To kick it off I'll go for the man who had to redeem himself after his terrible discipline in this fixture last year. He definitely did that, I thought he should have won man of the match with his brilliant running, Halfpenny nearly snuck in as Hogg actually only made 3 tackles and missed 1, but to make 144 metres from 11 carries, beat 5 defenders and have 3 clean breaks is pretty special, and Stuart Hogg can boast that he did that against the Welsh on Sunday. He almost carried Scotland all the way, but some questionable decisions from the ref and the same old inability to cross the try line cost the Scots a memorable victory.
Wingers - Liam Williams & Jonathan Joseph
Liam Williams has earned his spot in the Welsh starting XV now after another good performance on Sunday. 13 carries, 94 metres, 2 defenders beaten, 3 clean breaks and a try assists are his most impressive stats, but he did miss 3 tackles, making even Alex Cuthbert a better defender than him on the day. Jonathan Jooseph had to move to the wing from centre following Mike Brown's injury, but he showed he is lethal anywhere on the pitch with 2 scintillating tries, and some incredibly strong running, beating 5 defenders on his way to making 118 metres. He has a spark in his step, that special something, and the Irish will be very wary of the threat he poses when he comes up against them.
Centres - Luca Morisi & Alex Dunbar
Valentines day was the day the Italians fell in love with Luca Morisi. Replacing the injured Michele Campagnaro who scored twice against Wales last year, Morisi scored twice against the English at Twickenham. Two good tries that showed Morisi's ability to carry well will give this young man heaps of confidence going forward. Dunbar made 8 carries against the Welsh, and he carried well, always making ground and doing exactly what was needed of him. It was in defence that he shone though, earning 2 turnovers for his side and making Jonathan Davies look non-existent on the pitch.
Half Backs - Jonny Sexton & Ben Youngs
He came back from 12 weeks out through injury and played up to his usual high standards, defending brilliantly against the brutal Basteraud, kicking intelligently and showing some strong carrying, Jonny Sexton was one of the players of the round, and Irish confidence will be high knowing he is still producing this quality going into a crucial game against the English. Not the best performance from the English scrum half but a smart try, good running and his usual fantastic kicking helped thee Leicester player get into this side ahead of Kockott and Webb.
Front Row - Joe Marler, Ross Ford & Mike Ross
A tough one to pick, but Marler's scrummaging and defence earns him his spot, as always the England pack were dominant but Marler helped out around the pitch making 11 tackles, an impressive performance from the loose head. Ross Ford is in the side as he carried well, making 7 of them, and was impressive at the lineout. Mike Ross features because of his good defence and scrummaging.
Second Row - Devin Toner & Alun Wyn Jones
Two good performances, but no stand out performances in my opinion in the second row. Devin Toner was solid in defence making 14 tackles and not missing any, and he was his usual self at set pieces. AWJ makes the team of the week after being announced man of the match against Scotland, he did carry a lot, making 11 carries and 10 metres, but his 8 tackles and solitary turnover were very important in a brave Welsh win.
Back Row - Thierry Dusautoir, Chris Robshaw & Sergio Parisse
Three captains make my team of the week in the back row Thierry Dusautoir comes into the team of the week as he gave his all against the Irish, making 16 metres from 8 carries as he tried to haul the French over the Irish try line. A captain's performance that nearly brought the French victory, and forced a much closer game than many expected. Robshaw as usual was a tackling machine out there, making 19 tackles and winning 2 brilliant turnovers. As usual his carrying wasn't impressive but he has shown himself to be a real force for England and critics are rightly encouraging his continued selection in the side after some monstrous defensive performances. Parisse, like Dusautoir, gave everything to make sure his side weren't run over by a superior team. 13 carries, 27 metres made, 9 tackles, 3 defenders beaten and a try that worried the Twickenham faithful means he comes in to the side over the likes of Biully Vunipola. You can never underestimate the effort this man puts in, even when his side lose by 30 points you know if the Italian stallion hadn't been on the pitch giving everything, inspiring his team mates, then the score could be considerably higher.
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