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It's that time of year when the Six Nations boffins crunch the numbers, review the data and reveal the official team of the tournament - according to the stats.

We have now been handed that team by Accenture - the team behind all things statistical in this year's Championship - and, as always, there's one or two surprises on the team sheet.

Just one Welshman makes the starting XV, while the much-hyped English second rows are nowhere to be seen.

In all, there are nine Irishmen, perhaps showing just why the men in green eventually walked away with the title.

How the stats work...

Accenture use algorithms based on observed statistical relationships, as well as hands-on tweaks to produce a score for every player that shows how well they are playing.

The algorithm combines weighted values for every action - positive scores for metres gained, passes and so on, negative for poor handling or a missed tackle - and calculates an overall score. This analysis is carried in near real-time, typically running around a minute behind the on-pitch action.

The weightings are based on prior calculations of an action's likelihood of leading to a point scoring opportunity, while the human tweaks come in where a particular action, such as kicking a penalty, would give a player a disproportionate score advantage over his teammates who provided him with the opportunity.

So, with the mathematical explanations out the way, take a look through the gallery below to meet the team and see why they have been included. Read on to see who other leading pundits picked in their teams

Six Nations team: Mike Brown, Andrew Trimble, Brian O'Driscoll, Gordon D'Arcy, Jonny May, Jonathan Sexton, Conor Murray, Cian Healy, Leonardo Ghiraldini, Mike Ross, Devin Toner, Alun Wyn Jones, Peter O'Mahony, Chris Robshaw, Dave Denton,

Stats courtesy of Accenture. For more great Six Nations facts and figures, follow them on Twitter @AccentureRugby

Accenture is the Official Technology Partner of the RBS 6 Nations, providing insight into the stats that matter

How the pundits saw it...

Andy Howell, WalesOnline

It might have been an exciting Six Nations but the standard will hardly have them quaking in their boots in the southern hemisphere.

New Zealand, South Africa and Australia will hope the French keep madcap coach Philippe Saint-Andre in charge for next year’s World Cup because that would almost certainly rule Les Bleus out as challengers before the tournament has started.

The three super-powers will, despite Ireland having won the Six Nations, regard hosts England as the biggest threat to their hold on the global showpiece with Wales seen as team who lack the mental strength and belief to beat the All Blacks, Springboks and Wallabies.

And it’s the Irish, with seven representatives, and England, with four, who dominate my line-up, which will raise eye-brows for having two Italians in wing sensation Leonardo Sarto and hooker Leonardo Ghiraldini to a sole Welshman in centre Jamie Roberts and one Frenchman in finisher Yoann Huget.

Andy Howell’s Six Nations team of the tournament: 15 Mike Brown (England), 14 Yoann Huget (France), 13 Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland), 12 Jamie Roberts (Wales), 11 Leonardo Sarto (Italy), 10 Jonny Sexton (Ireland), 9 Danny Care (England), 1 Cian Healy (Ireland), 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini (Italy), 3 Mike Ross (Ireland), 4 Devin Toner (Ireland), 5 Courtney Lawes (England), 6 Peter O’Mahony (Ireland), 8 Jamie Heaslip (Ireland), 7 Chris Robshaw (capt, England)

Jonathan Davies, BBC commentator

It has been a fantastic Six Nations and one that had a fairytale ending as Ireland handed Brian O'Driscoll the perfect retirement present by beating France to win the title.

The nail-biting victory in Paris meant Ireland took the championship ahead of England on points difference.

The two teams have been the form sides in the competition and although a few French and Welsh players showed well, it is the top two who naturally provide the bulk of my Team of the Tournament for 2014.

Jiffy's Six Nations XV: Mike Brown, Andrew Trimble, Brian O'Driscoll, Jamie Roberts, George North Johnny Sexton, Danny Care, Cian Healy, Dylan Hartley, Mike Ross, Joe Launchbury, Courtney Lawes, Peter O'Mahony, Chris Robshaw, Jamie Heaslip

Brian Moore, Telegraph

In the end, it took France to butcher a straightforward overlap to see Ireland home, but it was no more than Ireland deserved. Coach Joe Schmidt’s first Six Nations saw a determination to add to their staple diet of driving mauls and suffocating defence.

They have been attractive to watch and held their discipline in the crucial final 15 minutes on Saturday when Dimitri Szarzewski had wrongly been awarded a try.

Only the terminally churlish objected to Brian O’Driscoll headlining Ireland’s title celebrations, though, in truth, he featured nowhere near as much as Andrew Trimble or Chris Henry.

As an end to a personally glorious career it was a very decent finale. What will be interesting is to see how Schmidt copes with his absence and the fact that his centre partner Gordon D’Arcy and lock Paul O’Connell are nearing the end of their careers.

England have at least an arguable case for being the best team in the tournament but a mad opening 10 and bad final five minutes against France cost them a Grand Slam.

Indiscipline against Wales, giving away six penalties in non-crucial positions, cost them a title. That said, steady progress leaves Stuart Lancaster happier at the end than the start of the campaign.

Eddie Butler, The Guardian

It was a good championship for full backs, from England's star turn to Rob Kearney, Brice Dulin, Leigh Halfpenny, Luke McLean. Even Stuart Hogg till his red card. That is good for the spirit of adventure. There weren't so many tight-head props in the queue, which suggests the scrum remains a problem. It certainly was in France-Ireland, a blot on the otherwise splendid showdown.

Butler's XV: 15 Brown (Eng), 14 Huget (Fra), 13 O'Driscoll (Ire), 12 Roberts (Wal). 11 North (Wal), 10 Sexton (Ire), 9 Care (Eng), 1 Healy (Ire), 2 Hartley (Eng), 3 Ross (Ire), 4 Launchbury (Eng), 5 Lawes (Eng), 6 O'Mahony (Ire), 7 Warburton (Wal), 8 Morgan (Eng).

Simon Thomas, WalesOnline

For the last two years, it’s been a case of which Welshmen not to include in the team of the Six Nations.

Back-to-back title successes saw them monopolise the end-of-tournament dream teams selected by the various pundits.

They also provided the player of the tournament on each occasion, Dan Lydiate picking up the award in 2012, with Leigh Halfpenny taking the prize last season after being short-listed along with Mike Phillips, Adam Jones and Dan Biggar.

But this year, their dominance has come to an end, with a stuttering campaign reflected by a much reduced contingent in my team of the championship.

In fact, only two men in red make my side, with Jamie Roberts and Sam Warburton rewarded for being our most consistent performers.

Hugh Godwin, The Independent

Wales attempted to land a third title in a row with much the same XV as in 2012 and 2013. But their tactics became easier to predict, and maybe they went to the emotional well once too often against opponents naturally desperate to usurp the kings.

Wales's Lions denied they were tired after their tour efforts last summer but in the dreadful loss to Ireland in particular there were uncharacteristic individual errors by Taulupe Faletau, Richard Hibbard and others. Also Sam Warburton, Gethin Jenkins and Jon Davies were rushed back very soon after long-term injury.

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