IRELAND, ENGLAND AND France picked up wins across round three of the Six Nations but the results didn’t tell the full story.
Wales looked reinvigorated as they delivered a spirited performance in defeat to Simon Easterby’s Ireland on Saturday, while Scotland somehow contrived to come out on the losing side against an English team who once again faced criticism for their gameplan.
It will have all made for fascinating viewing for Andy Farrell, who continues to weigh up his Lions options ahead of the summer tour to Australia.
Here, our rugby writers pick out six players who may have impressed Farrell in round three.
Blair Kinghorn (Scotland)
A couple of early handling blunders frustrated the hell out of the Scottish fans, as Kinghorn sometimes can, but England-Scotland was still a game in which he broadly bounced back from a comparably poor outing against opposite number Hugo Keenan and Ireland a fortnight ago.
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Kinghorn made a game-leading three clean breaks, beat a game-leading seven defenders, and clocked up a game-leading 127 running metres off a game-leading 22 possessions. This is his point of difference from the other options available to Farrell at 15: he’s a fright in full flight. But whereas the Toulouse man slipped off too many tackles against Ireland, Kinghorn tidied up his defence against England – albeit he was never under the same pressure.
A Lions Test starter? Maybe not. But a wildcard option for sure. Gavan Casey
Bundee Aki (Ireland)
A Test Lion from the 2021 tour, some people might have presumed Aki wouldn’t be in the running for this next tour given that he will turn 35 in April. But the Ireland centre is just one of many examples of how players can remain physically impactful well into their 30s.
Aki continues to be a huge force in the Irish midfield. His impact in Cardiff was totemic and built on strong showings against England and Scotland. His breakdown presence was important in Ireland getting over the line and we know Andy Farrell is a big fan of his. Murray Kinsella
Ellis Mee (Wales)
Ellis Mee wasn’t in the Lions conversation last week but his eye-catching debut against Ireland will have put the Wales winger on Andy Farrell’s radar. In a revitalised Welsh side, the 21-year-old was a constant threat, adding speed and invention to a backline that struggled desperately against France and Italy. With 13 carries for 69 metres, two clean breaks and six defenders beaten, it was almost a dream debut – with Mee inches away from scoring a late try that might have forced a famous win for Wales.
Ellis Mee skips past James Lowe. Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
Build on that performance in Wales’ remaining games against Scotland and England, and Mee could be a bolter for Australia, with the Scarlets player’s ability to play across the back three another bonus. At the very least, Mee’s arrival on the Test stage should have some of the other leading contenders looking over their shoulder.
It’s been some rise for a player who was lining out for Nottingham in the English Championship this time last year. Ciarán Kennedy
Finlay Bealham (Ireland)
Is Finlay Bealham going to be included in Andy Farrell’s Lions squad? Probably not. But the Connacht man has decidedly furthered his case for consideration throughout this championship. In Tadhg Furlong’s absence, Bealham has been one of the form tightheads in the competition, tackling like a madman and running with a lack of regard for his personal safety. He looks a player transformed from November, which was a slight blip in his stellar Ireland career.
Against the Welsh, albeit as Matt Sherratt reshuffled his own front row, Bealham brought instant solidity to an Irish scrum under pressure. He’s still a long shot to tour his homeland with the Lions given his competition, but he’s a far shorter shot now than he was at the start of February. GC
Josh van der Flier (Ireland)
The flanker positions will be ferociously competitive but Van der Flier’s sometimes understated excellence should have him firmly in the mix for Test caps. The way he led Ireland’s crucial counter-ruck turnover to earn the penalty for their 27-18 lead was typical, with Van der Flier followed through by the young brigade of Gus McCarthy, Jack Boyle, and Sam Prendergast.
Josh van der Flier worked tirelessly in Cardiff. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
Van der Flier never stops working, winning scraps, tackling, rucking, passing, mauling, lifting, and covering. He even threw in a grubber kick in Cardiff. He’s the kind of player who makes his teams tick. MK
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Jack Conan (Ireland)
Conan – who started all three Tests against South Africa on the 2021 tour – has been one of Ireland’s outstanding performers in this Six Nations. He was hugely impactful off the bench against England and Scotland, before injury to Caelan Doris helped open a door to the starting team against Wales.
He took his try in Cardiff superbly – using his power to hold off the defenders and slam the ball over the line one-handed. Conan lasted 43 minutes – during which he squeezed in 10 carries and 10 tackles – and Ireland missed him when he wasn’t on the pitch. And yet with Peter O’Mahony also having a big game at 6, he might well be back on the bench for France if Doris is passed fit.
Does any of that matter for his Lions chances? Most players need to be starting to earn their place on the plane, but given Conan’s unignorable form and Lions experience, the role of impact sub might be enough to book his ticket ahead of some back-rowers who are more regular starters for their country. CK
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6 players who furthered their Lions credentials in the Six Nations
IRELAND, ENGLAND AND France picked up wins across round three of the Six Nations but the results didn’t tell the full story.
Wales looked reinvigorated as they delivered a spirited performance in defeat to Simon Easterby’s Ireland on Saturday, while Scotland somehow contrived to come out on the losing side against an English team who once again faced criticism for their gameplan.
It will have all made for fascinating viewing for Andy Farrell, who continues to weigh up his Lions options ahead of the summer tour to Australia.
Here, our rugby writers pick out six players who may have impressed Farrell in round three.
Blair Kinghorn (Scotland)
A couple of early handling blunders frustrated the hell out of the Scottish fans, as Kinghorn sometimes can, but England-Scotland was still a game in which he broadly bounced back from a comparably poor outing against opposite number Hugo Keenan and Ireland a fortnight ago.
Kinghorn made a game-leading three clean breaks, beat a game-leading seven defenders, and clocked up a game-leading 127 running metres off a game-leading 22 possessions. This is his point of difference from the other options available to Farrell at 15: he’s a fright in full flight. But whereas the Toulouse man slipped off too many tackles against Ireland, Kinghorn tidied up his defence against England – albeit he was never under the same pressure.
A Lions Test starter? Maybe not. But a wildcard option for sure. Gavan Casey
Bundee Aki (Ireland)
A Test Lion from the 2021 tour, some people might have presumed Aki wouldn’t be in the running for this next tour given that he will turn 35 in April. But the Ireland centre is just one of many examples of how players can remain physically impactful well into their 30s.
Aki continues to be a huge force in the Irish midfield. His impact in Cardiff was totemic and built on strong showings against England and Scotland. His breakdown presence was important in Ireland getting over the line and we know Andy Farrell is a big fan of his. Murray Kinsella
Ellis Mee (Wales)
Ellis Mee wasn’t in the Lions conversation last week but his eye-catching debut against Ireland will have put the Wales winger on Andy Farrell’s radar. In a revitalised Welsh side, the 21-year-old was a constant threat, adding speed and invention to a backline that struggled desperately against France and Italy. With 13 carries for 69 metres, two clean breaks and six defenders beaten, it was almost a dream debut – with Mee inches away from scoring a late try that might have forced a famous win for Wales.
Build on that performance in Wales’ remaining games against Scotland and England, and Mee could be a bolter for Australia, with the Scarlets player’s ability to play across the back three another bonus. At the very least, Mee’s arrival on the Test stage should have some of the other leading contenders looking over their shoulder.
It’s been some rise for a player who was lining out for Nottingham in the English Championship this time last year. Ciarán Kennedy
Finlay Bealham (Ireland)
Is Finlay Bealham going to be included in Andy Farrell’s Lions squad? Probably not. But the Connacht man has decidedly furthered his case for consideration throughout this championship. In Tadhg Furlong’s absence, Bealham has been one of the form tightheads in the competition, tackling like a madman and running with a lack of regard for his personal safety. He looks a player transformed from November, which was a slight blip in his stellar Ireland career.
Against the Welsh, albeit as Matt Sherratt reshuffled his own front row, Bealham brought instant solidity to an Irish scrum under pressure. He’s still a long shot to tour his homeland with the Lions given his competition, but he’s a far shorter shot now than he was at the start of February. GC
Josh van der Flier (Ireland)
The flanker positions will be ferociously competitive but Van der Flier’s sometimes understated excellence should have him firmly in the mix for Test caps. The way he led Ireland’s crucial counter-ruck turnover to earn the penalty for their 27-18 lead was typical, with Van der Flier followed through by the young brigade of Gus McCarthy, Jack Boyle, and Sam Prendergast.
Van der Flier never stops working, winning scraps, tackling, rucking, passing, mauling, lifting, and covering. He even threw in a grubber kick in Cardiff. He’s the kind of player who makes his teams tick. MK
Jack Conan (Ireland)
Conan – who started all three Tests against South Africa on the 2021 tour – has been one of Ireland’s outstanding performers in this Six Nations. He was hugely impactful off the bench against England and Scotland, before injury to Caelan Doris helped open a door to the starting team against Wales.
He took his try in Cardiff superbly – using his power to hold off the defenders and slam the ball over the line one-handed. Conan lasted 43 minutes – during which he squeezed in 10 carries and 10 tackles – and Ireland missed him when he wasn’t on the pitch. And yet with Peter O’Mahony also having a big game at 6, he might well be back on the bench for France if Doris is passed fit.
Does any of that matter for his Lions chances? Most players need to be starting to earn their place on the plane, but given Conan’s unignorable form and Lions experience, the role of impact sub might be enough to book his ticket ahead of some back-rowers who are more regular starters for their country. CK
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