A new Six Nations brings with it another official fantasy game, which is slightly different from the one that had me tearing my hair out in France at the World Cup. Why, oh why did I captain Matthieu Jalibert instead of Damian Penaud for the hosts’ defeat of Namibia? Never mind, here are some tips for the Six Nations.
How to select players
Users are given a budget of 240 stars to pick a starting line-up from all six squads. The most expensive players, James Lowe and Damian Penaud, cost 20 stars, and all of them have been categorised by position. You need three back three players, two centres, a fly-half and a scrum-half in the backline. Up front, the pack must be made up of three back-rowers, a pair of locks, two props and a hooker. Do not get hung up over tighthead and loosehead props if you do not want to. There does not need to be one of each.
As for bonus roles, the captain tag does what it has done in most fantasy games across sports down the years; it doubles that player’s score. A very interesting wrinkle for this Six Nations game, which adds a strategic element, is the ‘supersub’ chip. This triples the points of an additional player that comes off the bench. However, if that player starts, they will only return half of the points they earn.
How to score points
The Six Nations game is more stripped back than the World Cup one. That said, as well as metrics like tries, assists, tackles and turnovers, the scoring index includes 50:22 kicks, which are worth a significant boost of seven points. Line-out steals are worth the same. Most valuable, though, are coveted player-of-the-match awards. These net you a whopping 15 points. As ever, cards will cost the most. Yellows set you back three points, with a sending-off carrying a six-point sanction.
Tips
Damian, Duhan and James are all worth it
Do not try to be too clever or baulk at the price of premium wings. Damian Penaud now costs 18.4 stars, down from the initial maximum of 20 after two underwhelming games to begin the tournament. He still registered 17 points in round one and a further 11 at Murrayfield thanks to 75 running metres and four beaten defenders. Each of the latter ticks over two points. Penaud glides past opponents at will. Keep the faith. Duhan van der Merwe (18.3 stars) slips tackles for fun. He returned 38 points from the Cardiff thriller in round one, amassing 95 metres on the way to two tries. He was reasonably quiet against France, which has seen his price drop to 16.9 stars, yet loves facing England. James Lowe (19.9 stars) bagged a round 50 points thanks to a player of the match award and a bulldozing try against Italy.
Consider kicking full-backs
Thomas Ramos (17.4 stars) was not particularly eye-catching against Scotland, but still amassed 31 points thanks to his accuracy from the tee and 165 running metres. Tommaso Allan landed 24 points in round one… before dropping out of Italy’s squad altogether.
Back yourself with newbies
A scan of the scoring lists suggests that relatively unproven internationals come cheap. Joe McCarthy and Tommy Freeman were at 11 and 8 stars, respectively, before round one began. They proved to be rewarding bargains straightaway. McCarthy scored 33 points, boosted by his player of the match award. Freeman landed 27 points himself. Prices shift up and down, just as they do on Fantasy Premier League (FPL), so move quickly. McCarthy is now at 11.9 stars, with Freeman at 9.2. Jack Crowley (13.5 stars) and Calvin Nash (12.1) have been big climbers, and could keep rising with Wales next for Ireland. Alex Mann, the 22-year-old back-rower, has scored twice in his first two Tests and still costs only 10 stars.