Week 1 done!
Welcome to our next instalment of our weekly pre-match updates for the Natwest Six Nations where we analyse the weekend’s lineups, crunch the stats and see what the bookies are thinking to help you optimise your lineups for peak performance this weekend! By the time you finish this article you should have all the insight you need to score big fantasy points this weekend (although we can’t help with the multiple injuries and selection changes after Round 1!).
What will go down…
After a pulsating and unpredictable Round 1, Round 2 arrives with 3 more mouthwatering fixtures, and in the eyes of the bookies, there is one stand out fixture of Round 1 in terms of potentially high fantasy returns, and two others that look to have a high probability in going the way of the favourites.
In the bookies eyes (and in the eyes of most people) the biggest mismatch occurs in Rome, where tournament outsiders Italy welcome a Wales side on a high off the back of one of the all time Six Nations comebacks. Despite losing to Scotland, Italy have reasons for a hint of positivity after a very strong finish by some of their young guns at Murrayfield. Despite this, Paddy Power have given Wales a 21 point handicap, so Welsh points scorers should be your first port of call.
Elsewhere, Scotland welcome Ireland to Murrayfield. Ireland will have a point to prove as the pre-tournament favourites bruised after being humbled by England. They need to make a statement against Scotland and should have the class to do so against a Scotland team who, despite showing flashes of brilliance, generally made hard work of dispatching Italy last week. The bookies have given Ireland a 7 point handicap.
Finally, at Twickenham, a buoyant England host a French side in total disarray. England looked magnificent in Ireland and will be looking to keep their momentum going at home to France. As for France, who knows what this mad, crazy, insanely unpredictable side will come up with next. The bookies have given England a 12 point handicap. On form this is probably is about right, but with France you simply never know…
Top 10 most likely to score (Odds via Paddy Power)
- 1 Josh Adams (Wales) – Anytime tryscorer odds: 1.53
- 2 Jonah Holmes (Wales) – Anytime tryscorer odds: 1.57
- 3 Jonny May (England) – Anytime tryscorer odds: 1.83
- 4= Jacob Stockdale (Ireland) – Anytime tryscorer odds: 1.91
- 4= Liam Williams (Wales) – Anytime tryscorer odds: 1.91
- 4= Chris Ashton (England) – Anytime tryscorer odds: 1.91
- 7 Keith Earls (Ireland) – Anytime tryscorer odds: 2.1
- 8 Elliot Daly (England) – Anytime tryscorer odds: 2.4
- 9 Jonathan Davies (Wales) – Anytime tryscorer odds: 2.63
- 10= Damian Penaud (France) – Anytime tryscorer odds: 2.7
- 10= Gael Fickou (France) – Anytime tryscorer odds: 2.7
Expected to go well
*Players who are starting favourably out of position (i.e. Hooker in back row, Centre on wing, etc.)
HOOKERS
Elliot Dee (Wales)
Rory Best (Ireland)
PROPS
Mako Vunipola (England)
Cian Healy (Ireland)
Nicky Smith (Wales)
LOCKS
Courtney Lawes (England)
Jake Ball (Wales)
James Ryan (Ireland)
BACK ROW
Thomas Young (Wales)
Jack Conan (Ireland)
Billy Vunipola (England)
Josh Navidi (Wales)
SCRUM-HALF
Conor Murray (Ireland)
Aled Davies (Wales)
FLY HALF
Owen Farrell (England) – *In some games as Centre
Dan Biggar (Wales)
CENTRES
Jonathan Davies (Wales)
Damian Penaud (France)*
Henry Slade (England)
OUTSIDE BACKS
Jonah Holmes (Wales)
Jacob Stockdale (Ireland)
Josh Adams (Wales)
Liam Williams (Wales)
Likely Kickers
Morgan Parra (France)*
Greig Laidlaw (Scotland)
Jonny Sexton (Ireland)
Owen Farrell (England)
Dan Biggar (Wales)
Tommaso Allan (Italy)
*Parra started on kicking duty last weekend but after missing all of his, Lopez took over. Hard to tell who will be on duty this week. Our advice, steer clear
Under-the-radar pick
Jonah Holmes – Making his Six Nations debut for Wales against a porous Italian defence, Jonah Holmes could not ask for a better opportunity to get on the scoresheet. The Leicester flyer has been in scintillating form in recent times recording in his last 6 Premiership Appearances 3 tries, 3 assists, 476 metres gained (averaging just shy of 80m per match), 9 clean breaks and 31 defenders beaten. He has pace to burn (just ask Christian Wade, who he gassed in the video below) and in his current form will be a very hard man to stop…
The Games
- ESPN Scrum
- The Rugby Magazine
- SuperBru
- The Official Guinness Six Nations game
- The Daily Telegraph
- PlayOn (Daily Fantasy)
If you back your Fantasy Rugby skills to lead you to Fantasy Six Nations glory and win you some stash while you are at it, then join our public fantasy league on The Rugby Magazine fantasy game, where a Fantasy Rugby Geek Trucker Hat will be on offer for the winner of the league. To join, Sign up to the game here & go to Leaderboards > Public Leagues and join “Fantasy Rugby Geek”. Good luck!
Looking for more Fantasy Rugby insight and Resources?
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If you want some more sources to help you finalise your decisions, go to our resources page where you’ll find all this year’s Six Nations fantasy games, all the stats sources, injury news, team news, fantasy relevant rugby betting odds and tons of other useful information.
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