penalty. Became a one-man defensive behemoth late in the 3ʳᵈ Test, with a interception and a series of successful jackals stopping consecutive attacks. As for his partner, Kieran Treadwell gets the nod here after some solid performances against the Maori All Blacks, while he immediately acclimatized to the game when coming on late in the defensive efforts to finish off the crucial 3ʳᵈ Test.

6) Peter O’Mahony: A few times I have wondered if O’Mahony was past it and taking up a spot in the 23 that would be better suited to a young player who could benefit from gaining more experience. But these last few weeks saw him play arguably some of the best rugby of his career. Gains bonus points if his supposed dig at Sam Cane is true.

7) Josh van der Flier: Is he one of the most underrated players in world rugby? Ultra-reliable and constantly in the right place to make a tackle, he also appears to have added a bit more of a carrying game, just adding another bow to his quiver.

8) Ardie Savea: Probably one of the hardest spots to pick, and Caelan Doris is very unlucky to miss out, but Savea was one of the few positives for the All Blacks during this series. Has pace, power, good handling and a good rugby IQ. One of only a few players who frequently looked dangerous or caused Ireland issues, New Zealand were certainly hit hard by losing him in the 2ⁿᵈ Test.

9) Jamison Gibson-Park: If we were basing on just 1 match, Aaron Smith’s 1ˢᵗ Test was the most impressive performance, but he struggled to make an impact in the other 2. Gibson-Park may not have had such a stand-out performance but consistently kept the ball moving quickly form the base of the ruck to keep the All Blacks on the back foot.

10) Johnny Sexton: Like O’Mahony it recently looked like Sexton may be past his best but he was vital on this tour. Led the attack as he usually does, while his leadership was spot on. You just have to look at the way Ireland fell apart after his injury in the 1ˢᵗ Test to see how important he is to this team.

11) James Lowe: A quick shout-out to Connor Garden-Bachop, who looked dangerous going forward in both matches for the Maori All Blacks. Instead it was the former Maori All Black who gets the nod here. Like some other players on this list, he may have put in more spectacular performances in the past, but he was reliable both on offence and defence, and took his moments well to assist the Irish when going forward.

12) Bundee Aki: Came off the bench and impressed in the first 2 Tests after a solid first match against the Maori All Blacks, and took advantage of Garry Ringrose’s head injury to get a deserved start in the deciding 3ʳᵈ Test. Carried hard and with great lines to put the All Blacks on the back foot.

13) Robbie Henshaw: Split his time between 12 and 13 depending as to if he was partnering Bundee Aki or Garry Ringrose, but the quality of his performances never faltered. Did what was required in attack while helping to marshall the Irish defence..

14) Will Jordan: One of only 2 All Blacks to make the list, what makes it even more impressive is that Jordan does so from 1 start and one appearance off the bench. Jordan knows how to make finding and exploiting a gap look easy and was one of the few players to have any success against the Irish defence.

15) Hugo Keenan: What impresses me so much about Keenan is just how well he does the basics. He so rarely makes mistakes and then builds off that to produce an accomplished performance with regularity. Completely outplayed Jordie Barrett, despite the latter also being the All Blacks’ goal kicker.

rugby maori all blacks crest no background
rugby ireland crest
rugby new zealand all blacks crest no background

2022 Six Nations: Team of the Tournament

2022 Six Nations: Team of the Tournament

You knew it had to be coming! With the 2022 edition of the Six Nations completed,there was only one thing left for me to do: pick my Team of the Tournament.

It certainly wasn’t easy this year, wit a number of impressive individual performances standing out in poor team performances, while some players may not have been quite so noticeable but actually played a key role in the success of their teams.

As always, I’ve picked my team on the feelings I got watching the matches, but I have included some stats (courtesy of the Six Nations website) that support their cause. Let me know in the comments who makes your team.

So without further ado, my Team of the 2022 Six Nations is:

1) Cyril Baille: Ellis Genge’s performances certainly had him in contention until his humbling at the hands of the French scrum, while Danilo Fischetti was a real stand-out for Italy, but Baille gets the nod here. An argument could certainly be made that Baille is one of the top 3 looseheads in the world right now. Part of the formidable French front row, Baille is a incredible player in the loose, dynamic and with impressive handling skills (he managed 8 offloads through the tournament). But what really impresses me is that he has the rugby IQ to know when to hit the ruck following a break and when to instead modify his run to instead take the crash ball on the next phase to further destabilise the defence.

2) Julien Marchand: Marchand is just one of the latest in a long line of elite hookers the French national team has been able to call on. In the loose, it is like having another back row on the pitch with his dynamic carrying and his threat at the breakdown. But not just that, he is super reliable at the breakdown, working with his props to form a dominant scrum while having a solid lineout despite Cameron Woki’s inexperience calling the lineouts.

3) Uini Atonio: Completing a French lock-out in the front row, Uini Antonio is anything but new to the international stage, but appears to have improved over recent years as he appears to have balanced his incredible physicality and scrummaging with some improved fitness, which has made him a much more dangerous player.

4 & 5) Maro Itoje & Paul Willemse: Cameron Woki and Will Rowlands were very close to making the list but just miss out. One of my major issues with Itoje over the years is how he ruins his incredible defence with some truly moronic penalties, but he appears to have cut this out and that has helped him reach a new level of quality. Meanwhile Willemse provided the hard carrying to help put the French on the front foot and the physicality behind Atonio to help the French scrum dominate.

6) Rory Darge: Made his Test debut during the tournament but honestly looked like a seasoned pro. carried well in attack and scored a deserved try, but where he really came into his own was at the breakdown. Darge finished the tournament with 5 turnovers, many of which were at crucial times.

7) Michele Lamaro: Who would have thought that sosoon after Sergio Parisse’ Italy career came to an end that the Azzurri would find another talismanic captain so quickly. Well enter Michele Lamaro. The young Benetton flanker leads by example and finished the tournament with a whopping 86 tackles—16 more than the next closest tackler. Topped off the tournament with Italy’s first Six Nations victory in Cardiff. At just 23 years old, expect him to be a regular contender for this list over the coming years.

8) Grégory Alldritt: A shout-out to Taulupe Faletau who was unbelievable in some of the matches, but Alldritt gets the nod here. The French number 8 was back to his best, carrying hard 65 times (9 more than the next carrier) and with 7 offloads that made his carries even more effective. But it wasn’t even just in attack that he excelled, finding himself in the top 10 for tackles (53) with 6 turnovers.

9) Jamison Gibson-Park: It feels like sacrilege not to pick Antoine Dupont after captaining France to the Grand Slam, but as good as he was, I don’t think he quite reached his lofty high standards. Gibson-Park meanwhile played a key role in the Irish attack, keeping a consistent high tempo that just accentuated the Irish ability to play from 1-23, while he finished the tournament with 4 assists and 390 passes (by comparison, the next-most passes was Ali Price’s 287).

10) Romain Ntamack: Dan Biggar had some wonderful moments in a poor Welsh team, but Ntamack gets the pick here. With Melvyn Jaminet taking the pressure off of him by dealing with kicks at goal, Ntamack controlled the French team with a great blend of kicking and attacking play, finishing the tournament with 4 assists.

11) Gabin Villière: Talk about taking your chance! Just a couple of years ago, Villière was splitting his time between playing for Rouen and the French national sevens team. Now he’s at Toulon and must be working his way up to undroppable status for Les Bleus. A dynamic and skilful attacker, Villière finished the tournament with 3 tries, but it was in defence where he really showed his quality, being one of only 2 backs in the top 10 for turnovers with 4 steals.

12) Jonathan Danty: On the subject of turnovers, Danty’s 5 steals were the most of all backs in this year’s tournament. As well as this, Danty secured himself as a key part of the French midfield by using his physicality to put France on the front foot in attack, while he combined wonderfully with centre partner Fickou to secure the French defence.

13) Gaël Fickou: Fickou has long been one of those super-underrated French players whose skills both in attack and defence have probably not got as much recognition as they deserved. However with Shaun Edwards now in control of the defence, the organisational quality of Fickou has really been highlighted as he helps make Les Bleus so formidable, while his attacking quality is not sacrificed at all.

14) Montanna Ioane: I usually try to stick to a left wing at 11 and a right wing at 14 as the positions do have some differences, but this year I had to pick 2 11s as their performances were so impressive. Despite not even scoring a try in this tournament—thanks to a great cover tackle from Josh Adams—Ioane was consistently superb for the Azzurri. With 51 carries (4ᵗʰ) for 498 metres (2ⁿᵈ) and 9 offloads (1ˢᵗ), Ioane played a key role in frequently putting Italy on the front foot, while his kick chasing continually put the opposition under pressure even if he couldn’t retain the ball himself.

15) Hugo Keenan: Freddie Steward was a positive at 15 in a dull England team but it was Hugo Keenan who had to get the nod here. The Leinster fullback was super reliable in the backfield and under the high ball, while his 47 carries (joint-5ᵗʰ) for 388 metres (8ᵗʰ) helped the Irish get on the front foot.

Guinness Six Nations