The first round of the 2020 Guinness Six Nations is in the books and there were plenty of points on offer in the bid for Fantasy Rugby supremacy.
With some surprise scorers and under-performers on display over the weekend, the decision of who to bring into your squad is a tough one.
The pressure is on as there is little time to digest what happened and it’s vital that the right choices are made if you are to climb the leader board.
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Here are our tips for Round 2.
Ireland vs Wales
Ireland got off to a winning start in Dublin against Scotland on Saturday, but it wasn’t a particularly convincing display from the men in green.
They had to rely on the brilliance of talisman Johnny Sexton who provided all of their 19 points on the day.
The Leinster man lived up to his 17.8 star price tag but his side will have to find better form against a tougher opponent in Wales if he is to get more opportunities to kick from the tee.
Poor discipline from the Scots contributed to Sexton’s points tally come the final whistle but the hard work of CJ Stander at the breakdown was just as important to the home side’s cause, and he is likely to make a similar impact against the Welsh.
Albeit an expensive player at 17.0 stars, in this form he is in contention to add to his collection of man of the match awards and increase his haul of 75 points.
Another popular choice will be Jacob Stockdale whose try scoring record in this tournament speaks for itself, but if you are looking for a cheaper alternative, Andrew Conway is an absolute bargain at just 10.2 stars on the other flank.
Stockdale is a remarkable talent, but Conway is in good form domestically, and with Wales unable to notch up a win at the Aviva in their last four attempts, the Munster wing could be an inspired choice.
On the Welsh side of things, you’d be daft to look past Josh Adams for selection.
Although selected by a lot of teams, and the most expensive option in the game at 18.3 stars, it’s hard to ignore his performance against the Azzurri at the weekend.
His trio of tries saw him become the second Welshman to bag a hat-trick in the Guinness Six Nations after his team-mate George North did the same at the Stadio Olimpico back in 2015.
Dan Biggar enjoyed plenty of kicking opportunities against Italy and it shows with his new price tag going up from 15.0 stars to 16.3 for round 2.
His recalled half-back partner Rhys Webb on the other hand is an absolute steal at 12.6 stars and whether he starts or comes off the bench he will have a massive impact on Saturday.
With the game in the Irish capital expected to be a closely fought affair it could be worthwhile looking to the forwards as the crucial contest at the breakdown is predicted to ultimately be the deciding factor.
Ken Owens at 15.1 stars is an underrated entity and Taulupe Faletau at 16.3 stars will always give you good value, but Justin Tipuric for 16.8 stars had a brilliant showing in Cardiff to pick up man of the match and could easily do so again.
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France vs Italy
This is the game where you could pick up the most points this weekend, with France breezing past England and Italy extending their losing streak in this competition to 23 in a dismal showing at the Principality Stadium.
Biggar had plenty of kicks at goal against the Italians and French fly-half Romain Ntamack is anticipated to do the same, as one of the cheaper options at 14.7 stars he would be a wise investment.
It is a gamble but Gabriel Ngandebe at 9.8 stars could be one that pays off; the Montpellier wing is a rocket out wide and if selected will whizz past defenders for fun.
Fabien Galthie’s Les Bleus have some exuberant young talent in their ranks but a player that shouldn’t be overlooked when choosing your team is the seasoned Virimi Vakatawa.
At 15.6 stars, the 27-year-old centre is one of the more expensive choices in the French outfit, but he is in the best form of his life and has already crossed the whitewash seven times in 10 appearances for Racing 92 in the Top 14; against Italy we should see him shine.
Everything that happened in Round 1 is pointing towards a rout at the Stade de France, however the Azzurri have been known to pull off a shock in this fixture from time to time so don’t write them off just yet.
Franco Smith will have to turn his fortunes around quickly if his side are to avoid a fifth consecutive wooden spoon and the likes of Matteo Minozzi at 14.2 stars and Abraham Jurgen Steyn at 11.6 stars will have to be on form again if they are to do it.
The risk you take though is bolstering your ranks with an expensive Italian when their side is in such poor form and not expected to win any of their remaining four games left this Championship.
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Scotland vs England
England did little to dispel murmurings of a World Cup hangover in Paris as they were second best throughout save for a Jonny May brace that kept the contest alive in the dying moments.
The Leicester Tigers winger was the one bright light from a bleak day and although he is the third most expensive winger available at 16.4 stars, he is a prominent part of England’s attack and likely to feature on the scoresheet in Edinburgh.
Ollie Devoto is one of the cheapest players in the game at 8.0 stars and will be chomping at the bit to get on the pitch to prove his worth. He could be a worthwhile ‘supersub’ choice for your team this weekend, with any points he earns being trebled once he enters the field.
Another choice to consider is Owen Farrell; whilst he was nullified in Paris he will be determined to put it right against the Scots and having dropped from 17.0 stars to 16.1, he should be well worth the price.
Meanwhile, Scotland are without the superb talents of Finn Russell yet again, however, Adam Hastings slipped into the role nicely and pulled the strings in a promising attacking display from the Scots against Ireland.
He would need to be even better form if his side are to claim victory against the auld enemy and at 11.7 stars, he should be a prime target for all those looking to keep to budget.
At 16.3 stars, down from 17.0 in Round 1, Stuart Hogg is a good option for this occasion; known to be explosive on the ball and although his spill over the line in Dublin at the weekend arguably cost his side the game, it would be tough to bet against him dotting down under the sticks at some point.
Potentially losing Jonny Gray to injury is a massive setback for the home side’s defence as the Glasgow Warrior lock has superhuman tackle statistics having only missed 16 tackles in his entire professional career.
However, 23-year-old back-rower Jamie Ritchie is likely to pick up where he left off; the Edinburgh man is in imperious form and at 13.4 stars is a bargain.
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