And away we go, it’s good to be back! The first Rugby World Cup instalment of our pre-match updates where we analyse the upcoming lineups, crunch the stats and see what the bookies are thinking to help you optimise your lineups for peak performance this week!
For the Rugby World Cup, I will be producing picks on a weekly basis, which should allow enough foresight for players to plan effectively but where possible should avoid the perils of in-tournament injuries and squad rotation.
While I will do all I can to only select starters, there is a limitation in the fact that lineups are only announced 48 hours prior to kick-off, and while I will make it clear where players are unconfirmed, make sure you double check the starting XV’s before you finalise your team. This is particularly challenging for those playing Superbru, as your team is locked in once the deadline passes. This is less of an issue for the Official game in which you can make changes even after the Round starts.
I will update this post as and when new teams are announced. This is the second version and is up to date as of 11:00 BST on 8th September.
Keep an eye out for the Round 2 tips which will go live on Wednesday 13th September.
Potential mismatches Week 1 (8th-10th September)
A regular signature of Rugby World Cup pool stages are the mismatches, with many Tier 2 teams lining up against Tier 1 teams, there is often considerable potential for some big fantasy points hauls. Unsurprisingly there are a number of these matches in Week 1.
Here are the matches in Week 1 and the handicap lines provided by the bookies…
- Ireland to beat Romania by 62 points
- Italy to beat Namibia by 32 points
- Japan to beat Chile by 25 points
- Australia to beat Georgia by 20 points
- South Africa to beat Scotland by 10 points
- Wales to beat Fiji by 5 points
- Argentina to beat England by 1 point
- France to beat New Zealand by 1 point
Blanking this round
Teams without a match this round are…
- Uruguay
- Portugal
- Tonga
- Samoa
Blanking in the next Round will be Italy, Scotland, Georgia and Argentina.
Expected to go well on the Official Game and SuperBru
These are the FRG weekly tips, I typically try to offer 2-3 good options for each positional slot, also taking into account players who may be playing favourably out of position (i.e. Players categorised as Centre playing in the back 3).
Please note that some these picks have been published before lineups were announced, so some of these picks may not be playing – these players will have TBC beside them. Please double check the starting XV before you commit to your teams. I will update this list when TBC’s are Confirmed.
PROP
- Andrew Porter (Ireland)
- Angus Bell (Australia)
- Taniela Tupou (Australia)
- Danilo Fischetti (Italy)
HOOKER
- Julian Montoya (Argentina)
- Rob Herring (Ireland)
- Sam Matavesi (Fiji)
LOCKS
- Tadhg Beirne (Ireland)*
- Thibaut Flament (France)
- Jack Cornelsen (Japan)
- Federico Ruzza (Italy)
- Albert Tuisue (Fiji)*
- Marcos Kremer (Argentina)*
BACK ROW
- Ardie Savea (New Zealand)
- Kizuki Himeno (Japan)
- Caelan Doris (Ireland)
- Fraser McReight (Australia)
- Jac Morgan (Wales)
- Lorenzo Cannone (Italy)
SCRUM-HALF
- Tate McDermott (Australia)
- Antoine Dupont (France)
- Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland)
FLY HALF
- Tommaso Allan (Italy)*
- Jonny Sexton (Ireland)
- Rikiya Matsuda (Japan)
CENTRES
- Samu Kerevi (Australia)
- Juan Ignacio Brex (Italy)
- Dylan Riley (Japan)
- Garry Ringrose (Ireland)
- Semi Radrada (Fiji)
OUTSIDE BACKS
- James Lowe (Ireland) – CAPTAIN PICK
- Semisi Masirewa (Japan)
- Hugo Keenan (Ireland)
- Monty Ioane (Italy)
- Mark Nawaqanitawase (Australia)
- Ange Capuozzo (Italy)
- Emiliano Boffelli (Argentina)
* Players who are categorised in a different position in some games but are starting in a potentially more favourable position to accumulate fantasy points (i.e. A centre on the wing)
Additional SuperBru tips for Round 2
Compared to the Official Game, there are some additional constraints on SuperBru that make things slightly more challenging.
The first is that you can’t change your team after the start of the gameweek, and in many cases the lineups will not all be announced until after the gameweek lockout. So you are recommended to have your bench filled with guaranteed starters in case one of your starters is unconfirmed.
Secondly, during the pool stage you are limited to 6 transfers compared to unlimited in the actual game, so you would benefit from planning ahead. So focus on bringing in players with favourable fixtures and who don’t have a blank gameweek following.
General SuperBru Round 1 Recommended nations to select from for long term success…
Recommended nations for Round 1 (Great fixture this round): Ireland, Australia and Japan
Be cautious in Round 1 (Great fixture this round but blank next): Italy
Bring in with a long term view (Great fixtures coming up…): France, New Zealand, Wales and South Africa
Avoid for Round 1 (Blanking this Round or next and with no big upside games this round): Uruguay, Portugal, Tonga, Samoa, Scotland, Argentina and Georgia
Under-the-radar pick
Semesi Masiwera (Japan) – A bona fide Fantasy Rugby legend of years gone by. Anyone who played Super Rugby FRD when Masiwera was at the Sunwolves will have very fond memories of Masiwera eating up the metres, breaking the line and scoring for fun on a constant basis. Now in his 30s but still dangerous, getting a couple of tries in his last 3 Japan matches. Matching up against Chile he will be itching for the tryline and at 0.5% ownership, he could be a massive differential.
If you back your Fantasy Rugby skills to lead you to Fantasy Rugby World Cup glory, then join our public fantasy leagues.
We have two set up, one on the Official Game, and one on Superbru.
To join, for Superbru you can join here and for the Official game you can join the FRG league here. Good luck!
Fantasy Rugby Games for Rugby World Cup
A summary of the top games that you can play fantasy rugby for the Rugby World Cup (this will update as more games are added)…
- SuperBru – An old favourite of fantasy rugby among other games and sports – Check out our review here.
- The Official Rugby World Cup Fantasy game – The official game, a salary cap style game – Check out our review here.
Buy me a Coffee!
If you’ve been enjoying the FRG tips over the years, please consider supporting the blog and donating a coffee, all donators will receive a name drop on the next weekly tips, and your donations will help with the running of the blog (and keeping me fuelled to do so!) >>> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/FRugbyGeekBuy me a coffee – A big thank you to those who have donated since the Six Nations, DaveJonno, Rory, Tom, Roman Andrews, Paul G, JueKav, Peter, “Someone” and CuriousFlagman, your support is massively appreciated!
If you want some more sources to help you finalise your decisions, go to our resources page where you’ll find all the 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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This article is a game-changer for fantasy rugby enthusiasts gearing up for the Rugby World Cup 2023. The tips and picks provided are invaluable, helping me fine-tune my fantasy team for the upcoming matches. The pre-match thoughts offer great insights into player form and match dynamics, which is exactly what I needed to make informed decisions. I appreciate the analysis of key players to watch, as it gives me a competitive edge in my fantasy league. Overall, an excellent resource for anyone looking to excel in fantasy rugby during the World Cup!
Love this, when do we get round 2?
Has round 2 tips been posted yet?