Irish Times Fantasy Rugby: who to pick in your XV

The jewel in the crown of northern hempisphere rugby - the Six Nations - is nearly upon us.

Over six weeks familiar foes will renew old rivalries in a bid to be crowned championship winners on Saturday March 16th.

Ireland remain strong favourites to retain their title, after a vintage 2018 which saw them follow-up the Grand Slam with a November victory over the All Blacks.

But it’s not just Ireland who could be enjoying the sweet taste of victory in March.

Six Nations: Jack Carty makes Ireland squad ahead of Ross Byrne

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Scotland name seven uncapped players in Six Nations squad

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Caolin Blade set to make the cut for Ireland’s Six Nations squad

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Indeed, you have the chance to prove you're the next Joe Schmidt, Warren Gatland or Eddie Jones by taking part in the Irish Times Fantasy Rugby competition.

With a €100 million budget, and 15 players to pick, deciding who makes it into your winning XV isn’t straight forward.

So here, we’ve attempted to pick a side which could lead you to Fantasy Rugby glory - good luck!

15 Liam Williams - Wales. €5.7m (2018 - N/A)

Leigh Halfpenny’s ongoing absence with a head injury means Williams is set to be Warren Gatland’s first choice fullback. The Saracens 15 is a running threat from deep with an eye for the try line.

14 Jonny May - England. €7.1m (2018 - 144 points)

May was an ever-present for England in last year’s tournament, playing everyminute of the tournament and scoring four tries to boot. He was the outside back with the second-highest points tally in 2018.

13 Gaël Fickou - France. €5.4m (2018 - N/A)

Fickou has been a player reborn since leaving Toulouse for Stade Francais last summer. He has scored seven tries in the Top14 so far this season and at the price could prove a bargain.

12 Bundee Aki - Ireland. €6.8m (2018 - 101 points)

Competition in Irleand’s midfield is fierce but Bundee Aki is likely to start at 12 against England. A tireless carrier and tackler he is also a try threat, crossing the whitewash twice last year.

11 Jacob Stockdale - Ireland. €7.1m (2018 - 181 points)

Last year’s highest-points scorer is only getting better, and he now has a staggering 12 tries in 13 Test matches. He scored seven tries in the 2018 tournament - you can’t leave him out.

10 Owen Farrell - England. €8m (2018 - 142 points)

The most expensive player in the tournament alongside Johnny Sexton, Farrell gets the nod simply because he's likely to play more minutes than the irish 10. Makes a huge amount of tackles and kicks a lot of points.

9 Greig Laidlaw - Scotland. €6.2m (2018 - 97 points)

A steady presence at scrumhalf, Laidlaw gets the nod on account of his goal-kicking. With Scotland’s exciting backline, there could be a lot of tries to convert.

1 Demba Bamba - France. €4.4m (2018 - N/A)

A bolter for the side, Bamba has only made one appearance for France. However, should the 20-year-old get chances off the bench his devastating running and speed around the park could be fruitful.

2 Leonardo Ghiraldini - Italy. €5.3m (2018 - 150 points, 2nd highest)

The Italian hooker was the second-highest points scorer in last year’s competition, largely on account of the massive 60 tackles he made - an average of 12 per game.

3 Tadhg Furlong - Ireland. €6.5m (2018 - 82 points)

Furlong’s all round game - particularly his tackling, running and offloading ability, make him a shoo-in for this side.

4 Alun Wyn Jones - Wales. €7.2m (2018 - 96 points)

The Welsh warhorse also made 60 tackles in last year’s tournament, and is a thorn in the opposition’s side at the lineout.

5 Jonny Gray - Scotland. €6.8m (2018 - 124 points)

Jonny Gray made an astoshing 100 tackles in the 2018 Six Nations - 20 clear of second-placed Hamish Watson.

6 Peter O’Mahony - €7.2m (2018 - 69 points)

Tackling, turnovers and pilfering the oppositions lineouts earn the Munster backrow his place in the XV.

7 Josh Navidi - Wales. €5.9m (2018 - 109 points) 75

Navidi made 75 tackles last year and is also an athletic ball carrier. Injuries in the Welsh backrow mean he is a likely starter in the opener at the Stade de France.

8 Sergio Parisse - Italy. €6.8m (2018 - 99 points)

This could be Parisse’s final Six Nations, but he not just a sentimental pick. His tackling, carrying and offloading ability all make him dangerous even 35-year-old.

Overall cost: €96.4m

How the scoring works:

Playing 1 - 60 minutes : 1 point
Playing more than 61 minutes: 2
For each try scored (any position): 10
For each try assist: 5
For each conversion: 2
For each conversion miss: -1
For each penalty goal: 3
For each penalty goal miss: -1
For each drop goal: 4
For each drop goal miss: -1
Yellow card: -3
Red card: -5
Turnover: 3
For each lineout steal on opposition throw: 4
For each tackle made by a prop or a hooker: 2
For each tackle made by all other positions: 1
For each tackle missed (all positions): -1
For each tackle broken: 2
For each effective offload: 4
For each ineffective offload: 2
For each linebreak : 5
For each linebreak created: 3
For each error: -2

[ You can sign up to The Irish Times Fantasy Rugby here. ]