France’s superb start to the 2020 Guinness Six Nations has been in no small part due to their forwards, who have proved equally valuable for Fantasy Rugby players.
The French back-rows have been particularly influential and are among the leading points scorers in the game as a whole, while there have been unsung heroes elsewhere in the pack.
Les Bleus may lead the way but the other nations have had impressive performers of their own – here is a look at five forwards who have stood out in this year’s Championship to date.
Gregory Alldritt (France)
The obvious pick but, as the player with the leading points average across the Guinness Six Nations Fantasy Rugby game, Gregory Alldritt is simply impossible to overlook.
The flanker claimed a staggering 113.2 points from his all-action display against Italy in Round 2 and solid returns against England and Wales have handed Alldritt a points average of 75.8 after three fixtures.
No forward has carried further than the 22-year-old’s 271 metres and his performance have landed him two man of the match awards.
Charles Ollivon (France)
Not to be outdone, Alldritt’s back-row partner has been just as vital in helping Les Bleus to the top of the table after three rounds.
Ollivon is the competition’s joint-top try scorer with three while he also has three try assists to his name, helping him to a healthy points average of 63.9.
The French captain is the most expensive forward in the game at 18 stars – but his performances so far have more than justified the outlay for anyone who has selected him.
Tadgh Furlong (Ireland)
Another expensive forward who is proving worth the money, the 14.9-star Furlong has averaged 33.5 points from his three matches to date.
Only Mako Vunipola averages higher among props – a statistic skewed by the England man only having featured in one match – and Furlong has made more tackles (34) than any of his positional rivals.
The Wexford-born front row may find himself dropped by Guinness Six Nations Fantasy Rugby managers through no fault of his own next weekend, however, due to the postponement of Ireland’s match against Italy.
Ken Owens (Wales)
The experienced Welsh hooker has proved a reliable figure in this year’s Championship to date.
He started with an excellent 46.89-point haul in the win over Italy in Cardiff and averages 30.6 points per game, just 0.4 behind France’s Julian Marchand.
Owens has made the second-most tackles of any hooker (35) while he has also carried the ball 79 metres.
Paul Willemse (France)
The third French forward to make our list, Willemse averages 49.9 points from his opening three matches – 8.1 ahead of his nearest second row challenger, Ireland’s James Ryan.
He has made 40 tackles – second only to Alun Wyn-Jones among those in his position – as well as making 126 metres, including two tackle breaks.
Willemse even popped up with a try in France’s win over Wales in Cardiff last weekend, giving him a match week score of 74.3 points and earning the 27-year-old a place in the Round 3 Guinness Six Nations Fantasy Rugby Team of the Week.
