The Ultimate Guide: Men’s Six Nations Fantasy Rugby
Fantasy team choices for the 2023 Men’s Guinness Six Nations
The Men’s Six Nations is almost upon us and with it, comes the highs (and mostly lows!) of Fantasy Rugby. The Irish are flying-high, the English and Welsh are both sporting new (and returning) coaching setups, the French and Scots are wounded but are baring their teeth, and the Italians are showing no fear. This year looks to be one of the most competitive Six Nations in recent history and we can't wait to see how it pans out!
Fantasy Rugby at its core, allows us to build a squad of players who then score points during a game based on varying metrics (which we will come to later). These points are then collated and will represent your final scores for the week.
There are two main Fantasy competitions that we will focus on for 2023:
There are an incredible amount of resources out there that will give you general advice about how to play Fantasy Rugby in general. For example, Fantasy Rugby Geek’s website is FULL of incredible tips and tricks to help you climb those rankings.
Before we start looking at teams, our general piece of Fantasy Rugby advice is to know your game and scoring metrics. The Superbru and Six Nations Fantasy are vastly different in how they operate, and knowing these differences is what will set you apart from the crowd.
Superbru: There is no salary cap in this game but you are only allowed to change 4 players between rounds. This means you have to plan ahead with your squad and pick players in reserve who would most likely be playing the next week. Only your starting XV will score you points (6 players max from each country) and you can only nominate one kicker and one captain for a weekend, with the captain scoring double points. The scoring metrics also heavily favour meters made, tries scored, and set-piece dominance.
Official Fantasy: You are free to fully change your squad every week but you have to work within a budget (using stars, not currency). This means you can't stack your team with all of the big-name players and you have to be more tactical with your player choices. You have three players on the bench who score half-points and you have a captain and supersub option. The captain scores double and the supersub scores triple points (providing they come off the bench!) The scoring metrics favour winning teams, attacking flair (a 50:22 will net you a lot of points!), and defensive dominance (dominant tackles score 7x more than a standard tackle). You also get 15 points if your player is the Official Player of the Match so you have 3 opportunities per week to add a sneaky bonus to your total.
So, without further ado, here is our run-down of all the teams…
Ireland
Ireland are dominating the World Rugby stage; with their national men’s team ranked number 1 in the world and their regions performing as strongly as ever. Leinster are currently 16/16 in all leagues and they currently top the URC in Points scored, tries scored, and meters made.
First-Choicers
To start, you can't really go wrong with picking World Rugby Men’s Player of the Year - Josh van der Flier. He is immense in all facets of the game and currently is sitting on a 100% tackle success in the URC. He makes metres, scores tries, and is a big-game player. Garry Ringrose is also in the form of his life and can bring some well-needed points to that elusive centre spot.
Also, this might be one of your last times to pick the talismanic Johnny Sexton for a Six Nations game. He is always a high performer for Fly Half and he usually tends to take sole kicking duties which is always a safe bet. We would likely be exiled from the fantasy community if we did not mention superstar hooker Dan Sheehan. He's the second-highest try scorer in the URC and makes an impact in every game he plays. Serious talent.
Dark Horses
The Irish back-row has been a scary sight to behold over the years but on this occasion, one name has excited us: Gavin Coombes. He carries hard and often, scores tries, and is a wall in defence. Secondly, don't sleep on Jamie Osborne. He may not play many games but he is a young, in-form player with a lot to prove and he is expected to tear things up when he gets on the field. A perfect strike player.
Finlay Bealham, and Jimmy O'Brien are two players to keep an eye on too with the Connacht prop being in fine form and O'Brien looking to bring his European form to challenge Mack Hansen for one of those coveted back-3 spots.
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England
“New coach, new me.” The England men's team will be looking to Steve Borthwick and Kevin Sinfield OBE to guide them back on track from two, fifth-place finishes in five years. England have a number of big-game players but have called on some exciting, in-form talent in order to get back to winning ways. The mood in the camp is electric and the players are itching to get back into the fight.
First-Choicers
For us, the first name on any team sheet will be Maro Itoje. He started as world-class and has only gotten better with each season; he works tirelessly, gets turnovers every game, and is rarely on the wrong side of the ref (in terms of cards anyway!). Ellis Genge is also somebody who we recommend for your squad. The “Baby Rhino” is a meters-made machine! He is a player who will score you points in every. Single. Carry. Finally, Marcus Smith is a great choice for a Fly-Half spot if he starts. He is a player who will take advantage of every inch of space that you may give him and he loves to score a try against tired defences. Just be careful as he may not always be kicking.
Dark Horses
With new management comes big callups and boy do England have some exciting players to show off! First off is Caden Murley. The Harlequins flyer is in ridiculous form and is in the top 3 in the Premiership for tries scored, metres made, defenders beaten, and clean breaks!
Second up is Jack van Poortvliet. Ben Youngs may be the front-runner for the No.9 shirt but Jack is showing that he isn't the only tiger that has claws. He's quick, he's lethal with space, and he could be a great supersub option. Finally, Ben Earl is a player to consider. He has been deserving of a 6 nations callup for years and his performances for Saracens have been outstanding this season. Will he translate this form to the international stage?
Wales
With Warren Gatland returning to the setup, this Wales team should be firing on all cylinders. Wales have picked an electric-looking team for the 2023 tournament and they have a healthy mix of experience and new talent.
First-Choicers
One of the first picks has to be Taulupe Faletau. Taulupe ranks as one of the greatest Welsh players of all time and he never shies away from a big game; metres made, dominant tackles, tries scored - he doesn’t disappoint.
Second is Dan Biggar. The Osprey-come-Saint-come-Toulon Fly Half is the epitome of a calm head. He may not run 100s of meters for fun but he is lethal with the boot and is usually there to give the final pass for a try. Now, a lot of people will be expecting Alun Wyn Jones to be on the list here but we are going to say that the two wingers are worthy of a starting XV: Josh Adams and Louis Rees-Zammit are two players who give us a headache every week. Do you pick one, the other, or both? They both have the potential on their day to be Fantasy superstars and we are counting on them to have an impressive 6 Nations.
Dark Horses
Speaking of the back 3, how could you ignore Rio Dyer? The Dragons wing has been incredibly impressive for a struggling Dragons team - Scoring high metrics on tries scored, clean breaks, and metres made in the URC. Also, scoring your first international try against The All Blacks is not exactly the easiest of feats! Second is Jac Morgan. Jac is on FIRE and is at the heart of a resurgent Ospreys team. He barrels through defenders, smashes anything in front of him, and loves a game-winning try. Speaking of The Ospreys, Keiran Williams is one of our most anticipated choices of this tournament. He is reminiscent of the great Scott Gibbs; with explosive speed and dainty feet to boot. He hits lines with intent and if he is on the bench, he will make an impact.
France
Le Blues are the defending grand-slam champions and will be looking to shake off some miserable European results with performances dripping with their trademark French Flair. They are currently going through some injury woes but they have assured us that they are down, but not out.
First-Choicers
The captain-fantastic usually responsible for these outbursts of brilliance is no other than Antoine Dupont. He may not be in scintillating form but he always steps up in a French shirt. Second is yet another stellar back-row player: Gregory Alldritt. The La Rochelle number 8 is another example of a player who shines when wearing the French colours and is the go-forward man of this French team. He topped the stats for carries last year and he is a staple in any Fantasy squad. Finally, how could you not have Damian Penaud in your XV? The top try scorer of the 2022 tournament may be coming back from injury but as the old saying goes: "Form is temporary, class is permanent".
Dark Horses
France’s current injury crisis has prompted Galthié to make a number of enforced selections that may prove to be beneficial to this French team. First on this list is Ethan Dumortier. The Lyon back is currently sitting on top of the pile on tries scored in the Top 14 and he will be looking to prove that he can bring this form into the international arena. Next is Paul Willemse. The Montpellier based lock is the epitome of hard-working; He dominates the tackle area, runs hard, and never seems to run out of gas. He will lead by example, especially when paired with the industrious Thibaud Flament. Finally, keep an eye on Yoram Moefana. The Bordeaux centre is looking to ease the injury crisis by slotting into the wing position; earning you valuable winger points for a centre slot. He is worth a pick, regardless of the game.
Scotland
The Scotland men are currently suffering with their own injury woes. Losing one of the in-form players in World Rugby in Darcy Graham is bad enough but Scotland will have to adapt and persevere if they want to make a statement.
First-Choicers
There are not many people on this earth who could argue against Stuart Hogg's contribution to Scottish Rugby. The Exeter Chief is like a surgeon on the field; slicing defences open with terrifying ease. He was also last-year's top player for meters made so he is always a good choice for a back 3 player. Second is the man himself: Finn Russell. The Racing 92 fly-half brings a ridiculous amount of flair and has a skillset that can turn games on their head in a moments notice. He is also responsible for one of our favourite passes in Rugby Union history (that pass off his left hand to Huw Jones in the 2018 thriller against England). Finally, how could you overlook Hamish "The Mish" Watson. Hamish is a flanker who just refuses to go down; he runs and carries with an intensity that is just scary to behold and he seemingly never misses a tackle. A player that carries the hopes of Scotland on his shoulders.
Dark Horses
Scotland are going through a golden-age of talent at the moment and they seem to have players coming through who look like they will have a bright future. One of those is Cameron Redpath. The Bath Centre is full of promise and has explosive speed, deft feet, and a good Rugby brain. Expect big things if he comes on for a game. Second is Pierre Schoeman. "Schhhooooooo" is a hard-carrying, big-game prop who brings home the points in a position which historically doesn't score too highly. Overlook the Scottish front-row at your peril. Finally, we will say Ben Healy. The Irish-born Fly Half has made headlines by pledging his allegiance to the Thistle of Scotland and he is expected to flourish under the tutelage of Finn Russell. An exciting prospect, who can bring his impressive Munster form to the boys in blue.
Italy
Last, but certainly not least are Italy. The Italians have been on the end of some impressive results over the last 12 months, with wins over Wales, Samoa, and Australia under their belts. Seeing as Italy have 3 home games this year, they will be licking their lips at bagging another big result.
First-Choicers
Like every team in the Six Nations, we Fantasy-revellers are blessed with exceptional Fly Halves and Tommaso Allan is no different. The Harlequin is a rock in the Italian squad and brings a wealth of experience to the Fly-Half role. Expect some big games from Tommaso. Second is Sebastian Negri. The Benneton Back-row is on spectacular form and he is currently running on a 100% tackle success rate in the URC. He is a staple of this Italian side and to see him back in form in quite a scary sight to behold. Finally, Edoardo Padovani is hot on the list of first-choicers. The Benneton Fullback stunned Wales silent with his try to seal a historic win in Cardiff and is a core member of the Italian back-three. Padovani has a good strike-rate and loves to make meters. If Italy get into space, then he will be there to finish the job.
Dark Horses
Italy have some of the most exciting dark horses of any of the other nations - sleep on these players at your peril! Jake Polledri is first on our list. Once upon a time, Polledri was a household name in Rugby due to his explosive carrying and his aggressive defence. Sadly, injury has side-lined the Gloucester back-row since 2020 but expect him to come out swinging when he puts on that jersey. Second, is Federico Ruzza. The Benneton lock is insane for Fantasy points and has been a staple of our teams for years. He is in top form too, scoring a hat-trick in a recent URC Game.
One final name for you: Capuozzo. The diminutive Toulon speedster set the world alight in 2022 with his incredible speed and agility and has been scoring tries for fun ever since. The back 3 has some fierce competition in Fantasy Rugby but you would be missing out if you ignored the abilities of Ange Capuozzo. He broke the hearts of the Welsh; don’t let him break yours too.
So there we have it! We hope that you enjoyed this list and we hope that this can help you to climb up the rankings! There are a lot of players to choose from and just use this as a guideline to help you in those head-scratching moments.
What do the Fantasy Rugby experts say?
Fantasy Rugby pros Paulshinfo and GeorgeFRG give us their hot picks of the Six Nations:
Paulshinfo's Dark Horse of the 2023 Men’s Six Nations: Ollie Lawrence
“I am terrified at the prospect of an in-form Ollie Lawrence being a part of the England setup. He has been a revelation for Bath since coming from Worcester Warriors and he is carving it up in The Premiership with tries, assists, and meters made aplenty. In Bath’s close loss away to Saracens, Ollie decided to run 194 meters, with 2 clean breaks, and 8 defenders beaten. Just let that sink in for a minute…
He is everything that England is looking for in that centre position and if he can take up that number 12 jersey with Farrell or Smith inside him then he will be an unstoppable, hard-carrying wrecking ball. He is a player who is hungry, immensely talented, and has a point to prove. I just hope that he doesn't play against Wales.”
GeorgeFRG's Dark Horse of the 2023 Men’s Six Nations: Ollie Hassell-Collins
“There are plenty of leftfield options to help you get an edge on your fantasy rivals in this year’s tournament. There are honourable mentions for a few, including Alex Mitchell who, if he gets on the field, will be a menace and will keep the fantasy points ticking over. Yoram Moefana, categorised as a Centre but likely to be on the Wing offers an alternative route into the scintillating French back line. Lorenzo Cannone and Christ Tshiunza, both have torn up trees as lethal ball carriers in their respective club back rows this season and are both categorised as Locks (a traditionally low fantasy-scoring position in the official game).
However, my pick for tournament dark horse (if he plays…) is Ollie Hassell-Collins. Still awaiting his first cap, Hassell-Collins has been a consistent performer in the Premiership and Europe and now is ready to make a huge impact at International level. The numbers speak for themselves; in the Prem this season he has played 13 matches (playing the full 80 for all) and scored 9 tries, with an average metres carried per match >50m, 3 defenders beaten average per game and an impressive 95% Tackle success rate. He rarely puts a foot wrong, and brings offloads, turnovers and line breaks; he has it all in his locker. I’m backing OHC to have a breakthrough tournament.”
Who are you planning on picking in your team? Comment below or hit us up on our socials! Good Luck!
Words // Edward Tristram
