6 Nations
6 Nations Fantasy Rugby; What You Need to Know
A guide on who to look out for, how to get the most points, and much more
The 6 Nations kicks off on Friday night, but before then you might want to set up your fantasy rugby team for what is set to be another belter of a campaign.
The rest of the week be like…
Wednesday – ?
Thursday – ?
Friday – ?
Saturday – ?
Sunday – ?#GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/fJi7gKLaUv
— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) January 30, 2019
Things are a little different this year in terms of the scoring and it has made for a more interesting system. Here’s a short run through.
Firstly, and most importantly, you are given a budget of 240 stars to spend on your perfect 18-man squad. With players ranging from nine to sixteen stars in value.
In terms of the scoring, there are team points awarded to players with a home win worth 12 points, while an away win will bag a player 18 points. The margin of a victory or loss will give you +/- 0.5 points respectively.
The individual marks have been improved from last season, with tackles being doubled and now counting as one point per tackle. For every defender beaten a player will receive two points.
The most noticeable marks are for a try, with a forward being awarded 18 points for touching down, while a back will gain you 15. A man of the match performance by a player will get you 15 points too.
The things to avoid are players that are prone to receiving yellow or red cards as they will see you lose five or eight points respectively.
There are a few other ways to gain points such as a kick from the tee counting as three points be it from a penalty or conversion. Have a look at the other ways to gain points if you are interested.
Before going through players be sure to remember that you can only have a maximum of four players from any nation.
So, who leads the lines in terms of players? Price wise, last years grand slam winners, Ireland, have four players costing 16 stars (Rory Best, Conor Murray, Johnny Sexton, Jacob Stockdale), with Wales’ George North the only other player to cost the same.
When picking your team, it is vital to remember that you are looking for a balance between who is good defensively, with an eye towards who is good going forward.
Who would make your fantasy team? This is the most selected back-three so far!
? Stockdale on 43% of teams
? Hogg on 50% of teams
? North on 28% of teamsPick yours now – https://t.co/WleK2Lohtj pic.twitter.com/NwMnHCrFyX
— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) January 29, 2019
You must select a captain each week, it is advised to pick a player that is a first-team regular as they receive an extra 20 points and their score gets doubled.
The likes of Sexton, Stockdale, Owen Farrell, Stuart Hogg and so on are likely to get the most game time and score plenty of points. So, it may be worthwhile investing some stars in a reliable captain.
Some players that might be worth while taking a punt on would be Italy’s Tomasso Allan, Scotland’s Peter Horne, or England’s Joe Cokanasiga. All of which are 11 stars and are in with a shout of starting most games.
The top players cost the most and are who you want in your team but, there are some bargains to be had. Especially when it comes to the bench with a “super sub” now available.
This is a player that you select on your three-man bench who, if they come on, will have their score tripled.
When looking for players here it is hard to look by Irish and Munster duo, Tadhg Beirne and Joey Carbery. With huge competition for places in the Irish starting 15 it will be hard for either to play the full 80 minutes but are likely to come off the bench.
Beirne will cost you 11 stars, with Carbery a deal at only 10.
Outside of the Irish, Uini Atonio of France, a powerhouse, is worth 10 stars, while Wales’ Jake Ball and England’s Brad Shields only cost nine.
Going into week one, check out who is playing who and keep an eye out for team announcements as the deadline to change your team isn’t until the first game kicks off at 20 00 on Friday.
One other tip would be to select players that may not be a No 10 but kick as they will gain more points.
So, that’s it. As if you needed anything else to look forward to before Friday, here’s something else.
Munster Rugby and the IRFU are pleased to confirm contract extensions for Conor Murray and Jack Daly with Brian Gleeson to be promoted from the Academy to the senior squad next season.
Murray and Daly have signed one-year extensions with Gleeson moving up to the senior squad on a two-year deal.
Gleeson is one of five Academy players moving up to the senior squad next year with Tony Butler, Ethan Coughlan, Mark Donnelly and Edwin Edogbo also signing two-year deals.
Conor Murray is one of the most decorated scrum-halfs in world rugby with 116 Ireland caps and three British & Irish Lions tours to his name.
A former St Munchin’s College student, the Garryowen man won his fifth 6 Nations title with Ireland last month and earned his second league title with Munster last season.
The 34-year-old has made 185 Munster appearances and scored 34 tries for the province to date and was named on World Rugby’s Team of the Decade in 2019.
25-year-old flanker Jack Daly came up through the ranks at Castleisland RFC and made his Munster debut against Zebre in 2020.
Daly joined the Academy in 2018, moved up to the senior squad in 2021 and plays his AIL rugby with Garryowen. A former Ireland U20 international, he made his Champions Cup debut against Toulouse in the quarter-final at the Aviva Stadium in 2022.
Try-scoring number 8 Brian Gleeson leads the charge for the Ireland Under-20s against France ©INPHO/Evan Treacy
20-year-old Gleeson moves up to the senior squad after just one year in the Academy that has seen him score one try in nine senior appearances.
Currently out of action with an ankle injury, he had already made three Champions Cup appearances before turning 20.
The powerful back-row forward was a Grand Slam winner with the Ireland U20s last year. plays his AIL rugby with Garryowen and came up through the ranks at Thurles RFC and Rockwell College.
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
Head Coach Andy Farrell has named his Ireland Match Day Squad for Saturday’s Guinness Men’s Six Nations clash against Scotland at Aviva Stadium (Kick-off 4.45pm).
Ireland – currently sitting top of the Six Nations table heading into Super Saturday – can clinch back-to-back Championship titles with victory over Scotland in Dublin.
Farrell has named an unchanged starting XV for the Round 5 clash, as Hugo Keenan, Calvin Nash and James Lowe continue in the Ireland back three. Robbie Henshaw and Bundee Aki are once again selected in midfield, with Jack Crowley and Jamison Gibson-Park the starting half-backs.
Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong pack down in the front row, with Joe McCarthy partnering Tadhg Beirne – who is set to win his 50th Test cap for Ireland – in the engine room.
Captain Peter O’Mahony is at blindside flanker, Josh van der Flier is at openside and Caelan Doris completes the starting XV at number eight.
The Ireland Coaching Team have opted for a 5-3 split on the bench, with Rónan Kelleher, Cian Healy, Finlay Bealham, Ryan Baird and Jack Conan providing the reinforcements up front, and Conor Murray, Harry Byrne and the fit-again Garry Ringrose the backline options.
Saturday’s match is live on Virgin Media One and ITV, with live radio coverage available on RTE Radio 1.
Ireland Team & Replacements (v Scotland, Guinness Men’s Six Nations, Saturday, March 16, 4.45pm)
15. Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster)(39)
14. Calvin Nash (Young Munster/Munster)(5)
13. Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster)(71)
12. Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht)(55)
11. James Lowe (Leinster)(30)
10. Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster)(13)
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster)(34)
1. Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster)(63)
2. Dan Sheehan (Lansdowne/Leinster)(25)
3. Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster)(75)
4. Joe McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster)(9)
5. Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster)(49)
6. Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster)(captain)(104)
7. Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster)(61)
8. Caelan Doris (St Mary’s College/Leinster)(40)
Replacements:
16. Rónan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster)(30)
17. Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)(128)
18. Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht)(39)
19. Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster)(19)
20. Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster)(45)
21. Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)(115)
22. Harry Byrne (UCD/Leinster)(3)
23. Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster)(57).
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
Head Coach Andy Farrell has named his Ireland Match Day Squad for Saturday’s Guinness Men’s Six Nations clash against England at Twickenham (Kick-off 4.45pm).
Peter O’Mahony captains Ireland for the Round 4 visit to London, with Hugo Keenan returning to the starting XV after recovering from injury.
Keenan joins Calvin Nash and James Lowe in the Ireland back three, with Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw continuing their midfield partnership.
Jack Crowley and Jamison Gibson-Park are retained as the half-back pairing.
In the pack, Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong are in the front row, with Joe McCarthy and Tadhg Beirne named in the engine room. Captain O’Mahony is at blindside flanker, Josh van der Flier is at openside and Caelan Doris completes the starting XV at number eight.
The Ireland Coaching Team have selected a 6-2 split on the bench, as Ronan Kelleher, Cian Healy, Finlay Bealham, Iain Henderson, Ryan Baird and Jack Conan provide the reinforcements in the pack.
Backs Conor Murray and Ciaran Frawley complete Ireland’s Match Day 23 to face England.
Saturday’s match is live on RTÉ2 and ITV.
Ireland:
15. Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster)(38)
14. Calvin Nash (Young Munster/Munster)(4)
13. Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster)(70)
12. Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht)(54)
11. James Lowe (Leinster)(29)
10. Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster)(12)
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster)(33)
1. Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster)(62)
2. Dan Sheehan (Lansdowne/Leinster)(24)
3. Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster)(74)
4. Joe McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster)(8)
5. Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster)(48)
6. Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster)(captain)(103)
7. Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster)(60)
8. Caelan Doris (St Mary’s College/Leinster)(39)
Replacements:
16. Ronan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster)(29)
17. Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)(127)
18. Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht)(38)
19. Iain Henderson (Academy/Ulster)(80)
20. Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster)(18)
21. Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster)(44)
22. Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)(114)
23. Ciaran Frawley (UCD/Leinster)(3)
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
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