Comedian Tom Houghton has picked the 15 players he hopes will bring the house down as Autumn Nations Series Fantasy Rugby returns.
Houghton has picked a vastly experienced side, with France scrum-half Antoine Dupont named as captain and Johnny Sexton at fly-half.
And if you want to take on Houghton and former World Player of the Year, Bryan Habana, then you can enter Fantasy Rugby here.
It’s a solid if cosmopolitan front-row, with representation from three different nations in Houghton’s team.
Cyril Baille, who has made a miraculous return from injury to be available for selection starts at prop, as does the ever-popular Tadhg Furlong.
Malcolm Marx completes the front row and should you agree with Houghton that the most expensive hooker in the game is also the best one, he will set you back 18.0 stars.
There is certainly nothing comical about Houghton’s second row selections, with Maro Itoje and Eben Etzebeth (18.0 and 19.0 stars) both included and the pair will once again go head-to-head when South Africa travel to Twickenham on 26 November.
Josh van der Flier (16.0 stars) scored two tries in Ireland’s final Autumn Nations Series game last year and he is selected in Houghton’s back row alongside No.8s Pablo Matera of Argentina (14.0 stars) and New Zealand’s Ardie Savea (17.0 stars).
Dupont and fellow half-back Sexton cost a combined 38.0 stars which makes them the most expensive pairing in the game.
Hunter Paisami played every minute of Australia’s win over Scotland last weekend and he looks a snip at just 14.0 stars. Houghton has partnered him with the All Blacks’ Rieko Ioane (18.0 stars) who scored his first international try in a 68-10 autumn win over Italy in 2016.
And the back three is packed with try-scoring potential, in the form of Freddie Steward who burst onto the international stage in the 2021 Autumn Nations Series, try-machine Will Jordan and the unstoppable Marika Koroibete.
