Your Six Nations XV

Grand Slam winners France provide only four members of the Zurich Six Nations team of 2002.

Choose your XV.
Click here for the Zurich XV

Le Bleus skipper Fabien Galthie, front-row duo Pieter de Villiers and Raphael Ibanez and winger David Bory are the only Frenchmen included in a contentious line-up.

Back-row Serge Betsen, who grabbed two tries in the 44-5 win over Ireland, is surprisingly omitted, with England's Lewis Moody included instead.

The vast majority of the team are English, Clive Woodward's side providing eight players, while Wales, Ireland and Scotland have to be content with one each.

Have Zurich got it horribly wrong?

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This debate is now closed - a selection of your e-mails appear below

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Are you all international coaches? All of these fantasy teams and comments are wholly subjective (including the Zurich XV). I won't even attempt to select my XV as I do not know nearly as much about the players as the coaches and those close to the international game. I just love watching it.
Ian Lambert, England

The French back row unit is the best I have seen in the Six Nations for ages, and Magne is one of the most gifted players in the world.
DWB, Durham, England

I can't believe that none of the Welsh back line were included

Tom, Wales

I can only assume someone is taking the mickey here? This is the 'A' side obviously? Only the French players included in this side deserve to make it. The Six Nations team should be the entire French side with Robinson and Hickie for Brusque and Bory.
Philip Whelan, Eire

I agree to some extent with Dean Annison. Betsen is undoubtedly a fine player but he did get away with a lot so far as off-side and disengaging from the scrum early were concerned. He may struggle once refs catch on to his methods, but hopefully he has the class to adapt.
Charlie, UK

I can't believe that none of the Welsh back line were included. Exactly what tournament were you watching Mr Zurich? They exhibited all the attacking 'flair' Welsh rugby is famous for and on several occasions and managed to pass the ball to hand while running at the same time. No mean feat!
Tom, Wales

Having seen Zurich's so-called "World Rankings", how can one possibly take anything they say on the subject of rugby seriously?
Rupert, UK ex-Aus

You would never guess that Zurich sponsor the Premiership, would you?

Alex, Wales

Who on earth did Zurich nominate to pick this ridiculous team? Although English myself, I'm dismayed at the blatant pro-English bias shown here. I nominate the whole of the French team, who played some outstanding rugby and utterly demolished England. Betsen was the player of the tournament.
Paul Stacey, England

You would never guess that Zurich sponsor the Premiership, would you?
Alex, Wales

What a poor choice of players. How can you overlook the French who won all their autumn internationals? My team would be: 15 - Robinson 14 - Hickie 13 - O'Driscoll 12 - Greenwood 11 - Bory 10 - Humphries 9 - Galthie 8 - Quinnell 7 - Back 6 - Betson 5 - Kay 4 - Johnson 3 - De Villiers 2 - Ibanez 1 - Rowntree
Iain Rowe, England

Robinson; Rougerie; Traille; Greenwood; Cohen; Wilkinson; Galthie; Harinordoquay; Bergamasco; Back; Kay; Murray; De Villiers; Ibanez; Vickery. Betsen doesn't get in as he doesn't understand the offside rule, but France and England MUST make up the majority of the team. France don't have it all their own way as they struggled in their first two matches.
Dean Annison, UK

What are Zurich playing at? They have ignored the mastery of the French team in favour of too many players from an England team that doesn't fire in pressure situations.

England played the best rugby in the tournament to win the Triple Crown

Alex, England

My 15: Robinson, Rougerie, O'Driscoll, Marsh, Cohen, Wilkinson, Galthie, Quinnell, Betsen, Magne, Kay, Murray, De Villiers, Ibanez, Smith.
Mike, Wales

To be fair, England played the best rugby in the tournament to win the Triple Crown. They outscored everyone by a stack of points and had the best defence, so some credit must go there. It was only a shabby away defeat to France that cost us the title.

England were better than France against all the others, but as usual bottled the big game. The top XV should show this with Robinson, Greenwood, Wilkinson, Back, Johnson, Grewcock, Vickery and possibly Cohen and Moody too from England.

If your looking at the cup overall, it is unfair to exclude English players for one poor performance.
Alex, England

Too few French by far. That Healey made it when even his own coach reckoned he was suffering a dip in form is ridiculous, and the omission of Serge Betsen even more so. O'Driscoll, whilst a genius, didn't have a great tournament and I feel he is in on reputation rather than performance.
PK, England

Who picked this team, and were they watching the same tournament as the rest of us?

JTM, UK

Serge Betsen was outstanding against England. He made several of our world class players look very ordinary; and he wasn't bad against Ireland either! His absence is simply mystifying.
Steve Brooks, England

This is further testament to how the English media machine hypes up its sportsmen/women. If England had won the Grand Slam I wouldn't have been surprised if the team was 100% English. I can't speak for the French, but I know the Scottish, Welsh and Irish have become immune to this ridiculous favouritism.
Craig, Argyll

Lewis Moody? Austin Healey? Who picked this team, and were they watching the same tournament as the rest of us? 15. Robinson (Eng)
14. Hickie (Ire)
13. O'Driscoll (Ire)
12. Marsh (Fr)
11. Bory (Fr)
10. Merceron (Fr)
9. Galthie (Fr)
8. Harinordaquay (Fr)
7. Back (Eng)
6. Betsen (Fr)
5. Murray (Sco)
4. Kay (Eng)
3. De Villiers (Fr)
2. Ibanez (Fr)
1. Smith (Sco).
JTM, UK

ne name sums up the rubbish they throw at us: Healey

Marc, Cardiff, UK

The whole of the French team of course! After all, they won the tournament. Once again, Zurich has to resort to make-believe rather than face up to reality.
David, Wales

How any Welsh player made the team is beyond me!
Mick, England

Robinson, Cohen, Traille, Greenwood, Rougerie, Wilkinson, Galthie, De Villiers, Ibanez, Rowntree, Kay, Johnson, Betson, Harinordaqauy, Magne
Paul B, England

Zurich are having a laugh aren't they? Is this anything to do with the fact that they sponsor the English league? For what it's worth my team would have been: Robinson, Rougerie, Traille, Greenwood, Bory, Merceron, Galthie, Harinordoquy, Back, Betsen, Murray, Kay, Smith, Ibanez, De Villiers. Lots of Frenchman I know, but they were the best team!
Nick Wilson, UK

Surely there must be some embarrassment at Zurich as they display their lack of knowledge of the game. One name sums up the rubbish they throw at us: Healey. For maverick talent, read Occasional competence.
Marc, Cardiff, UK

After seeing Healey included ahead of Rougerie, I did not bother to read the rest of the team

Sam, USA

It's Sad to see the British ignoring everything on the other side of the Channel again. After three Gram Slams in six years, a World Cup final spot and victories over Oz, NZ and SA in the past two seasons, France must surely rate as top class.

As for the Zurich Six Nations XV, the fact that Moody made it above Betsen is jaw-dropping. And that says it all. My team: Robinson, Cohen, O'Driscoll, Traille, Hickie, Wilkinson, Galthie, Harinordaqauy, Bergamasco, Betsen, Grewcock, Murray, De Villiers, Ibanez, Smith.
Ryan S, ex-pat South African

After seeing Healey included ahead of Rougerie, I did not bother to read the rest of the team.
Sam, USA

As usual, these statistics stink.
Pete, Wales

15. Robinson
14. Healey
13. Greenwood
12. O'Driscoll
11. Bory
10. Wilkinson
9. Galthie
8. Taylor
7. Back
6. Basten
5. Kay
4. Johnson
3. De Villiers
2. Thompson
1. Vickery
Dan Bleakman, England

Robinson, Cohen, Bory, Marsh, Greenwood, Merceron, Galthie, Quinnell, Betsen, Magne, Kay, Murray, Smith, Ibanez and Rowntree. Coach: Laporte
Stephen, England

Lewis Mooody ahead of Serge Betsen? Darling Johnny ahead of Merceron? As for the inclusion of Austin Healey, who I can recall doing precisely nothing to merit his inclusion? You're having a laugh!
Gordon, London, UK