With Autumn Nations Series fantasy rugby now in full swing we turn our attention to five ‘must-have’ forwards you need in your XV for this weekend’s games.
With Scotland taking on world champions South Africa at BT Murrayfield, Ireland hosting New Zealand and England facing off against Australia at Twickenham it promises to be the biggest week of the series yet that could shake up public and private leagues.
Here are five forwards to get in your squad ahead of the action.
Jamie George – England – 16 Stars
The England hooker costs a decent price but after scoring 74 points last week, he is worth a punt for anyone looking to bring some star quality to their front row.
Pick your 2021 Fantasy Autumn Nations Series XV now!
Although Australia will be a tougher ask for Eddie Jones’ team than Tonga last week, George could be another big scorer this week, particularly if he can repeat the trick of adding in a try (he scored two in the win over Tonga)
The Saracens man produced an excellent display when the teams last met in the 2019 Rugby World Cup, England winning 40-16, and will be hopeful of a similar result on Saturday.
He had been in the great form at domestic level prior to joining up with England, with all signs pointing to a player firmly in form.
James Ryan – Ireland – 16.2 stars
No second row scored more fantasy points than James Ryan last week, with an overall total of 56.8, after Ireland’s comprehensive win over Japan.
In a position that often struggles to score as many as some of the others, the Irish lock proved good value for players last week.
His eight tackles and 51 metres carried with the ball, produced a tidy return for players shrewd enough to include him in their XV.
He does have the added challenge of facing the All Blacks this week, but if he can maintain his good recent form Ryan is must-pick if you don’t already have him in your squad.
Franco Mostert – South Africa – 14 stars
Not a prolific scorer so far due to lack of minutes, but Mostert could be a shrewd pick this week
The South African second row is back in the Springboks starting line-up for the game with Scotland, taking over from Lood de Jager who started against Wales.
Mostert is cheaper than a lot of his rivals and with a starting berth will almost certainly score more than he did last week.
With away sides scoring more for a win than home players, ignore this World Cup winner at your peril.
Wales – Taine Basham – 11 stars
Make no mistake, after back-to-back defeats, Wales will be desperate for a first win of the Autumn Nations Series against Fiji on Sunday.
Not only will they want to win, the team will be looking to put on a show in front of a packed Principality Stadium and score big.
As a result, Taine Basham could be the thinking-persons choice in the back row, particularly considering he is a snip at just 11 stars.
Those predicting a Wales win, may look to fellow back-row member and captain Ellis Jenkins for their fantasy XVs.
But Basham actually outscored Jenkins and Aaron Wainwright in the defeat to South Africa and might be the smarter selection.
Peato Mauvaka – France – 12.3 stars
He may not be the obvious choice but if you want genuine good value from your forwards, Peato Mauvaka offers an intriguing option at hooker.
The Frenchmen’s performance in Paris against a resilient Argentina team, scored 32.98 fantasy points.
The 24-year-old came off the bench to make four tackles against the Pumas and scored the crucial second try of the game.
At just 12.3 stars he is something of a bargain purchase. The only question mark around selecting him, is just how many minutes he actually gets on the field.
