We are now past the first rest week of the 2023 Guinness Six Nations and are fast approaching Round 3, meaning it is time to get your fantasy heads back on.
Rounds 1 and 2 gave us plenty to ponder, and there is now enough data and enough we have seen to be able to have a real idea of the players that really must be in your teams.
Round 3 is set to be one packed with yet more top-quality action, as Ireland look to maintain their unbeaten status when they travel to Italy before England and Wales face each other in Cardiff. Then on Sunday as unbeaten Scotland battle it out with France in a match that could have significant implications on the title.
And with all of that to come this weekend, we look at three transfers you need to make ahead of Round 3.
KEENAN MASTERCLASSES MAKE HIM KEY
Very few players have had a better start to this year’s Championship than Ireland full-back Hugo Keenan, who has delivered a Player of the Match performance in Round 1 and scored an excellent try in Round 2.
That has seen him earn 138.2 fantasy points, including an incredible 98 points in Round 2, in a match which also saw him kick a valuable 50:22 (10 points).
Ireland’s recent record against Italy is outstanding, and even with the Azzurri’s recent resurgence, they head to the Stadio Olimpico as clear favourites.
Having averaged 51.67 points in their last three matches against Kieran Crowley’s men, Ireland will be expecting to score points, and Keenan has shown he is more than capable of being right among those points in the opening two rounds.
He does not come cheap at 18.9 stars, but if you do not already have him in your side, it is certainly time to bring him in and see the points come flowing in too.
FANTASTIC FLAMENT THE PICK OF THE FRENCH
France may have missed out on victory against Ireland in Dublin, but they more than played their part in a classic at the Aviva Stadium and as a result have several players in their side who are desirable fantasy assets.
Perhaps none more so than second row Thibaud Flament, who has excelled in the absence of Cameron Woki, after his injury sustained on Racing 92 duty.
It is quite astonishing how Flament’s performances have led France not to even miss Woki, as the Toulouse lock has taken on responsibility at the lineout, but without a doubt, his biggest asset is his work rate in defence.
Only Matt Fagerson has made more tackles than Flament’s 43, and that has seen him make a remarkable 111 points at second row and risen from 14.2 stars to 14.9 from the ends of Round 1 to Round 2.
He has also proven his ability in attack with 95 metres made and his try, and with Tadhg Beirne now out for Ireland, Flament has become a go-to transfer for Round 3.
LIVELY LUDLAM BRINGS VALUE AND POINTS
England’s performance against Italy will have got all fantasy managers excited about the prospect of having several of Steve Borthwick’s forwards in your team, but the pick of the bunch has certainly been Lewis Ludlam.
A tremendous ball-carrier, Ludlam has stepped up during this Guinness Six Nations and answered those that suggested he could not make the step up from club level to the international stage.
A try assist against Scotland aside, Ludlam has made 103 metres from 22 carries at an average of 4.68 metres per carry, stats we are used to seeing from him in the Premiership with Northampton Saints, but similarly to Flament, it is his defensive prowess that sets him apart.
His 29 tackles is the joint-highest for England alongside Maro Itoje, but only Italy prop Danilo Fischetti has made more dominant tackles than Ludlam’s four, with a very high 13.8% of his tackles being dominant – earning that extra seven points as opposed to one per dominant hit.
All of that makes Ludlam a player to look out for, as he averages 51.2 points per match, and when he costs you as little as 13.9 stars, he is surely one to seriously consider for your teams.
Although, this is of course dependent on team selection, with Courtney Lawes and Tom Curry, both regular starters when fit, options to come into the back row.
