Jeremy Guscott's team of the 2019 Six Nations
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A momentous tournament came to a fittingly exciting end on Saturday with Wales strolling to a Grand Slam with unexpected ease before England and Scotland's surreal, 11-try, see-saw draw at Twickenham.
There have been some sublime performances over the past six weeks, as well as the odd shocker.
Taking all that into account, here is my Six Nations team of the tournament.
15. Elliot Daly (England)
It is very close between Daly and Wales' full-back Liam Williams, but the England man's attacking game edges it for me. His speed and ability to evade the first man in the chase was superb. That is the type of player I like. Williams dominated everyone in the air, but he was not at his sensational best with ball in hand.
14. Josh Adams (Wales)
Considering the size of some of the backs in the tournament, he is a relative lightweight, but he has been brilliant. After a couple of early mistakes, he bounced back with that superb leap, juggle and score to seal the win against England and then a lovely side-step past Blair Kinghorn to score against Scotland.
Just 23, but he looks like he has been on the international stage for years.
13. Jonathan Davies (Wales)
Jonathan Davies' defence is probably the best of any outside centre in the world. He locks down that outside channel and that is crucial to Wales' gameplan. If you can get into space inside or outside him, you have cracked a large part of scoring against Wales. But very few can.
12. Hadleigh Parkes (Wales)
Parkes is not the usual type of player I would pick, but his consistency makes his case impossible to ignore. He is a seven and a half out of 10 every game at least.
He glues together the Wales backline with all-round ability, front-foot defence and lung-busting effort.
11. Jonny May (England)
The England wing has become a try-scoring machine. He scored six tries in this Six Nations, four in the 2018 tournament. His straight-line pace is devastating, but also his aerial game has improved a lot this year.
10. Finn Russell (Scotland)
He is entertainment. He is box office. He reminds me of my old British and Irish Lions team-mate and his Scotland coach Gregor Townsend, who could frustrate you one moment and have you jumping up and down with a moment of brilliance the next.
Mistakes are an inevitable consequence of the way he plays, but when he manages to squeeze out some of the errors out of his game, he will be an even better player.
9. Antoine Dupont (France)
He is another exciting player. The 22-year-old was behind Morgan Parra in the France reckoning at the start of the tournament, but he has brought his Toulouse form to the international stage and is now first choice.
He likes a break, a dart and opposition defences have to keep their eye on him all the time.
In an indifferent team, he has been a bright spot. Given a good run, I think he will be in the Test game for a long time. But that is all at the mercy of the French games' unpredictable coaching politics!
8. Louis Picamoles (France)
I want game-changers among my set of forwards. Louis Picamoles is one of those players who racks up big numbers in ball carries and metres made, but also has the ability to pop out of a tackle or deliver a telling offload.
7. Tom Curry (England)
When you watch Tom Curry playing, you think he is just going to crawl off the field, such is the workload the 20-year-old gets through. He leaves nothing out there, emptying the tank over 80 minutes.
He is the top tackler in the tournament with 86 and joint third in the turnover standings. He has deft hands in the loose and scored a fine opportunist try against Wales.
The only blot on his copybook was when his over-enthusiasm cost him a yellow card against Ireland.
6. Josh Navidi (Wales)
Some of Josh Navidi's work in Wales' Grand Slam has gone under the radar, but he will be hugely valued by his team-mates. He is second only to Curry in the tournament's tackle standings and is one of the leaders for Wales in defence.
5. Alun Wyn Jones (Wales)
He has 125 Wales caps, stretching over nearly 13 years. He's been there, seen it and done it. And yet he continues to improve. This is sensational.
He is 33 now and when you get to the end of your career the realisation that you have to make the most of a limited amount of time left at the top can inspire you.
In turn, he inspires others in that Wales team.
4. George Kruis (England)
This is a close call between George Kruis and Ireland's James Ryan. Ryan's work-rate is phenomenal, but I think Kruis has more physicality when he carries. Defence is a given at this level. You are looking for something a little extra with ball in hand and that is what Kruis brings to a side.
3. Kyle Sinckler (England)
Kyle Sinckler is another impact carrier and he also comes with an edge. He is a confrontational, uncompromising character and you need some of those in a squad.
You saw against Scotland on Saturday, as he burst through in the build-up to Joe Launchbury's try, that he has a pace and power that most props cannot bring to the game. Over the course of the tournament, he showed more than Tadhg Furlong did for Ireland, and that is a high bar.
2. Jamie George (England)
With captain Dylan Hartley out of the equation, Jamie George took his chance. His ball-carrying and distribution were excellent, with one miss-pass to set up a try against Italy a particular highlight.
Wales' line-out wobbled during the campaign and hooker Ken Owens, George's prime rival for this slot, has to take some of the blame for that.
1. Cian Healy (Ireland)
Cian Healy just edges out Wales' Rob Evans at loose-head prop. He challenges the gain-line, with strong, aggressive carries. He has that animal streak as well; if he starts going backwards, it provokes a reaction from him.
Player of the tournament
Jonny May had an outstanding tournament, but it is impossible to look beyond Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones. It would be strange not to give it to someone who has led his side so well and clinched the Grand Slam.
Try of the tournament
Cory Hill's try for Wales against England. The hosts showed superb patience across 34 phases and when second row Hill finally crossed the noise inside the Principality Stadium was deafening.
Moment of the tournament
Without this moment, things could have been very different. On the opening weekend, France were leading Wales 19-17 with 71 minutes on the clock and possession in the visitors' half.
France second row Sebastien Vahaamahina throws a ludicrous miss-pass, George North pounces to intercept and the game breaks the way of Wales.
Tackle of the tournament
With Wales 7-0 up on Ireland in the early stages of their final-round match, Johnny Sexton picked out Jacob Stockdale with a cross-field kick.
The Ireland wing shrugged off Gareth Davies and seemed set for the corner, only for Hadleigh Parkes to somehow make up the ground and haul him down.
A massive effort at a vital time of a vital match, it summed up the determination in the Wales team.
Breakthrough of the tournament
Scotland's Darcy Graham has shown up well, but Josh Adams, who came into this tournament with six international caps and one try to his name, has to take it.
If you could change one thing...
I am not in love with bonus points. I like the simplicity of how it was with points difference being the tie-breaking factor in the standings.
Jeremy Guscott was speaking to BBC Sport's Mike Henson.
- Published15 March 2019