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Team of the Week: Sweet-smelling Roses

While Eddie Jones' England team may not be the most exciting in the Northern Hemisphere championship, they are certainly the most clinical and effective.

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Ireland, who won their first match of the tournament in putting more than 50 points past a hapless Italy, provide the biggest chunk of our staring XV – five.

That is one more than England.

However, another five English players have made it into our back-up squad – giving them nine in total.

Apart from Ireland and England, other teams represented in the first-choice selection are Wales, Scotland (two each), Italy and France (one each).

Scotland, in the wake of their effective demolition of France, join England as the biggest contributors to our back-up squad.

Along with the five England players, there are four Scotsmen, three Irishmen, two Welshmen and a Frenchman.

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Our team also has a very familiar look about it, nine players returning from week three – fullback Stuart Hogg (Scotland), wings Anthony Watson (England) and 11 Jack Nowell (England), centre , 13 Michele Campagnaro (Italy), flyhalf Dan Biggar (Wales), scrumhalf Conor Murray (Ireland), lock Maro Itoje (England), prop Willem Nel (Scotland) and hooker Guilhem Guirado (France).

Team of the Week – Round Four:

15 – Stuart Hogg (Scotland):

By some distance the most consistent of all the fullbacks and a key player to the Scottish team.

Bubbling under: Mike Brown (England)

14 – Anthony Watson (England):

He has now firmly established himself as an institution in the team and a potent attacking weapon.

Bubbling under: Andrew Trimble (Ireland)

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13 – Michele Campagnaro (Italy):

Definitely the Azzurri's best player this season.

Bubbling under: Duncan Taylor (Scotland)

12 – Owen Farrell (England):

Fulfills that second flyhalf role – which is key to Eddie Jones' success – to perfection.

Bubbling under: Alex Dunbar (Scotland)

11 – Jack Nowell (England):

The other half of England's double-barrel 'shotgun' on attack. Some serious competition from George North, but unfortunately the Welshman missed more tackles than he made.

Bubbling under: George North (Wales)

10 – Dan Bigger (Wales):

So much more depth to his game that the comical dance move when he kicks. Despite his occasional defensive lapses, he is the key to the Welsh backline.

Bubbling under: Jonathan Sexton (Ireland)

9 – Conor Murray (Ireland):

Maybe not as flash as some other scrumhalves, but he does the basics well and ensure the flyhalf gets quality ball and time to make decisions.

Bubbling under: Maxime Machenaud (France)

8 – Taulupe Faletau (Wales):

Seen as mainly a basher, but – his impressive carrying statistics aside – he is very effective on defence and as valuable asset in the line-outs.

Bubbling under: Jamie Heaslip (Ireland)

7 – Josh van der Flier (Ireland):

No longer the 'no-name brand' he was at the start of the season.

Bubbling under: John Hardie (Scotland)

6 – CJ Stander (Ireland):

What a revelation he has been in the Six Nations!

Bubbling under: Chris Robshaw (England)

5 – Devin Toner (Ireland):

He is becoming a rock in the Irish tight forwards combination.

Bubbling under: George Kruis (England)

4 – Maro Itoje (England):

Was not a starter from the outset, but may well have jumped ahead in the pecking order in the second row.

Bubbling under: Richie Gray (Scotland)

3 – Willem Nel (Scotland):

Not flawless, but a rock in the Scotland scrum and a real workhorse.

Bubbling under: Samson Lee (Wales)

2 – Guilhem Guirado (France):

While his teammates have displayed their usual temperamental and erratic nature, he the one consistent feature in a disappointing French season.

Bubbling under: Dylan Hartley (England)

1 – Jack McGrath (Ireland):

Another player who used this season to establish himself at the top of the totem pole in his position.

Bubbling under: Joe Marler (England)

Our individual selections:

Paul Dobson XV: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Michele Campagnaro, 12 Alex Dunbar, 11 Jack Nowell, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Conor Murray, 8 Taulupe Faletau, 7 John Hardie, 6 CJ Stander, 5 Devin Toner, 4 Maro Itoje, 3 Willem Nel, 2 Guilhem Guirado, 1 Joe Marler.

Tauriq Ebrahim XV: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Duncan Taylor, 12 Owen Farrell, 11 George North, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Greig Laidlaw, 8 Jamie Heaslip, 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Chris Robshaw, 5 Jonny Gray, 4 Maro Itoje, 3 Willem Nel, 2 Guilhem Guirado, 1 Jack McGrath.

Warren Fortune XV: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Michele Campagnaro, 12 Owen Farrell, 11 George North, Dan Biggar, 9 Maxime Machenaud, 8 Jamie Heaslip, 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 CJ Stander, 5 George Kruis, 4 Maro Itoje, 3 Samson Lee, 2 Dylan Hartley, 1 Jack McGrath.

Jan de Koning XV: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Michele Campagnaro, 12 Owen Farrell, 14 Jack Nowell, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Conor Murray, 8 Taulupe Faletau, 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 CJ Stander, 5 Devin Toner, 4 Maro Itoje, 3 Willem Nel, 2 Guilhem Guirado, 1 Jack McGrath.

Previous selections:

Team of the Week – Round Three: 15 Stuart Hogg (Scotland), 14 Anthony Watson (England), 13 Michele Campagnaro (Italy), 12 Stuart McCloskey (Ireland), 11 Jack Nowell (England), 10 Dan Biggar (Wales), 9 Conor Murray (Ireland), 8 Billy Vunipola (England), 7 Sam Warburton (Wales), 6 John Barclay (Scotland), 5 Johnny Gray (Scotland), 4 Maro Itoje (England), 3 Willem Nel (Scotland), 2 Guilhem Guirado (France), 1 Alasdair Dickinson (Scotland).

Team of the Week – Round Two: 15 Maxime Médard (France), 14 George North (Wales), 13 Michele Campagnaro (Italy), 12 Jamie Roberts (Wales), 11 Virimi Vakatawa (France), 10 Jules Plisson (France), 9 Greig Laidlaw (Scotland), 8 Damien Chouly (France), 7 John Hardie (Scotland), 6 CJ Stander (Ireland), 5 Alun Wyn Jones (Wales), 4 Luke Charteris (Wales), 3 Dan Cole (England), 2 Guilhem Guirado (France), 1 Jack McGrath (Ireland).

Team of the Week – Round One: 15 Stuart Hogg (Scotland), 14 George North (Wales), 13 Michele Campagnaro (Italy), 12 Jamie Roberts (Wales), 11 Virimi Vakatawa (France), 10 Jonathan Sexton (Ireland), 9 Conor Murray (Ireland), 8 Billy Vunipola (England), 7 John Hardie (Scotland), 6 CJ Stander (Ireland), 5 Alun Wyn Jones (Wales), 4 Luke Charteris (Wales), 3 San Cole (England), 2 Ross Ford (Scotland), 1 Jack McGrath (Ireland).

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