Alun Wyn Jones' giant replacement is Wales' player of the Six Nations

When you reflect on who has been Wales’ best player in the Six Nations so far, a few names spring to mind.

Nick Tompkins showed up really well in the opening three games before concussion ruled him out of the France match, while Taulupe Faletau has been back to his imperious best at No 8 since returning to the side for the outings against England and the French.

Then you’ve got Liam Williams who is leading the way in the Welsh ranks in terms of carries and metres made.

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But when you look at the four matches overall and consider who has been the pick of the bunch in terms of their all-round performances, one name stands out above the rest for me - Will Rowlands.

There was a heavy burden of responsibility on the shoulders of the 30-year-old Dragons lock going into this Championship campaign.

He was stepping into the boots of one of the true legends of Welsh rugby in the shape of the injured Alun Wyn Jones.

With experienced duo Jake Ball and Cory Hill also out of the equation having headed to foreign fields, the second row cupboard was potentially looking a bit bare.

But Rowlands has proved any such concerns to be unfounded with his excellence over the past month or so.

A quick look at his stats show just what a contribution he has made.

He has played 309 of the 320 minutes, working his socks off for every one of them.

No one in the Welsh team has made more tackles, with his tally of 48 putting him fifth on the overall table.

He’s also second in terms of carries by men in red, having made an impressive 203 metres from the 37 times he has trucked the ball up.

Then there have been the three steals he has pulled off at the lineout, where he was particularly effective against France,