Tom had a great season leading into the final round of the Guinness Women's Six Nations, but still had some huge ground to make up, sitting in 64th position on the morning of Super Saturday.
An inspired Alex Matthews performance propelled him to the very top, securing him the top spot for the 2024 season. We spoke to Tom to gather some insights from his winning season!
FRG: Do you play fantasy rugby regularly?
TD: I’ve played fantasy six nations over the last few years and the world cups when they come around
FRG: Did you have a strategy in your team selection or was it more a case of going with your gut feeling?
TD: A bit of both! I picked players who were performing well and key cogs in their teams, plus any players who were playing out of position. But sometimes I just took a punt.
FRG: Did you use stats to help drive your selections?
TD: Yes. I kept track of players who were scoring big points for things like defenders beaten, not just scoring tries
FRG: What was your best moment of the season in the context of the fantasy game?
TD: The final day. My riskier picks all seemed to do really well.
FRG: Who was your best-performing player of the tournament?
TD: I had Ellie Kildunne in every round who was immense, but I expect almost everyone did! Alex Matthews also did well for me, especially as captain in the final round and was probably a bit more of an under-the-radar pick
FRG: At what point during the Championship did you begin to believe that you could win the league?
TD: I honestly didn’t. I was a long way back (64th) after round four and never thought I had a chance. It shows how much everything can change up until the final minute. I didn’t think I had a chance [going into the final round] so just had a bit of fun, picking a good team but gambling on my captain and supersub.
FRG: If there’s one single tip that you’d give to a new manager playing Women's Six Nations fantasy game, what would it be?
TD: Just enjoy it and trust your gut.
FRG: Prior to your performance this year, had you done well in previous years of the Women's Six Nations fantasy game?
TD: Not really. Certainly nowhere near winning
FRG: What players will be first on your team sheet next season?
TD: I think you’d be brave to go without Ellie Kildunne, and I think Alex Matthews deserves to keep her place after her performance on the final day. Aoife Wafer was also superb for Ireland through the whole tournament.
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