15 Blair Kinghorn (Scotland)
As is often the case, his game has gone to a different level since joining Toulouse. The stats don’t lie: the most carries (86, and 23 more than any other player), most metres gained (575, over 200m more than any other player), most offloads (13) and line breaks (nine).
14 Tommy Freeman (England)
Darcy Graham had another superb tournament and Damian Penaud equalled Serge Blanco’s French try-scoring record but Freeman became the first player since Philippe Bernat-Salles in 2001 to score in every game and the only Englishman ever to do so. Also made eight line breaks.
Are Ireland only Europe’s third best team?
13 Huw Jones (Scotland)
Without his sidekick Sione Tuipulotu, the Scottish outside centre was even more of a consistent threat to opposing defences. Jones scored four tries, and made 52 carries for more than 200m. He looks the favourite for the Lions’ 13 Test jersey.
12 Tommaso Menoncello (Italy)
A close call with Yoran Moefana, who was outstanding in the last two games, Menoncello was player of the tournament last year and a contender again this year with the consistent quality of his all-round game. As well as tries, assists and line breaks, the 22-year-old was also the only back in the top 10 for tackles made (53).
11 Louis Bielle-Biarrey (France)
His eight tries broke the record for most tries in a single Six Nations campaign, surpassing the seven scored by Jacob Stockdale in 2018, and equalled England’s Cyril Lowe and Scotland’s Ian Smith, who scored eight tries in the 1914 and 1925 Five Nations respectively. Also scored in every game and had four try assists. Player of the tournament.
10 Fin Smith (England)
Romain Ntamack dirtied his bib on opening night, Finn Russell was inconsistent and his goal-kicking cost Scotland in Twickenham, while Sam Prendergast had some sumptuous moments but had the most missed tackles. Smith’s control, and four try assists, was the catalyst for England’s upturn. Also tackled well.
9 Antoine Dupont (France)
A strong category, as befits the shift in influence from 10 to 9 in the modern game. Jamison Gibson-Park had a good tournament but, though restricted to three-and-a-bit games, Dupont had, in addition to his two tries, the most try assists (seven) and second most offloads (10).
1 Andrew Porter (Ireland)
Special mention for another mobile workhorse, Zebre prop Danilo Fischetti, as well as Jean-Baptiste Gros, but once again Porter played the most minutes of any prop (348) and put in a huge shift for his team and country, making 52 tackles.
2 Dan Sheehan (Ireland)
Remarkably, came into the tournament with just one 60-minute game under his belt since his ACL injury last July. Explosive and inspirational, Sheehan scored a hat-trick in Rome to make it five tries for the second Championship running, and his tally of 13 is the most of any forward in Six Nations history.
3 Will Stuart (England)
The most unsung of foot soldiers. Uini Atonio, Finlay Bealham and Zander Fagerson were vital cogs for their teams, but the much improved Bath tighthead caught the eye, not least with that sidestep against Italy and his try against Wales.
4 Tadhg Beirne (Ireland)
A host of contenders here, the French duo of Thibaud Flament and Mickaël Guillard as well as Wales’s Daffyd Jenkins and Italy’s Federico Ruzza. À la Ireland, Beirne wilted at the end and there were only a couple of steals, but he underlined his lineout qualities and slippery work when defending mauls.
5 Maro Itoje (England)
Elevated to captaincy and, after being eclipsed against Ireland, his influence grew. Played every minute and a huge presence at the breakdown on both sides of the ball and ditto in lineouts and mauls, Itoje was among the try scorers on the last day. Looks favourite for Lions captaincy now.
6 François Cros (France)
A veritable machine in the French backrow and superb against Ireland. Tellingly, despite 6-2 and 7-1 splits, the Toulouse flanker played 381 minutes out of a possible 400. Made the fourth highest amount of tackles (42) and the second most clear-outs (37).
7 Jac Morgan (Wales)
Ben and Tom Curry, Josh van der Flier and Rory Darge were good, but Morgan was a constant source of defiance in a losing cause and playing every minute, making the tournament’s most tackles (88). He was the fifth highest in attacking ruck arrivals and second in defensive ruck arrivals.
8 Grégory Alldritt (France)
A typically strong position considering the impact of Ben Earl, Lorenzo Cannone and Caelan Doris, but Alldritt was one of the key cogs in France winning the title, making 50 tackles, gaining 200m, the most defensive ruck arrivals of any player (59) and scoring two tries.
Match of the tournament
England 26 France 25, round two, Twickenham
A slow burner of a game that came to the boil in a thunderous final 10 minutes in which the lead changed hands three times. France left four tries behind in a first-half that finished 7-7. But they looked to have done enough when Louis Bielle-Biarrey’s second try of the game put them 25-19 up with five minutes remaining. But England kept their heads and created a match-winning bonus-point try that Elliot Daly finished for Fin Smith’s conversion to seal a win.
Referee of the tournament
Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
All told, 14 different referees were in charge of the 15 matches (Matthew Carley did two games), it’s probably no coincidence that the excellent, empathetic Georgian calmly oversaw the above game.
Try of the tournament
Ross Vintcent (Italy v England, round 4 Twickenham)
Just past the hour there seemed nothing on when Monty Ioane took a quick throw infield to Ange Capuozzo. Sizing up the advancing white line of opponents, Capuozzo breached it like a knife through butter when accelerating into a gap between Jamie George and Ben Earl. Then he jinked into English half before swivelling and offloading to Vintcent, who sold Marcus Smith a dummy and accelerated away to leave four English defenders in his slipstream. Brilliant.
Best pub
Joker & the Thief (Edinburgh)
No better place to watch that England-France game. Independently owned, unionised, sourced by a local brewery, dog-friendly but, eh, not child-friendly.
Best restaurant
Saltimbocca alla Romana (Rome)
Not quite the last night we’d hoped for past the midway point in the Six Nations, but no better place to sign off the 2025 edition than in this traditional and atmospheric Italian restaurant with Andrea and his staff.
