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No England player picked as six Welsh, five Irish, three Scots and one French make the Six Nations Team of the Championship

By Josh Raisey
(Photo by Getty Images)

Six title-winning Wales players - and none from fifth place England - have gained selection in the Guinness Six Nations Team of the Championship following a fans' vote. Ireland had five representatives, Scotland three and France one after the votes were counted and the XV revealed this week.

The tournament ended in a welter of excitement last Friday with Scotland beating France away for the first time in 22 years and handing the championship title to Wales, who has let slip the Grand Slam with their agonising defeat in Paris a week earlier.

Former England and Lions winger Ugo Monye provided a shortlist of players up for Team of the Tournament selection and 1.3 million people cast their vote for the XV.

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Wyn Jones, Ken Owens, Alun Wyn Jones, Taulupe Faletau, George North and Louis Rees-Zammit were the six Wales players picked from the Six Nations champions - and it would be a surprise if all of these do not make the Lions squad later this year.

Hamish Watson, the flanker was also voted player of the championship on Friday, Duhan van der Merwe and Stuart Hogg were the three Scots in the team. Tadhg Furlong, Tadhg Beirne, CJ Stander, Johnny Sexton and Robbie Henshaw make up the Irish contingent, with Beirne and Henshaw also nominated for player of the championship.

The 2020 player of the championship and a nomination for the 2021 award, Antoine Dupont, was the only Frenchman in the XV, which may come as a surprise as France finished the championship in second place. Fly-half Matthieu Jalibert was a high performer for Les Bleus but he missed the final match and was ousted by Sexton, who made a surge in the final two rounds against Scotland and England.

No players from England or wooden spoon winners Italy made the team, which was expected. Only Tom Curry and Anthony Watson would perhaps have stood a chance of making the XV following an underwhelming campaign by Eddie Jones' side.