How did your Guinness Six Nations Fantasy Rugby team get on this weekend? Are you off to a flying start or left ruing your choices?
With so much action across the first weekend of the 2021 Championship there were plenty of standout performers that would have racked up the big numbers to fire you up the leaderboard.
None more so than in this year’s curtain raiser, where France got their campaign off to the perfect start with a resounding 50-10 victory over Italy at Stadio Olimpico.
Van der Flier excited for France test as Ireland look to rebound from loss
To a man, Fabien Galthie’s side were superb in Rome, but there were only places for four Les Bleus stars in this week’s Fantasy Team of the Week, so a number of high-scorers had to miss out.
But there was no dropping Teddy Thomas from the line-up, with the fleet-footed winger scoring a week-high 112.5 points, thanks to a brace of tries against the Azzurri, as well as gaining 95 metres and breaking seven tackles.
It is no surprise to see Antoine Dupont sitting alongside him at scrum-half, with the miniature magician scoring 91.0 points as he ran the show in the Italian capital; with four try assists as well as crossing the whitewash himself in the seven-try performance.
One of Dupont’s assists was a delicious over-the-head pass to Arthur Vincent to score France’s third try of the game, and that score helped the centre to earn his place as one of Round 1’s highest scorers.
Vincent registered 108.0 points thanks to a magnificent performance that saw him run 100 metres with the ball, as well as making 15 tackles when his side were out of possession.
The final French player to be included in the Team of the Week was full-back Brice Dulin, who also got on the scoresheet in Rome, and like his teammates gained considerable ground with ball in hand (92m).
There is no surprise that four Scottish players make the cut this week, after Gregor Townsend’s side recorded an historic 11-6 win over England at Twickenham – their first victory at the venue for 38 years.
Finn Russell impressed once again at fly-half in Saturday’s victory; kicking two penalties as well as breaking three tackles to earn 42.3 points while Jonny Gray’s impressive 12 tackles helped to keep the English attack at bay, giving him a grand total of Fantasy 50.1 points.
Hamish Watson was another standout performer as Scotland got their hands on the Calcutta Cup once again, with the flanker impressing with and without the ball in London – ten tackles and 52 metres gained prove just how valuable he was to his side this weekend.
And the final Scottish inclusion is George Turner, with the hooker producing the goods up front for his country – earning anyone who has him in their team 34.1 points.
The rest of the inclusions come from Sunday’s bruising encounter between Ireland and Wales at Principality Stadium, where the hosts came from behind to secure a 21-16 victory in Cardiff.
Jones: Wales starting to turn a corner after Ireland victory
Tadhg Beirne had put the 14 men of Ireland ahead in the first half, as the lock burrowed over just before half-time, with that try helping him to rack up a total of 52.0 points in Round 1.
But a superb try from George North in the second half started to shift the tide for Wayne Pivac’s side, helping him become his country’s highest fantasy scorer this weekend, with 75.0 points.
North seemed to be involved in everything good Wales did in on Sunday; gaining 85 metres with ball in hand and breaking five tackles, while also putting his body on the line to make eight tackles to keep the Irish efforts at bay.
There are two more Welsh players included in the back row after the first round of matches, with Taulupe Faletau and Justin Tipuric putting in typically valiant performances to earn a priceless victory on home soil.
As is so often the case, the pair formed a human brick wall at the heart of the Welsh defence, with Tipuric making 29 tackles against Andy Farrell’s side, and Faletau a further 20, with the latter also making 47 metres with ball in hand.
The fourth Welsh selection was Guinness Six Nations Player of the Match Wyn Jones, who led by example at prop with an all-round battling performance for the 2019 Championship winners – gathering 51.9 points in the process.
Even in defeat, Ireland had a number of top performers, with Garry Ringrose starting his Championship in fine fettle by gobbling up 113 metres in possession and breaking five tackles to earn 48.4 points, while Andrew Porter gained 18.2 points after a tough game up front.
Guinness Six Nations Fantasy Rugby Team of the Week
1 – A. Porter (Ireland) – 18.2 pts
2 – G. Turner (Scotland) – 34.1 pts
3 – W. Jones (Wales) – 51.9 pts
4 – T. Beirne (Ireland) – 52.0 pts
5 – J. Gray (Scotland) – 50.1 pts
6 – H. Watson (Scotland) – 56.1 pts
7 – J. Tipuric (Wales) – 52.2 pts
8 – T. Faletau (Wales) – 50.6 pts
9 – A. Dupont (France) – 91.0 pts
10 – F. Russell (Scotland) – 42.3 pts
11 – T. Thomas (France) – 112.5 pts (BEST PLAYER)
12 – A. Vincent (France) – 108.0 pts
13 – G. Ringrose (Ireland) – 48.4 pts
14 – G. North (Wales) – 75.0 pts
15 – B. Dulin (France) – 94.6 pts
