As the 2023 Guinness Six Nations comes to a dramatic conclusion, so do your respective fantasy leagues and it is time to make the biggest decision of all: Super Saturday captain.
You will of course be well versed in the importance of the captaincy in Guinness Six Nations Fantasy Rugby after four rounds already, but your captain will earn double points and this week there is no tomorrow, so the right captaincy pick is absolutely essential.
We are treated with some quality action on Super Saturday as always, with Ireland going for broke as they search for their first Grand Slam triumph since 2018 against England, Scotland hosting Italy to start the day and France looking to keep the pressure on Ireland with a win against Wales.
Plenty to play for in the Championship, which means as ever, there are plenty of points available, now it is a case of making sure they are going to your name!
And if you needed any pointers to help you make such a monumental decision in the fantasy game, we have drawn up a three-man shortlist for potential captains in Round 5.
Huw Jones (Scotland) – Centre – 15.4 stars
Huw Jones has returned to the Scotland midfield like he was never away this Championship and is currently the top try scorer with four in four matches, scoring Scotland’s only try against Ireland.
He has formed an incredible partnership with Sione Tuipulotu, who has assisted three of his four tries, and the Glasgow Warriors duo will be looking to continue their successful relationship at BT Murrayfield this weekend against an Italy side that are still seeking a first win of the Championship.
Finn Russell and Stuart Hogg will both be absent, but that should not affect Jones’ output, with the centre linking up so well with Tuipulotu, and Blair Kinghorn’s promising cameo against Wales.
Aside from his four tries, Jones has been impressive elsewhere, with his 379 metres made and 14 broken tackles both leading totals among centres.
His 34 tackles also show that he is handy in that department, but it is his attacking threat where the points will come from with Jones, and he could easily form an all-Scotland midfield partnership in your fantasy teams, such has been the form of the pair.
Antoine Dupont (France) – Scrum-Half – 20.4 stars
It has been a strange season in that Dupont has gone under the radar in the fantasy game despite his excellent displays on the pitch.
That is largely due to the performances of the likes of James Lowe, Hugo Keenan and Finn Russell who have hogged the limelight, while Thomas Ramos has been probably the pick of the France backs in the fantasy game so far.
But it is also because Dupont is just so consistently good and we expect him to perform at his extraordinary best in every single game.
This Championship he has added to his highlights reel with an outrageous try-saving tackle on Mack Hansen in Round 2 and a couple of genius kicks against England in Round 5, but in the fantasy game he has also been a quietly excellent performer.
His lowest score of the Championship came against Italy in Round 1, where he was awarded Player of the Match, but even that saw him score 44.4 points.
In defence he stands out from all other scrum-halves, making a staggering 46 tackles, almost double the next best scrum-half Ben White (25), while three of those tackles were dominant and he has even won a turnover.
But Dupont’s main selling point is his attacking ceiling, which is just so high.
Ahead of all other scrum-halves for broken tackles with 13 (White again second with seven), while only Russell has more try assists than Dupont’s three.
Averaging over 50 metres per game, almost everyone will have Dupont in their side, could this week be the one to maximise his points?
James Lowe (Ireland) – Back Three – 20.7 stars
Once again, James Lowe is right among the thinking for captaincy after yet another try against Scotland, taking his tally to three, with two assists alongside.
Only Russell has as many try involvements as Lowe’s five and he comes up against an England side who conceded 53 points last week.
Lowe has played every single minute of the campaign to date, which no doubt is part of the reason he has notched up an incredible 489 metres from 33 carries at 14.8 metres per carry (only Keenan has more).
And if you still needed convincing that he is a great captaincy pick, he remains a joint leader for turnovers won with four.
In the fantasy game this has translated to serious points, with the winger now on 278.3 points from four games, averaging almost 70 points per match.
Ireland will be going for it in Dublin, the title is on the line and more often than not, Lowe is involved in the tries, making him a leading captaincy option.
