BIT OF A comedown from the epic international rugby tournaments we watched in 2015, sure, but the 2016 Six Nations came to an end after 15 games full of their own sort of drama and even a bit of excitement here and there.
Here’s some of the categories we’re ready to hand out some big shiny gongs for.
Player of the Championship
Where would England be without Billy Vunipola?
Probably behind or resting on any number of gainlines that the big number eight trampled his way through with ease.
James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Coach of the Championship
There’s no denying that Eddie Jones took over a nation with enormous rugby resources. But though he struggled to rein his mouth in, he managed to pull the team together on the pitch and the no-nonsense, bad boy-embracing tones he set early on helped England be themselves and return as a dominant force in this tournament.
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James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Telling eyebrow movement of the year
Nothing like a lecture after taking an off-the-ball cheap shot.
The Gordon D’Arcy award for best beard
Josh Strauss! Can we keep him?
That's him on the left. Craig Watson / INPHO
Craig Watson / INPHO / INPHO
Best overall facial hair
Jack McGrath’s moustache was in the running for Player of the Championship too.
Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
Best try-saving tackle
Duncan Taylor was a bolt from the dark blue for Scotland. Poor Tom James thought he was home and hosed.
The big question: what games were the disciplinary powers watching?
Between some missed opportunities for the citing commissioners to make themselves useful and failures by disciplinary committees to act on the citings that did come through, it’s been a poor tournament for the judiciaries.
There was a boot to Conor Murray’s head that went unpunished by a TMO, a punch on Rob Evans was written off as nothing much, a high tackle that put Dave Kearney and his AC joint out of a game and nothing was said while the highest-profile playmaker in the competition was blindsided high, hard and late two metres in front of a referee in the same game and the punishment was a penalty rather than a true deterrent, protection.
As for Joe Marler, well, that was just an out and out disgrace.
What a try that would’ve been
Errors aplenty in that laissez-faire French defence, but we love to see off-the-cuff chips through the line like this.
Break out the tux, it's The42's Six Nations awards
BIT OF A comedown from the epic international rugby tournaments we watched in 2015, sure, but the 2016 Six Nations came to an end after 15 games full of their own sort of drama and even a bit of excitement here and there.
Here’s some of the categories we’re ready to hand out some big shiny gongs for.
Player of the Championship
Where would England be without Billy Vunipola?
Probably behind or resting on any number of gainlines that the big number eight trampled his way through with ease.
Coach of the Championship
There’s no denying that Eddie Jones took over a nation with enormous rugby resources. But though he struggled to rein his mouth in, he managed to pull the team together on the pitch and the no-nonsense, bad boy-embracing tones he set early on helped England be themselves and return as a dominant force in this tournament.
Telling eyebrow movement of the year
Nothing like a lecture after taking an off-the-ball cheap shot.
The Gordon D’Arcy award for best beard
Josh Strauss! Can we keep him?
Best overall facial hair
Jack McGrath’s moustache was in the running for Player of the Championship too.
Best try-saving tackle
Duncan Taylor was a bolt from the dark blue for Scotland. Poor Tom James thought he was home and hosed.
The Stuart Lancaster award for reformed characters
Dylan Hartley, you old rogue you!
The entertainer: Stuart Hogg
The big question: what games were the disciplinary powers watching?
Between some missed opportunities for the citing commissioners to make themselves useful and failures by disciplinary committees to act on the citings that did come through, it’s been a poor tournament for the judiciaries.
There was a boot to Conor Murray’s head that went unpunished by a TMO, a punch on Rob Evans was written off as nothing much, a high tackle that put Dave Kearney and his AC joint out of a game and nothing was said while the highest-profile playmaker in the competition was blindsided high, hard and late two metres in front of a referee in the same game and the punishment was a penalty rather than a true deterrent, protection.
As for Joe Marler, well, that was just an out and out disgrace.
What a try that would’ve been
Errors aplenty in that laissez-faire French defence, but we love to see off-the-cuff chips through the line like this.
Rookie of the Year
Don’t believe the hype! Maro Itoje is even better than we expected him to be.
The award for outstanding contribution to a ruck by a referee
G’wan Jaco. Get stuck in there. Who cares if you’re blocking the only angle the TMO you’d soon call for could look at.
For no reason at all, here’s a forward attempting a drop-goal
Grazi, Sergio.
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