Openside Flanker
I have decided that I will first pick my openside flanker because this position will be the most important in the back row against the Wallabies. A genuine openside must be picked to counter the prowess of David Pocock and Michael Hooper in the loose, especially at the breakdown. The battle at the breakdown promises to be crucial in deciding the outcome of the series. The two obvious candidates are Wales' Sam Warbuton and Justin Tipuric. Warburton is just returning to form after a big dip since the World Cup but the form man at the moment is Tipuric. We all know how good Warburton can be but he has disappointed hugely over the last twelve months with really only his captaincy keeping him in the Welsh number seven shirt. He is, however, showing signs of regaining his form for the Cardiff Blues at club level. If he has a good Six Nations I would say Gatland will pick him as his starting openside.
While Warburton has been faltering Tipuric has been world class. He is a different type of player to Warburton and in my opinion actually possesses superior breakdown skills which is obviously hugely important when coming up against a player like Pocock. Another option which most people have probably not given much thought is Ross Rennie. The Scot has been superb over the last year. You just have to look at the stats that show that he leads all his contenders in meters gained, tackles made, turnovers won and offloads. This is extremely impressive considering he's been on a losing side most of the year. John Barclay is also a good openside but I don't see him featuring considering that Warburton, Tipuric and Rennie are all quite a bit ahead of him in the pecking order. Steffon Armitage has been excellent for Toulon but his lack of international involvement could seriously damage his chances. If I was Gatland I would still consider him though because his pace and power along with good openside skills would be invaluable.
Blindside Flanker
Wow, the amount of genuine contenders in this position is just ridiculous: Lydiate, Ferris, Wood, O'Brien, Robshaw, Croft just to name a few. First off I am going to rule out Tom Croft. I know a lot of people are picking him as a possible starter and he is the best lineout option of the lot and an excellent carrier in wide positions but given the quality of competition I'm not going to consider him. He just doesn't offer as much as any of the other candidates in my opinion.
Lydiate, Wood and Robshaw are all 'old-school' sixes. They spend all day tackling anything that moves. Lydiate's defence in last years Six Nations was so good that it won him the player of the tournament award. His only problem is his fitness. He is currently injured and may not even be back for the end of the Six Nations. This puts him at a serious disadvantage and when he does come back he'll be in a race to get fit. Robshaw offers a similar work rate to Lydiate and is also defined by his tackle count. Both Lydiate and Robshaw are good at making the hard yards around the fringes which is always invaluable. Although they are both very capable blindsides Lydiate is probably the more effective. Tom Wood offers something different as he is a more dynamic option. He is quicker and more mobile than Lydiate and Robshaw. Like these two, tackling is his strongest attribute. He is also very good at the breakdown for a blindside and plays a bit like a six-and-a-half. His running is more dynamic than than Lydiate's and Robshaw's but nowhere near as destructive than either of the Irish blindsides.
Stephen Ferris and Sean O'Brien are quite different to the others in that they are more destructive runners than traditional workhorses. Ferris is a monster plain and simple. His size and strength is beyond compare in the British Isles. He can run through players when on attack and on defence he can cause turnovers with either massive hit or using a choke tackle, which he is the best in the world at doing. Like Lydiate though, his injuries continue to haunt him and whether he can recapture his form after his horrific spell of injuries is unknown. If he can his place on the plane is secure. O'Brien is similar in that his running can single-handedly destroy teams. His form has not been as devastating in recent moths but that is mainly due to him being limited by playing at seven on several occasions for Leinster and Ireland. While playing here he has shown his ability to do the hard work at the breakdown. One doubt remains over him about whether he is able to make the hard yards when receiving slow ball but there is no doubt that with front foot ball he can be devastating.
Number Eight
Number eight is a tricky position as there are no absolute standouts but a few very capable candidates. Heaslip is most people's favourite to put on the number eight shirt and a possible captaincy candidate. After a disappointing twelve months or so he returned to form somewhat in the autumn. He's a decent runner in ball in hand and has improved a lot in running around the fringes. He also makes a considerable number of tackles and works hard at the breakdown but he is not as dynamic as he used to be.
I am a big fan of Toby Faletau. He's a good, strong carrier of the ball but his main strength is his work behind the scenes. He is mobile enough to get to a large number of breakdowns early and also makes a considerable amount of important tackles.
David Denton and Ben Morgan are both massive units who are big carriers of the ball. The difference is that Morgan is a bit of a one-trick pony where Denton also work round the pitch and makes a lot of tackles. His work rate is fantastic.
Starting : 6) Lydiate, 7) Warburton, 8) Denton
Backup : Ferris, Wood, Tipuric, Faletau
Starting : 6) Lydiate, 7) Warburton, 8) Denton
Backup : Ferris, Wood, Tipuric, Faletau
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