Into Round 3 and we have had a moment to breathe after an action packed first two rounds!
There is loads to learn from the first two rounds and to apply as we reach the middle round of the tournament.
Round Two saw some huge performances that if you chose well would have propelled you to the top, and a few underwhelming scores from some expected big hitters which would have caused pain for many.
My TV is lucky to be in one piece after the Malins break, dummy and assist to Jack Van Poortvliet was ruled out! Such are the margins of fantasy rugby!
Top performers from Round 2 that all fantasy managers should have their eye on include Hugo Keenan, who leads the metres carried for the tournament – 292m – and also has registered a try, a Player of the Match and a 50:22 to his name.
In addition, Duhan Van Der Merwe continued his great form (even without a try against Wales), and is now averaging 78.8 fantasy points per match.
Finn Russell racked up the Fantasy points in Round Two with a huge score of 90.6, assisting for three tries against Wales and taking the Player of the Match points as well. He’s another with a 50:22 to his name.
In the forwards, Caelan Doris continued his immense form; tries, assists, metres carried and huge stats in defence, he’s making the four player selection from Ireland extremely difficult!
Scotland also continued their hot form, and while things now get tougher for them with France and Ireland still to play, they are proving to be a rich source of points through the likes of the aforementioned Russell and Van Der Merwe, as well as Matt Fagerson, Kyle Steyn, Huw Jones and Luke Crosbie.
Not to mention the impact Blair Kinghorn made off the bench, resulting in a huge haul for those who Supersubbed him!
Looking further afield, while England have not had the start that Ireland and Scotland have enjoyed, their forwards impressed against Italy.
The return of Jack Willis would have pleased the fantasy managers who backed him. He contributed a try, 20 tackles and a turnover, all in just 53 minutes on the field.
England’s driving maul looks to be a weapon for fantasy players to monitor, and Ollie Chessum looks to be a real attacking presence from the second row.
In Round Three, the first place many will look to is Ireland – Grand Slam favourites and taking on Italy.
Their form players, Caelan Doris, Josh Van Der Flier, Hugo Keenan and James Lowe, will feature heavily in many teams.
For a differential pick, both Craig Casey and Ross Byrne should be worth taking a chance on and could potentially provide some great returns to those who roll the dice on them.
Elsewhere, Wales name another heavily changed side. England will be looking to build on the Italy game, and their forwards should definitely feature in many a fantasy team.
Their entire starting tight five (Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Kyle Sinckler, Ollie Chessum and Maro Itoje) could make a huge fantasy contribution.
Ollie Lawrence also made a huge impact in Round 2, taking home the Player of the Match award against Italy, and you would back him to make a similar impact against an inexperienced Welsh Centre combination.
Not ruling out Wales entirely either, Christ Tshiunza certainly offers value as a second row in the fantasy game, as he’s packing down at six in the scrum.
Lastly, Fantasy players will have a Sunday treat in Paris. There are some top-class fantasy options on either side, and I would be looking closely at the likes of Antoine Dupont, Anthonh Jelonch, Charles Ollivon, Ethan Dumortier, Damien Penaud and Thomas Ramos on the home team and the visiting Van Der Merwe, Matt Fagerson and Kyle Steyn to fill out my team.
My Team For Round Three
15 Hugo Keenan (Ireland)
14 Duhan Van Der Merwe (Scotland)
13 Ethan Dumortier (France)
12 Ollie Lawrence (England)
11 James Lowe (Ireland) – CAPTAIN
10 Ross Byrne (Ireland)
9 Antoine Dupont (France)
1 Danilo Fischitti (Italy)
2 Jamie George (England)
3 Ellis Genge (England)
4 Christ Tshiunza (Wales)
5 Lorenzo Cannone (Italy)
6 Matt Fagerson (Scotland)
7 Caelan Doris (Ireland)
8 Anthony Jelonch (France)
Replacements:
Thomas Ramos (France)
Henry Arundell (England) SUPERSUB
Kyle Steyn (Scotland)
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