Six Nations Fantasy Rugby news: Luke Ebden’s fantasy team for Round 2
The Six Nations is well underway - with France, Ireland and Scotland all victorious last weekend.
This weekend sees three mouthwatering ties across Saturday and Sunday - Italy host Wales, England host France and Ireland travel to Scotland.
Didn’t manage to get a team in for Round 1? No worries, get one in for Round 2 and join our mini-league (see links below).
In this article, Sports News Blitz writer Luke Ebden reveals his fantasy team for Round 2, and recaps on Round 1 including an update on the mini-league.
RugbyAnalyst + Sports News Blitz mini-league
Sports News Blitz will be providing extensive coverage of fantasy rugby all through the upcoming Six Nations.
We encourage you to create a team and join our fantasy rugby mini-league in collaboration with the RugbyAnalyst on YouTube. Please join ONE of our leagues using the links below.
Didn’t join the league in Round 1, or didn’t have a team in Round 1? No worries - join now.
RugbyAnalyst + Sports News Blitz 1
RugbyAnalyst + Sports News Blitz 2
RugbyAnalyst + Sports News Blitz 3
A GUIDE TO FANTASY RUGBY: Six Nations Fantasy Rugby news: What is it and how does it work?
League Update
A massive thank you to everyone who has joined the league - it should be a great competition.
Every week in my team selection, I shall update on the league standings, across all three leagues combined.
Top of the leagues after Round 1 is…Me - The Real Slim Sladey.
In second we have SmudgyBugglers, and in the other podium spot we have Hook.
In fourth and fifth respectively we have Try harders and My Rugby Team.
Let’s see if anyone can catch up to me in Round 2.
Round 1 Recap
I scored 554 points all out in Round 1.
The front row was positive on the whole - Fischetti and Thomas both scored well given the low investment in them, and Dan Sheehan Supersub contributed to a whopping 75 points.
Peato Mauvaka sadly disappointed with a mere 15 points.
Elsewhere, Tadhg Beirne did what Tadhg Beirne does, delivering a try and a mammoth 35-point haul.
My other second-row - Dino Lamb - delivered an average 14-pointer.
If you recall in my Week 1 selection, I had a major 50/50 with Fagerson and Darge.
Unfortunately, I came out the wrong side of this 32-point swing - with Fagerson only managing 20 versus Darge’s 52 - well played if you went for Darge.
Elsewhere in my back-row, Caelan Doris disappointed with a mere 25 points in what was a subpar day for the Irishman - but Alldritt saved my back-row, with a monster 71-pointer, thanks to his try, 18 tackles and his Man of the Match award.
Antoine Dupont was incredibly unlucky to only come away with 31 points, having bossed the show with three assists, and no doubt would have contributed more if he wasn't substituted early.
At 10, the Sam Prendergast gamble did not pay off, he only delivered 14 points and will be leaving my team this week.
Another gamble that failed miserably was Stafford McDowall - returning a team-low seven points. He will join Prendergast in leaving the team.
His centre partner though, Huw Jones, was magnificent - scoring a hattrick for a 66-pointer.
My back-three was positive overall.
Captain Ramos did what he does and delivered a consistent score - 37 - which was doubled for me to 74.
Elsewhere, from a Fantasy perspective, it was an excellent debut for Cadan Murley, returning 38 points.
Finally, Duhan van der Merwe was a huge letdown, with just 27 points, outscored by 14 points by his wing partner Darcy Graham, who was originally in my team.
There’s the lesson for you - always go with your gut!
A very good week all round, and I hope to build on it in Round 2.
LUKE EBDEN’S ROUN 1 SELECTION: Six Nations Fantasy Rugby news: Luke Ebden’s fantasy team for the opening weekend
Team Selection
Players change value in Fantasy rugby - and thus my squad value is over the base 230 stars budget because I had invested in certain key assets who are now more expensive.
Props
I’ve gone unchanged upfront - Danilo Fischetti (12.8 stars) and Henry Thomas (7.7 stars).
Both served me very nicely in Round 1.
Fischetti was the highest-scoring prop in Round 1 - with 26 points.
A huge part of this was his 16 tackles, which is excellent for a prop.
He didn’t carry much against the stronger Scottish opposition as you’d expect, but, against a weak Wales side at home, if Fischetti can produce similar defensive numbers and add some attacking points, he could bring home a big haul in Round 2.
I only picked Thomas as he was the cheapest prop, but he performed excellently.
A very solid 12 tackles resulted in 16 points - higher scoring than many above him in price.
If Wales can get the edge in the scrum this week, and put in a mammoth defensive shift against a stronger Italian side, Thomas could reward with a very good points-per-star ratio.
The best part about these two is I got them for their base prices of 7 and 12 stars respectively.
Therefore, they continue to earn value for my team, enabling me to sell them for profit at a later date to someone with more favourable fixtures like Ellis Genge (13.9 stars).
Hooker
My hooker for Round 2 is Dave Cherry (9.6 stars).
I was very impressed with Cherry last week - that out-the-back offload for White’s try was phenomenal.
Usually, I like to have an expensive hooker from one of the premium teams, as they offer a prolific try threat - the likes of Dan Sheehan (18.4 stars) and Peato Mauvaka (15.1 stars).
However, this week has the hardest-to-call fixture run of all 5 rounds, where all three games could go either way.
Ronan Kelleher (13.4 stars) is a step down from Sheehan, and Mauvaka was poor last week, leading me to go for the cheap Dave Cherry.
He showed his maul threat - against a granted, weaker Italian side - and was solid in the set piece.
There wasn’t really an option screaming out at me, and having already got the player in my team I’m keen to invest in for this position (Supersub foreshadowing), I’ve decided to go cheap with Cherry and focus my budget in the back line.
Second row
Tadhg Beirne (17.6 stars) retains his place in my team, but is now joined by Grant Gilchrist (11.5 stars).
I don’t really need to say much more about Beirne - he is just the best second-row in the game, and matches the points output of some of the best options in the game.
Barring injury or suspension, he is unlikely to leave my team all championship.
Gilchrist replaces Dino Lamb (8.5 stars) in my team, as the latter drops to the bench for Italy.
Gilchrist is a top player, and someone I was considering in Round 1 - though in the end I focused my Scottish spots elsewhere.
Gilchrist performed well particularly in offence last week, carrying 31m and beating a defender.
This is in addition to his 10 tackles, which he is more known for.
This week will be harder for Scotland, as they will have more defensive work to do against an Irish team you’d expect to have more possession.
However, if Scotland do get the ball, Gilchrist is just as capable as any going forward - and an 80-minute playing lock for just 11.5 stars felt like a decent investment to me.
This is another tight 50/50 though, with Will Rowlands (10.9 stars) an excellent pick.
Let’s hope I have better luck this week!
YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN: F1 Academy news: 2025 grid expands as Maya Weug returns with Ferrari and Aurelia Nobels stays with PUMA
Back row
Gregory Alldritt (19.1 stars) is the only player retained in my back-row.
He is joined by Tom Willis (10 stars) and Taulupe Faletau (12.7 stars).
I wrote this late Friday afternoon because I sat here all morning and early afternoon trying to figure out who the best combinations were for my team - and I’ve finally landed on a cheaper back-row strategy.
I went heavy on the back row last week - and made cuts elsewhere.
This week it's the other way around - which is a bit of a gamble given the back-row dominated last week’s scoring.
Alldritt was unbelievable, scoring 71 points, more than anyone in the game.
90m carried, 18 tackles, a try and MOTM were responsible for this - causing the biggest price rise of the round, he went from 17 stars to 19.1.
He was simply sublime, back to his best, and he’s going nowhere from my team.
Willis was someone I was keen to get in when I saw he was starting.
He didn’t set the world alight off the bench last week in Dublin.
Finally given a go to start at 8 for England, his numbers in the Premiership are unbelievable, and if he can translate them to the international level, he’ll score very highly.
A worthy investment in my eyes, with England’s fixtures only getting easier week by week.
Finally, I’ve landed on Faletau. And I confess, I’m not convinced by him.
He was essentially the final piece of the puzzle for me.
I’d identified key targets to bring in, a couple of hidden gems (Cherry and Willis) from the lineups, but I still needed some budget to reach my ideal pick and a very notable emission, Jac Morgan (17.2 stars).
I considered other combinations, such as allocating an Italian slot to the back row for Sebastian Negri (13 stars). downgrading one of my wingers to his cheaper teammate, or sacrificing one of my key targets to be able to pick Morgan instead.
However, all these options had their own cons, so my best solution is to buy Faletau.
It sounds crazy being reluctant to buy one of the best Number 8s of the modern era.
Unfortunately, his injury record and minutes concern speak for themselves.
But, he wouldn't be playing if he wasn’t fully fit, and Wales desperately need this win (so do Italy).
Faletau has won games on his own in the past, and if his magic can touch this game, he could provide a good score given his low price.
A very high-risk, high-reward pick - who enables me to get all my key targets in the backline.
Scrum-half
It’s Antoine Dupont (20.4 stars).
He was never changing.
Three assists last week and then rested ready for this week.
Whilst I am an English fan, if we’re going to get taken apart, this man will be the conductor.
An easy decision to keep him.
Fly-half
A slightly left-field pick here, but I’ve gone for Tommaso Allan (11.4 stars).
Allan has actually been named at 15 for Italy, as he was last week.
This is brilliant for Fantasy, as back-three players tend to outscore fly-halves, and Allan is still Italy’s goal-kicker.
He provides a cheap and out-of-position route into the Italian back-three, for what should be a scrappy and high-scoring game in Rome.
There are not too many 10s in the game who outright appeal to me - Marcus Smith (17.5 stars) possibly in later rounds - and therefore I’m taking a one-week punt on Allan.
MORE ON THE SIX NATIONS: History of the Six Nations: Winners, losers and interesting statistics
Centres
As crazy as it sounds, cutting Huw Jones (17.9 stars) this week did cross my mind.
But, I’ve stuck with him (as I mentioned about combinations earlier) - and he is paired with Tommaso Menoncello (15.8 stars).
Jones delivered a hattrick last week - simply phenomenal, and is still a good option this week, despite a hard game against Ireland.
Jones will be key in attack and defence if Scotland are to get anything from this, so his inclusion was ultimately quite easy.
A key target of mine this week, Menoncello joins the team.
He is the better Fantasy rugby option of the Brex’n’Cello combo and someone I was very keen to pick up.
He is simply one of those players who is always involved in what goes on. Quite similar to Huw Jones and Jac Morgan in that regard.
Last year’s Player of the Tournament scored an impressive 39 points in Round 1 and now faces a weak Welsh side.
Getting him in was very high on my list this week, so I’m happy I’ve squeezed him in.
Back three
Finally my back-three, and there’s also only one survivor, in Thomas Ramos (19.4 stars).
Regular readers will know he simply has to be in my team - goal kicker for France and a huge attacking threat.
I’ve dropped Duhan van der Merwe (19 stars).
Not because he’s a bad option, but because his next couple of fixtures are poor, and I wanted someone I could tie value up in.
Therefore, Damian Penaud (18.6 stars) joins the team.
He is the best winger in the Northern Hemisphere and one of Fantasy rugby’s very best.
He plays England this week, and if I take away my England bias, it’s always Penaud who does us huge damage.
He then plays Italy in Round 3, so this is a 2 week pick in my eyes, and I can then sell him for team value profit, possibly in Round 4.
Whilst Louis Bielle-Biarrey (15.9 stars) is no doubt a good player, Penaud’s numbers are superior.
Whilst his fitness might not be 100%, the drop in price, and quality of player made Penaud too hard to ignore.
Essentially, the choice was Penaud and Faletau or LBB and an improved back-rower (though this wouldn't have been enough to get Jac Morgan, hence the decision) - therefore I’m backing big things from the Bordeaux winger.
My final back-three player to go alongside Ramos and Penaud is Monty Ioane (15.8 stars).
Another key target of mine for the fixture against Wales (which by my team selection I’m backing Italy to win), Ioane is Italy’s best Fantasy winger.
His numbers from previous years are exceptional, even in losing games, particularly his carrying.
I’m backing Italy’s Number 11 to have a field day in Rome and add to some dismal results for Wales.
Thus, by refusing to downgrade Ioane or Penaud, my back three (and back line in general) is where my money is this week, rather than my forward pack, particularly my back row.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: MMA betting tips: Dricus Du Plessis to stop Sean Strickland late and end their rivalry emphatically
Captain
This is a really tricky one - I’ve got so many good options.
Last week, Ramos was Mr Consistent as normal, and he’d do a fine job if I did back him again this week.
Alldritt was last round’s top scorer, and his work up front against a physically inferior English pack is definitely of note.
Dupont is Dupont and could easily amass well in excess of 50 points.
The wing pairing of Ioane and Penaud are both very dangerous and capable of scoring tries in clusters.
Even Tommy Allan, starting at 15 for Italy with goal-kicking duties, is a viable shout.
But with all that said, my armband is currently on Tommaso Menoncello (15.8 stars).
He’s just a rugby superstar in the making.
I mentioned it earlier, everything goes through him for Italy. He made 100m last week, 15 tackles, two offloads and even a breakdown steal - for 39 points.
And that was a game where his team were the underdogs. This week, his side are favourites and have even greater attacking threat.
Menoncello is just all-action. In defence he is a hard hitter, in attack he makes metres and beats defenders, and is probably overall Italy’s best player.
He is, as I say, a superstar and all-action, which boosts his MOTM potential - offering further points.
For all the above reasons, I’m on Menoncello for now, but this could well change by the deadline to one of the French lads in my back three.
Supersub
I hinted it earlier in the hookers section, my Supersub is (for possibly the first time ever in my Fantasy rugby career), unchanged: Dan Sheehan (18.4 stars).
This one was quite obvious for my team specifically.
Sheehan scored a mammoth 75-pointer from Supersub due to his try from the bench against England - as an English fan I was quite conflicted when he scored!
I was almost certain he would start this week, having built up fitness last week, however, for fitness or tactical reasons, Sheehan starts from the bench again.
I know Sheehan is a player I want throughout almost the whole championship, thus just keeping him as my Supersub (which he’s not too shabby at) ready to be moved to my starting lineup in Round 3 makes sense for my team financially, rather than potentially losing team value.
Therefore, to my pleasant surprise, Sheehan was an easy choice.
For others not as fortunate to be in my position with value tied up in Sheehan, or you simply can’t afford him, other good options are Julian Marchand (13.8 stars), (Aaron Wainwright (16 stars), Emilien Gailleton (12 stars), Ross Vintcent (12 stars), Chandler Cunningham-South (13 stars), Garry Ringrose (13.9 stars) and Jamie Dobie (10.8 stars).
Luke Ebden’s fantasy team for Round 2
Danilo Fischetti, Dave Cherry, Henry Thomas, Grant Gilchrist, Tadhg Beirne, Tom Willis, Taulupe Faletau, Gregory Alldritt, Antoine Dupont, Tommaso Allan, Monty Ioane, Tommaso Menoncello ©, Huw Jones, Damian Penaud, Thomas Ramos, Dan Sheehan (Sub)
Team Value: 238.7 stars (0.6 stars in the bank)
Disclaimer: Now that we’re on Round 2, this will almost certainly not change, as there’s less tinkering you can do, but this team is still technically wary to last minute changes.
