It is that time of week again – time to choose your fantasy captain for Guinness Six Nations Round 2.
Ireland host France in a match for the ages in Dublin, with the winner in pole position for the title and Grand Slam to get proceedings back under way.
Scotland then host Wales looking to finally end their Round 2 curse, having not won their opening two matches of the Championship since 1996, before England and Italy lock horns to round things off on Sunday.
And with three more seismic clashes taking place, there are going to be significant repercussions in both the Championship itself, and in the fantasy game.
All the teams: Guinness Six Nations Round 2
No decision is more important than your captain – with double points making them an inevitably vital component of your side and here are our three top picks for captaincy in Round 2.
James Lowe (Ireland – Back Three – 18.3 Stars)
One of last season’s joint-top try scorers, James Lowe delivered another memorable display in Cardiff, and he looks to be another option for this weekend, despite the visit of reigning champions France.
Lowe, who scored Ireland’s third try last week with an intercept to effectively put the game to bed, was at his very best at Principality Stadium, making 112 metres, a line break, four tackles, and a breakdown steal, which saw him earn 70.4 points in Round 1.
Those are stats that prove his worth on both sides of the ball, with Lowe one of the best in the business in defence, while he is always likely to be among the top ball carriers with his powerful frame.
It is likely to be a tough game against France, but with Lowe so prominent for Ireland both in defence and attack, he has to be considered a potential captaincy option.
Preview: Ireland v France
Duhan van der Merwe (Scotland – Back Three – 17.3 Stars)
Unsurprisingly, after being voted Player of the Round last week, Duhan van der Merwe is right up there when it comes to captaincy options.
Scotland’s winger scored two memorable tries at Twickenham and will be hoping to take that form back to BT Murrayfield this weekend against Wales.
His power, pace and agility make him a very difficult man to stop, as shown by his 11 broken tackles from last weekend, leading to him making 104 metres on his way to 96.8 points.
It seems now that Van der Merwe is becoming a key pick no matter the opposition, and following his display last week, he is likely to be a hugely popular captaincy pick this week.
Preview: Scotland v Wales
Owen Farrell (England – Centre – 15.7 stars)
Farrell is selected at fly-half this week, making him an even more attractive option than previously, as you will be able to earn fly-half points for a player in the centres in the fantasy game.
England’s captain was not at his best from the tee last week, missing two conversions, but he very rarely has two poor kicking games in a row.
Last week, Marcus Smith made 112 metres and got a try assist, breaking four tackles in the process, there is no reason now Farrell is in that role that he cannot have similar statistics this weekend against an Italy side that have never beaten England.
Other options on this list may have a higher ceiling, but kickers are always popular options for captaincy with conversions worth three points, penalties worth five and a drop goal seven and the prospect of those points doubled make him a great captaincy pick this week.
Preview: England v Italy
