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The opening weekend of the Guinness Six Nations is always hard to navigate, but we’ve compiled some extra insights and looked at the trends to make your player selections much easier and to help you win great cash prizes and sportzcoins*. Take a look:
Ireland versus Wales
The safe buy in Ireland’s opener with Wales at the Aviva Stadium is captain Johnny Sexton, who is the heartbeat of his side. Though he has not played much rugby since the autumn, he has shown in recent weeks in the Heineken Champions Cup that his level has not dropped. Sexton is likely to be priced highly, but is worth having in an Ireland side that have a lot of momentum after their autumn.
Similarly Welsh winger Josh Adams is likely to be quite expensive, but could pay off as well. Ultimately tries get a User the most points, and Adams is the most natural finisher in either side. He may not necessarily contribute with points in other departments of the game, but has a healthy record of 17 tries in 35 Tests for Wales. This match has been quite high-scoring in the past, so Adams could be on the scoresheet.
Elsewhere on the field, Ireland lock Tadhg Beirne comes into the Championship as one of the form players and has the potential to earn plenty of points. His ability to win turnovers could be a rich source of dividends for anyone who has shares in him.
Scotland versus England
Calcutta Cup clashes at Murrayfield have historically been very close, and this year’s encounter is likely to be no different. Across Scotland and England’s last eight encounters in Edinburgh, the margin of victory has been on average eight points, and tries have always been in short supply.
While outside backs may not prove to be great value given the nature of this contest, Scotland captain Stuart Hogg could be worth investing in. The fullback was player of the match in dogged affair at Twickenham last year and saw a lot of the ball, topping the charts for running metres by a considerable margin. His long distance goal kicking could be crucial against an England side that are prone to giving away penalties.
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With kicking likely to be crucial in this contest, buying England’s Marcus Smith would be wise as the Harlequins No10 is in sensational form at the moment and is not shy of scoring a try himself. However, both Smith’s and Hogg’s share prices are likely to be quite high given their reputation.
Therefore, Smith’s Quins teammate Alex Dombrandt may prove to be great value. The No8 is likely to start for England this Six Nations given his rich vein of form, and in a tight affair up front, he could make plenty of carries and metres. His try-scoring prowess marks him out as one to watch alongside fellow England back row Sam Simmonds, as the pair have a terrific try scoring rate for forwards. He might be priced lower than the likes of Smith and Hogg, meaning you can buy more shares and earn more dividends.
France versus Italy
France will arrive at the Stade de France as heavy favourites against Italy, and as a result there will be a chance for plenty of points across the team. World Rugby player of the year Antoine Dupont’s name screams out at you as one to buy, if he is fit, as the scrum-half has the potential to provide points in so many different areas, particularly his ability to sniff out a try. Likewise, winger Damian Penaud is one of the form backs in the competition and should likely provide plenty of points in tries scored, line breaks, defenders beaten, ball carries and offloads, such is the form he is in.
The problem may arise in buying a lot of shares in those two, as they will certainly be at the very top end of the price range. But in what is likely to be a lopsided result, the forwards are capable of accumulating a lot of points as well, particularly from driving mauls. Hooker Peato Mauvaka scored five tries in three Tests for Les Bleus in the autumn, including two against the All Blacks, off the back of France’s dominant maul. He could prove to be amazing value with dividends to be earned for hookers at the lineout as well.
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