Six Nations Fantasy Tips: The top scoring XV of round one

Jared Wright
Six Nations Fantasy Tips Following the opening weekend of Rugby's Greatest Championship, Planet Rugby runs through the Fanasty Six Nations tips statistics and highlights the best in all fifteen positions. Six Ireland and Scotland players topped the points tallies in their position, while France, England and Italy all have just one player represented in the XV.

Max Malins of England, Finn Russell of Scotland and James Lowe of Ireland

Following the opening weekend of Rugby’s Greatest Championship, Planet Rugby runs through the Fantasy Six Nations statistics and highlights the best in all 15 positions.

Six Ireland and Scotland players topped the points tallies in their respective position, while France, England and Italy all have just one player represented in the XV.

Six Nations Fantasy Round One XV

15 Max Malins (55.4 points)One of two players who scored twice at Twickenham on Saturday. Although he played on the wing for England, you could have selected him at full-back and earned a good chunk of points for doing so after he scored twice and carried for 67 metres. In fact, Malins tallied the seven-highest tally of points and third most for a back three player.

14 James Lowe (63.4 points)A selection that may have flown under the radar for many, the Ireland speedster earned the second-highest points tally in the opening round after he won a breakdown turnover, made one clean break, 112 metres and scored a try. Liam Williams (54.6) scored a solid number despite Wales’ defeat and a five points deduction for his yellow card.

Huwipulotu!

13 Huw Jones (51 points): The only centre who cracked the top 15 overall points scorers, Jones once again found his way over the whitewash for Scotland grabbing his fifth try in as many appearances against the Auld Enemy. He also made a linebreak, gained 47 metres and made 12 tackles.

12 Sione Tuipulotu (44.6 points): The Huwipulotu combination cracks the highest-scoring team of the week as a pair. Tuipulotu joins Jones in the side after setting up his Scotland centre partner for a try against England. He was a real threat with the ball in hand, gaining 63 metres and made ten tackles.

Calcutta Cup heroes

11 Duhan van der Merwe (89.8 points): The top points scorer of the round. Scotland’s match-winner at Twickenham outscored the next-best tally from Lowe by over 20 points. His brace and a player of the match award certainly helped, as did his 104 metres carried and one dominant tackle.

10 Finn Russell (Scotland)It was a busy evening at Twickenham for the Scotland fly-half, who is in the top 15 points scorers. He made ten tackles and 85 metres, with his three conversions and a penalty further boosting his tally.

9 Ben White (49.1 points)The Scotland half-back beats Antoine Dupont (44.4 points) to the top-scoring scrum-half spot despite the French captain collecting 15 points for his player of the match award. In fact, White was a real bargain this weekend, costing less than any of the over starting scrum-halves, and he repaid those who took the gamble on him. He scored an opportunistic try, making one clean break, 21 metres and weighed in with nine tackles, including one dominant.

Ireland’s forwards dominate

8 Caelan Doris (63 points): The top scoring forward of the round is Ireland‘s number eight, who scored a try inside the first two minutes of the match against Wales. He ranks third overall for points accumulated over the opening weekend after racking up 17 tackles, one dominant, 45 metres from his carries plus a breakdown steal.

7 Josh van der Flier (55.2 points)The World Player of the Year would have been a popular pick, and the Irishman more than backed up the hefty price tag. His try to secure Ireland’s bonus point significantly bumped his numbers, but he had quietly racked up a respectable tally before then, making 12 tackles and 31 metres.

6 Matt Fagerson (59.2 points): The Scottish number eight played a prominent role in their win over England, and his points tally reflects that. He cracks the top five from the weekend after a mammoth 24 tackle count, including two dominant tackles and gained 45 carry metres. He also assisted Van der Merwe’s second try, further boosting his points.

5 James Ryan (47.8 points)Another Ireland try scorer grabs a spot in the top points scorers from the weekend, but Ryan’s tally was boosted with him making 14 tackles and one lineout steal. Italy’s Federico Ruzza (45 points) wasn’t far off from a spot in the XV.

4 Thibaud Flament (61 points): The Frenchman’s runaway try after charging down a box kick helped him rocket to the fourth-highest points tally of the weekend. He gained 35 metres, with a lineout steal (seven points) and 17 tackles helping him to a massive points total.

Sheehan shines

3 Finlay Bealham (35 points)Anyone who backed the Connacht prop to thrive in the absence of Tadhg Furlong will have been greatly rewarded after he claimed a try assist and made 12 tackles in a busy outing in Ireland’s win over Wales. He narrowly beat Ellis Genge (34.6) to a spot in the side.

2 Dan Sheehan (58.1 points)Comfortably the top-scoring front-rower from round one, with Ireland’s hooker earning 16.1 points more than the next best from Scotland’s George Turner (42 points). His tally ranks him sixth overall. He earned a chunk of points for his two dominant tackles and two line breaks (seven points each). He also claimed a lineout steal, another seven points and gained 54 metres.

1 Danilo Fischetti (37.2 points): The only Italian to make the team as the front-rower scored just 0.6 points less than star full-back Ange Capuozzo. The Azzurri front-rower made an incredible 46 metres, one linebreak and seven tackles, two of which were dominant.

Supersub – Romain Taofifénua (27.2 points)Congrats to those who selected France’s Taofifénua as their supersub for the weekend. The second-rower produced a fantastic offload to assist Matthieu Jalibert for a try, and had you picked him as your supersub; he would have earned you 81.6 points.

READ MORE: Six Nations Team of the Week: Scotland and Ireland lead the way after impressive victories in Round One