With this being the fallow week, you have plenty of time to chop and change your Guinness Six Nations Fantasy Rugby team ahead of the resumption of the 2021 Championship.
Are you in with a chance of getting anywhere near ‘Jonny Mac’, who currently tops the overall table after three rounds, with a whopping 2712.2 points?
If not, why not? Where have you been going wrong? You can’t have been following our weekly tips and tricks for who is destined for big things when the points totals are tallied up each week, that’s for sure.
So, while we’ve all got some time on our hands, let’s take a look at who the top performers in this year’s Fantasy Rugby game have been, and just where you could gain some ground on the leaders with some sneaky additions to your XV.
Ten top performers to add to your Guinness Six Nations Fantasy Rugby team….
If you’re going on points per game, then Hogg is the man who is giving you the most bang for your buck so far in this Championship, with the Scottish captain earning an average of 86.1 points when he enters field of play.
The skipper so often leads by example when he plays for his country, just as he did in his two-try performance against Wales in Round 2, which has contributed to his 172.2 points scored so far.
Throw a Player of the Match performance against England after an 11-6 victory at Twickenham into the mix, and you can see exactly why the full-back needs to be selected in your XV if you’re going to be among the high-rollers in the competition.
254m gained with the ball in hand, 14 broken tackles, the list goes on and on, whatever he does he scores points, add him. Now.
Another man you would be a fool not to have included for the opening rounds of the Championship is Antoine Dupont, with the scrum-half once again proving why he is considered among the best in the No.9 position.
A quick-step here, a dummy there, a behind the head pass whenever he feels like it… there seemingly isn’t much he can’t do at the moment, and unbeaten France are reaping the rewards from his magical displays.
It was no surprise that he earned himself a Player of the Match award after scoring once and setting up another four in the 50-10 victory over Italy in Round 1, which put him among the top scorers of the week alongside many of his teammates.
Even in the slender 15-13 victory over Ireland a week later the Toulouse man was a constant menace, contributing to his grand total of 141 points so far this year.
With and without the ball he never fails to impress, with 14 tackles made in 2021, as well as running 130m in possession.
While Dupont might be the man who steals the headlines for Les Bleus, it is Vincent who does just as much of the hard yards for his side, and the Fantasy numbers go some way to backing that up.
20 tackles, including one dominant tackle, prove just how invaluable he is when his side are out of possession, while his imposing figure can earn his side valuable territory when going forward.
An average of 58.5m carrying the ball each game, and a combined total of five tackle breaks prove just how hard the centre is to stop once he gets on a roll.
It’s hard to believe the 21-year-old has just nine international appearances to his name with the calibre of performance he puts in every week, but after getting his first Championship try against the Azzurri, it’s clear to see there’s plenty more in the tank in the next two weeks.
Anyone who was nifty enough to have him in their team from the start of the competition would have earned themselves 139.2 points, which is the best return from any centre in the game.
Anyone who witnessed Wales’ terrific 40-24 victory over England last time out will have seen the heroic performance of Taulupe Faletau up front for the hosts, with the Bath star on a one-man mission to earn his side the win.
The 30-year-old battled for every ball at Principality Stadium, and was well-deserving of his Guinness Six Nations Player of the Match award, making him the highest scoring player for his country in the Championship to date with a whopping 185.4 points.
A Championship-leading 49 tackles goes someway to contributing to that magnificent total, with only teammate Justin Tipuric matching up in terms of numbers in defence, although Faletau’s 208m gained with the ball puts him well ahead of his fellow countryman.
With a trip to Italy in Round 4, the former Dragons star could be set to rack up the big numbers once again, as he looks to lay siege to any opponent who comes in his way.
If George North hadn’t have missed Round 2 with injury, the international centurion would easily be among the highest Fantasy Rugby scorers this year.
The Ospreys star started the Championship in fine form, as he produced a moment of magic to find the try line against Ireland in the opening round of the competition.
A foot injury kept him out of the 25-24 victory over Scotland, before he returned to action with aplomb in the win over England, where he scored a solid 45.2 points.
120.2 from two appearances is a great return for any players, and with 139m with the ball and 15 tackles without, you can count on him to get you the big points in Round 4.
They may have only got the one victory to their name in the opening three rounds of this year’s Championship, but that hasn’t stopped the Irish players from picking up points, with Hugo Keenan leading the way.
The full-back has 180.3 points to his name with two matches remaining, as he gobbles up the ground in front of him from the deeper role, as well as getting on the scoresheet against Italy last time out.
316m with the ball in hand, 12 broken tackles, seven tackles made including one dominant stop, the stats don’t lie; the 24-year-old is hot property and good value for 16.7 stars.
With a trip to BT Murrayfield on the horizon, the Leinster man will be back putting in the hard yards once again this weekend, and you could do a lot worse than sticking him in your XV.
If Irish wingers are more your thing, then James Lowe is the man for you, with the ponytailed wrecking ball another man always likely to put in a stellar performance for the Men in Green.
Lowe is averaging 55.0 points a game so far this year, which is no surprise seeing as he tops the list for ground gained in 2021 with 352m.
The touchline hugger is an absolute specimen of a man, and it is never a surprise to see a would-be tackler bounce off of him, as eight such unlucky men have found out during the Championship.
Although he is yet to score so far, Lowe has been getting closer and closer to crossing the line, and it’s just a matter of time before he makes his mark.
It’s safe to say it hasn’t been the Championship that England were expecting this year, with Eddie Jones’ side emerging victorious just once in their opening three matches.
But one shining light has been the performances of Anthony Watson, who has crossed for three tries already and always looks like the man likely to find a breakthrough for the reigning champions.
Watson’s arsenal comprises of shimmies and sidesteps galore, and has galloped 207m with the ball so far, helping himself to a brace of tries in the victory over Italy in Round 2, as well as scoring in the 40-24 defeat to Wales last time out.
148.2 points so far is evidence enough of the hefty benefits you can experience if you chuck the winger in your team for the remaining two weeks of action, as England look to get back to winning ways against France.
After missing out on the opening round of this year’s Championship, Darcy Graham gave Gregor Townsend food for thought with a terrific performance in the 25-24 defeat to Wales in Round 2.
A try, 88m run with the ball and five broken tackles prove just how explosive the winger was in the blockbuster in Edinburgh, and he will be looking to build on that as the Guinness Six Nations resumes.
It may be Duhan van der Merwe who catches the eye on the opposing flank, but the 23-year-old is proving himself to be a menace on the international stage, and will be looking to add to his 50.1 points in Round 4.
Results may not be going Italy’s way at the minute, but that hasn’t stopped Montanna Ioane from enjoying his first taste of Guinness Six Nations action.
The Benetton man has started all three of the Azzurri’s matches during the Championship, and has been bombing up and down the wing with enthusiasm whenever he has the ball in his hands.
Very few players have gained more ground than the 320m Ioane has, and a first international try against England in Round 2 helped to bolster his score even further.
99.0 points from three games is a steady return considering his side haven’t secured a victory so far, and if you need someone to deliver the goods at a bargain price than the 12.7 star man is exactly what you need.
