To their credit, Wales have struggled to keep pace with England in the annoying player stakes.
Indeed, last year we set ourselves the task of trying to pick a 'least hated England XV'. It was quite a challenge mustering even 14 names (we admitted defeat in the hooker position).
But, for the week that's in it, we have decided to devote some more of the internet's precious space to the Welshmen who have, as Boris Johnson might put it, excelled in the 'field of irritation'.
* In describing these fellows as annoying, we are acting as ventriloquists for the man in the terrace who seems to regard them as such. We don't know any of these guys and are leaning on public image.
This was discussed on today's edition of our daily podcast, The Racket.
Gavin Henson
Gavin's fate was sealed by the revelation that he uses fake tan, a tidbit which was inevitably seized upon by supporters of rival nations. The view of the earthy souls in the stands was that indulging in fake tan hints at a certain vacuity in a young player. A suspicion which, regrettably, was later confirmed by Gav's appearance on the Channel 5 reality show 'The Bachelor'.
On Off The Ball yesterday, Dwayne Peel disclosed that Henson had begun showering using Evian water. For his sake, thank god his international career appears to be behind him.
Literally, yesterday we're in training and he's the same, he's fully tanned up, this is the God's honest truth, and one of the boys says 'you're skins looking good Gav' and he said 'Yeah, I've started washing and showering with Evian'. He's buying bottled water and bathing. That's how crazy he is.
Mike Phillips
We've already commended Phillips for his outstanding bravery in doing battle with the One Dircetioners.
Niall Horan was apparently disgusted by Phillips's antics in the closing stages of Ireland's 26-3 win over Wales in 2014, tweeting that he looked like 'a right arrogant idiot'.
Phillips can take can solace from the fact that it wasn't one of Horan's more popular tweets, garnering only 35,000 retweets at last check.
Either way, Phillips, in responding that Horan 'should come down to training in the week big boy' put himself in the firing line.
We can't confirm whether Phillips sought official protection from the UK authorities against the threat posed by hordes of irate teenage girls but we do understand that the fatwa has now been lifted.
Gareth Thomas
Gareth Thomas wins inclusion for his captaining of the most annoying Welsh team to ever grace the planet. We speak of the 2005 Grand Slam winning team.
Ireland had rapping their knuckles on the door of the Six Nations championship for many years, accumulating a back catalogue of second and third place finishes while Wales, in the early noughties, were usually busting a gut to avoid a belt of the wooden spoon.
The Welsh team imploded again the following year, in which they weren't aided by their captain's eccentric turn on a TV panel discussion.
Jonathan Davies
Apparently, he sets more teeth on edge in England than he does here.
One of the greatest out-halves in the history of the game, Davies's international career was a less trophy laden affair than his successors, owing to Wales dipping into a fallow period in the late 80s and his own decision to convert to professional rugby league in 1989.
His playing career was largely blameless in his acquiring a reputation for annoying people. It is his commentary career - where he is famed in some parts for being horrendously poor at concealing bias - that has done the damage.
Martyn Williams one-eyed ways in the commentary box are often overlooked. During the 2014 game in Dublin, Philip Matthews was a model of statesmanlike impartiality on the BBC. Williams, on the other hand, (the BBC were well stocked with co-commentators that day) only intervened to praise Wales and point out refereeing errors that saw them hard done by.
Jonathan Davies (centre)
An utterly blameless individual in many respects, the sight of his name on certain past team-sheets raised the hackles of Irish supporters.
He has an unfortunate habit of scoring important tries in big games against Ireland, the 2011 World Cup quarter-final and the 2012 Six Nations opener to name but two.
Read more: 5 Of Ireland's Greatest Wins Over Wales
