Welcome to our next instalment of our pre-match updates for the Natwest Six Nations Round 4. This is 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.
What will go down…
With the drama of the first three rounds over and only one team remaining in Grand Slam contention, all eyes are on a scintillating final two weeks as this year’s Six Nations reaches it’s conclusion. Round 4 offers up some hugely exciting fixtures, and as far as the bookies are concerned, there is one stand out fixture in terms of potentially high fantasy returns where Wales welcome the winless Italians. The Welsh side is dramatically changed, however it features an exciting blend of young rookies and established older names making a return to the squad. The new look side will be looking to make a big statement, and looking at the handicap match market, the bookies are handing a win to Wales with an enormous margin of 27 points. Load up on the boys in red!
Elsewhere, England still reeling from their shock defeat at Murrayfield will be doing all they can to show it was just a blip and not the foreseen #downfall2018 predicted by a certain Jonathan Beardmore of Eggchasers fame. They face a France side in Paris, who will buoyed from their victory against Italy, but with France you just don’t know what you are going to get. The jury’s out on this one, but the bookies are giving England a 7 point win.
Finally at the Aviva Stadium, Scotland’s heroes will be looking to capitalise on their incredible victory against England…
Amazing – Greig Laidlaw, Finn Russell & Huw Jones belting out Flower of Scotland last night 🙌🏴
📹 IG/ec4nning pic.twitter.com/gFCQRfQdTi
— Rugby Lives (@RugbyLives) February 25, 2018
…and continue their continuing progression into a world force. They face the stiffest of tasks away to an imperious Ireland side now on track for a Grand Slam. Will they crash the party again? The bookies don’t think so, giving Ireland a 9 point win.
Top 10 most likely to score (Odds via Paddy Power)
- 1 Steff Evans (Wales) – Anytime tryscorer odds: 1.62
- 2 George North (Wales) – Anytime tryscorer odds: 1.73
- 3= Keith Earls (Ireland) – Anytime tryscorer odds: 2
- 3= Liam Williams (Wales) – Anytime tryscorer odds: 2
- 3= Gareth Davies (Wales) – Anytime tryscorer odds: 2
- 3= Jacob Stockdale (Ireland) – Anytime tryscorer odds: 2
- 7 Jonny May (England) – Anytime tryscorer odds: 2.3
- 8 Taulupe Faletau (Wales) – Anytime tryscorer odds: 2.4
- 9= Mattia Bellini (Italy) – Anytime tryscorer odds: 2.5
- 9= Elliot Daly (England) – Anytime tryscorer odds: 2.5
- 9= Tommaso Benvenuti (Italy) – Anytime tryscorer odds: 2.5
- 9= Conor Murray (Ireland) – Anytime tryscorer odds: 2.5
Expected to go well
*Players who are starting favourably out of position (i.e. Hooker in back row, Centre on wing, etc.)
FRONT ROW
Jamie George (England)
Rory Best (Ireland)
Mako Vunipola (England)
Tadgh Furlong (Ireland)
Jefferson Poirot (France)
LOCKS
Maro Itoje (England)
James Ryan (Ireland)
Cory Hill (Wales)
BACK ROW
Justin Tipuric (Wales)
CJ Stander (Ireland)
Taulupe Faletau (Wales)
James Davies (Wales)
SCRUM-HALF
Conor Murray (Ireland)
Gareth Davies (Wales)
FLY HALF
Jonny Sexton (Ireland)
Gareth Anscombe (Wales)
CENTRES
Owen Farrell* (England)
Garry Ringrose (Ireland)
Mathieu Bastareud (France)
OUTSIDE BACKS
Liam Williams (Wales)
Steff Evans (Wales)
Elliot Daly (England)
Jacob Stockdale (Ireland)
Likely Kickers
Maxime Machenaud (France)
Greig Laidlaw (Scotland)
Jonny Sexton (Ireland)
Owen Farrell (England)
Gareth Anscombe (Wales)
Tommaso Allan (Italy) – TBC until lineup is confirmed
Under-the-radar pick
Liam Williams – While he’s not a 100% bone fide under-the-radar pick, injury has limited his 6 Nations appearances this year so that’s enough for me! Since returning from injury at Sarries, Williams has been in scintillating form, putting in a man of the match performance 2 weeks ago against Sale and looking fresh and ready to step back up to international level for a Wales team who welcome a downbeat Italian side seemingly destined for the Wooden Spoon. Williams crossed the whitewash against Italy last year, and everything suggests more of the same this year.
And I also picked him, because it’s another excuse to share this!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLIV4EQ4c4k
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 Natwest Six Nations fantasy games, all the stats sources, injury news, team news, fantasy relevant rugby betting odds and tons of other useful information.
If you back your Fantasy Rugby skills to lead you to Fantasy Six Nations glory and win you some of this stash while you are at it, then join our Natwest Six Nations leagues on ESPN Scrum and on SuperBru, where a Fantasy Rugby Geek Trucker Hat will be on offer for the winners of each league. There is still time to join!
To join the ESPN Scrum league, simply go here, create your team, go to Leagues, select ‘Join League’ and enter the league League Password: 1304606-52973.
To join the Superbru league simply go here, and if you are asked, enter the Pool name Fantasy Rugby Geek and Pool code pegstrap. Good luck!
There’s still time to join both, so get involved and good luck, the standings after Round 3 for the ESPN and SuperBru leagues are below…
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