7 – Teddy Thomas
Discipline is a big word in the game of rugby, and that became important to Thomas after a heavy night out after last years 32-26 loss in Edinburgh. A bust up in the town left the winger off the team sheet, which for French fans was a massive blow, as not only did he cross the whitewash twice that weekend, but he’s been scoring tries left right and centre almost every week in a Racing 92 strip. Give the man a full five weekends of Six Nations rugby, and the rise of the French could reach new heights as their reformed side look to bring back their 2000’s form, and that could be catastrophic for the rest of us, but wouldn’t that just tear up the complicated script a little bit more.
8 – Jacob Stockdale
Seven tries in five games. That is impressive. I don’t really read into comments about how wingers finish moves off and make them look pretty and do the easy bit, because that isn’t how Ulster’s finest has been doing things. The record try scorer for the Six Nations and Northern Ireland’s Sports Personality of the Year is set to hit the ground running in his second tournament as Ireland look to perform the rare act of winning back to back Grand Slams, and without him, it’s hard to see how they would accomplish that without him. After all, his efforts did down the All Blacks in Dublin, and that isn’t exactly easy these days.