Six Nations Team of the Week: England and France snubbed by top media

Respected French publication Midi Olympique have revealed their Six Nations Team of the Week for round three, with not a single player from England or France making the cut.

It was a disappointing weekend for Les Bleus and the Red Rose as the former came the width of a post of losing for the first time in the Six Nations to Italy while the latter fell to a 30-21 Calcutta Cup defeat to Scotland.

In response to the weekend’s action, three Italian players have been included, while five Scots make the final XV.

Welshmen have also been snubbed as none of their players make the team following the 31-7 defeat to Ireland, who dominate the side with seven players in total.

Team of the Week

Azzurri backs Ange Capuozzo and Tommaso Menoncello get the nod in the back three, along with Calcutta Cup hat-trick hero Duhan van der Merwe.

Ireland’s Bundee Aki is picked at inside centre with Scotland’s Huw Jones selected at outside centre.

Despite a strong showing against England, Finn Russell does not make the team as Ireland’s half-backs Jamison Gibson-Park and Jack Crowley are Midi’s picks at nine and ten.

Three countries are represented in the back-row, with Caelan Doris picked at number eight and Michele Lamaro and Rory Darge on the flanks.

Scotland’s Scott Cummings and Ireland’s Joe McCarthy were their selections in the second-row.

McCarthy is joined in the tight five by teammates Tadhg Furlong and Andrew Porter, the standout props according to the publication, who also selected Porter as their Player of the Weekend.

Scotland hooker Ewan Ashman impressed the journalists at Midi as he was the only player who started their respective fixture from the bench and still made the team.

Midi Olympique’s Six Nations Team of the Week

Six Nations Team of the Week: 15 Ange Capuozzo (Italy), 14 Tommaso Menoncello (Italy), 13 Huw Jones (Scotland), 12 Bundee Aki (Ireland), 11 Duhan van der Merwe (Scotland), 10 Jack Crowley (Ireland), 9 Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland), 8 Caelan Doris (Ireland), 7 Michele Lamaro (Italy), 6 Rory Darge (Scotland), 5 Scott Cummings (Scotland), 4 Joe McCarthy (Ireland), 3 Tadhg Furlong (Ireland), 2 Ewan Ashman (Scotland), 1 Andrew Porter (Ireland)