Jeremy Guscott: England lead the way in my team of Six Nations

There was not much separating the four top sides in this year’s Six Nations, as the tournament took us on a journey that was great viewing from start to finish. My team of the 2014 tournament reflects the high points and the players who made them happen, with those from England leading the way, but also with contributions from Ireland, Wales and France.
My Six Nations Dream Team for 2014 is: Mike Brown (England); Yoann Huget (France), Jonathan Davies (Wales), Luther Burrell (England), George North (Wales); Jonny Sexton (Ireland), Danny Care
(England); Cian Healy (Ireland), Dylan Hartley (England), Nicolas Mas (France), Joe Launchbury (England), Courtney Lawes (England), Yannick Nyanga (France), Chris Robshaw (England), Taulupe Faletau (Wales).
And here is why I picked them:
15. Mike Brown
The Harlequins full-back has put himself on the global rugby map. Have we ever seen a Six Nations campaign of that calibre from a full-back, especially in terms of running ability? It’s great to see what dedication and focus in training can do when a player puts his mind to it like Brown has.
14. Yoann Huget
The Frenchman is a silky-smooth predator of a wing. Present him with an opportunity and he scores with a minimum of fuss and ruthless finishing. He simply grabs it and goes for the line.
13. Jonathan Davies
He missed the first three matches through injury but when he came back he showed us why he is one of the top three outside-centres in the world. He’s so accomplished that if he doesn’t score himself he creates opportunities for others, and he is steadily growing as a leader within the Welsh side.
12. Luther Burrell
Showed he’s got what it takes by not only thriving as an international outside-centre having played most of his club rugby at inside-centre, but by doing it in style. He was picked in one of the most pressurised positions on the pitch but adapted immediately by making breaks, creating chances, and scoring tries.
11. George North
He demonstrated his versatility by switching to centre and holding his own skill wise, and then going back to wing and making a big impact almost instantaneously. He has already given us memories which will last forever, and he is still only 21. The giant Welshman is a special talent.
10. Jonny Sexton
The Irish fly-half is a better runner currently than Owen Farrell, although the young English fly-half showed huge improvement over this campaign. Sexton ‘has it’, as he’s proven with the Lions, Ireland, and Leinster. During this tournament he not only made the breaks, he finished them off, becoming joint top try scorer on four with Brown.
9. Danny Care
He played a Championship that will have made everyone who has believed in him very proud. All the scrum-half’s potential has been realised during the best England’s Six Nations performance for a long time. The partnership he’s developed with Farrell works so well that Ben Youngs will have to work very hard to get back in to the match squad. Care came close to being the player of the tournament.
8. Taulupe Faletau
He is the sort of player that you just want to see released. Warren Gatland has a great coaching track-record but when I look at Faletau I see a ballplayer and an athlete who needs to be let loose. He’s the sort of player you can build a game plan around because he’s that good – and if he expresses himself we’ll be able to play off him.
7. Chris Robshaw
He has changed his game. Although he doesn’t win turn-over ball as much as some opensides, apart from that he is everywhere. Robshaw is integral to England, and has become especially good as a link man because his offloads often shift the point of attack. He has really studied his game, and improved it.
6. Yannick Nyanga
He only played two full games before being injured, and yet he stood out despite France being pretty poor – and that is not easy to do. He was outstanding against England, and at the heart of swinging the game France’s way with his speed and elusiveness. Played like a champ.
5. Courtney Lawes
As a second row pairing he and Launchbury were nothing short of phenomenal. It took me a while to work out why there are so outstanding, and it comes down to athletic and footballing ability. On top of that, Lawes has a deep desire to win something after so many near misses.
4. Joe Launchbury
He and Lawes have both played a lot of rugby in the back row, and it shows in their speed and anticipation. As footballers both have a skill set above and beyond those shown by most locks.
3. Nicolas Mas
The experienced French tighthead had his ups and downs, particularly after being sin-binned against Wales alongside Gethin Jenkins. But he kept plugging away and after the lucky escape in Scotland reasserted himself in the final game against Ireland.
2. Dylan Hartley
Hooker is about doing the basics so well that the opposition do not get a sniff of your set-piece ball. Hartley ticked that box at the lineout by consistently hitting his jumpers, and ticked another by making it hard for the opposition at scrum time. He also ticked a third with the impact that he made in the loose. Another candidate for most improved player.
1. Cian Healy
He has suddenly realised how good he can be – and in Healy’s case we are talking about becoming the best loosehead in the world. Ever since he threw down the gauntlet to New Zealand he has become the new benchmark.