There were tries galore in the opening round of the Guinness Six Nations – which is good news for Fantasy Rugby players if you had the right men in your team.
Wales kicked off the Championship with a stunning comeback to beat France in Paris before Scotland turned on the style against Italy to run out 33-20 winners at Murrayfield.
The opening round concluded with England defeating defending champions Ireland in Dublin to end their hopes of recording back-to-back Grand Slam titles.
But who scored big for Fantasy Rugby players? Here are the top five performers from an enthralling weekend of Guinness Six Nations action.
It’s not surprising to see Blair Kinghorn sitting top of the individual Fantasy Rugby player standings after he scored a hat-trick in Scotland’s win against Italy.
The 22-year-old, making only his second start in the Guinness Six Nations, finished off two brilliant first-half moves to put the hosts 12-3 ahead at the half-time break.
He cut through the Azzurri defence for a third time after the break to complete his treble – his sixth try in eight Tests – as Gregor Townsend’s men triumphed in Edinburgh.
Kinghorn also contributed defensively, finishing with 12 tackles to his name, as he racked up 126.7 points for any Fantasy Rugby players who picked him in their team.
Wales were staring down the barrel at half-time against France as they went into the break 16-0 down, but they produced a stirring fightback to beat Le Bleus in Paris.
And the man central to that turnaround in the second half was undoubtedly George North, who crossed the whitewash twice to get Warren Gatland’s side off to a winning start.
The 26-year-old winger showed his predatory instinct for his first try as he pounced on Yoann Huget’s fumble on his own line to dot down after the restart.
He then capitalised on Sebastien Vahaamahina’s pass before racing in for the winning score which, along with his three tackles, saw him finish with 89.5 points.
A brace from Henry Slade helped England kick off their Guinness Six Nations campaign with a memorable victory against defending champions Ireland.
England led 17-10 at half-time in Dublin thanks to tries from Jonny May and Elliot Daly, with Cian Healy responding for the hosts to cut the deficit at the Aviva Stadium.
Owen Farrell and Johnny Sexton traded penalties to leave the game closely poised, before Slade came to the fore with a second-half double to secure the bonus point for England.
Slade, making only his first start in the Guinness Six Nations, also contributed 11 tackles in defence as he earned Fantasy Rugby players 81.4 points.
He was the most expensive fullback in the game, but Stuart Hogg proved his worth with a fine individual performance for Scotland to beat Italy in Edinburgh.
The 26-year-old sprinted onto a Finn Russell grubber kick to dot down after the break as the home side bolted out the gate to pick up a bonus-point victory in the opening round.
His try, along with his four tackles, meant his finished the game with 77.7 points, which will be very pleasing for the Fantasy Rugby players who decided to select him.
Don’t be surprised if other players jump on the bandwagon and bring him into their team ahead of Scotland’s match against reigning champions Ireland next weekend.
The only forward to make the top five in the opening weekend, Mako Vunipola delivered a powerhouse performance for England in the win over Ireland.
Vunipola made an astonishing 25 tackles in a relentless defensive display from the prop, while he was also unlucky to see his try ruled out by the TMO.
The prop, who was voted man of the match, finished with 74.5 points thanks to his exploits in Dublin and he is sure to be a popular pick before the next round.
Expect him to find his way in a few more Fantasy Rugby teams ahead of the second round of action.
