Match week two of The Rugby World Cup is already upon us after a thrilling opening weekend.
If you captained Paolo Garbisi like we said last week, you would have picked up a cool 108 points after his performance against Namibia. Will Rowlands will have also got you a nice 48 points from lock, with his exemplary tackle statistics (27 made and none missed).
We picked up 453 points last weekend, so our picks must have been alright!
Now our focus turns to the second round of fixtures, with France kicking off against Uruguay on Thursday night to get things going again.
On paper, this should be shooting practice for France, who are 14 places above Uruguay in the World Rugby rankings.
P.S. – At the time of writing, not all lineups have been named. So there is no guarantee that the selected players in this article will definitely be playing. Please check lineups before adding your players in. You can make changes and transfers to your team at anytime during the weekend’s action, provided the selected player is not currently playing a game.
Here are our best picks for match week two.
The whole team leaves us with 0.5 credits to spare, happy days.
The backs
We’ve gone for France’s Melvyn Jaminet at full-back. The 24-year-old is a pretty sensational number two to preferred starter Thomas Ramos. Both are almost faultless from the tee, and both would be in the discussion for the best in the world in their position. Jaminet will be kicking a lot on Thursday, so you will need to captain him, and use the Super Kicker booster for maximum points. Thank me later. If you can afford the points, go for Wales’ Leigh Halfpenny.
On the wings, we’ve gone for Rio Dyer and Gabin Villiere. Wales’ Dyer will be facing up against Portugal, and will likely be in for a few scores given the gulf in class between the sides (Warren Gatland has made 14 changes after all) along with his rip-roaring pace. Villiere packs a punch despite his small stature, and you may remember him bagging a hat-trick against Italy during the Six Nations last year. If he can score three against Italy, he’ll be a danger against Uruguay.
We think you should go for David Havili and Ulupano Seuteni in the midfield. New Zealand’s Havili is a world class centre on his day and comes in at a cheap price of just 6.5 credits, he’ll be integral for the All Blacks against Namibia. Worth noting that in 2003 the All Blacks notched up the biggest ever World Cup win, and it was over Namibia (142-0). Seuteni is the same price and will be coming up against tournament debutants Chile. Seuteni starts at centre for European champions La Rochelle and has played in the Top 14 for the best part of ten years, so he’s a steal.
In the half-backs, it would be wise to go for Gareth Anscombe and Cam Roigard. Wales’ Anscombe won’t be kicking with Leigh Halfpenny starting, but he will be crucial in Wales’ attack, so is a must have in the team. New Zealand’s Roigard is lining up against Namibia, and has been a star in Super Rugby of late. He stepped in to replace an injured TJ Perenara at the Hurricanes and did a tremendous job. His international career is only just getting started, but he’s worth a shot this week.
The forwards
In the front row, we’ve gone for Rob Herring, Vincent Koch and Dan Cole. South Africa’s Koch needs no introduction. Getting one of the Bomb Squad against Tier Two opposition Romania for 5.5 credits says it all. Tonga will be a tough test for Ireland, but they should outclass them over 80 minutes, therefore we think you should stick Herring at hooker. If Ireland get on top of Tonga, there’ll be plenty of scrummaging and line outs, meaning Herring will get through some graft. We’ve got Dan Cole in there too, his experience could make the difference against Japan.
In the locks, choose Jean Kleyn and Theo McFarland. Samoa’s McFarland is only six credits, has won the English Premiership Player of the Month with Saracens, and can also play at blindside. With elite level exposure and the value of utility being paramount in fantasy rugby, he’s a smart pick. South Africa’s Kleyn has World Cup experience with Ireland, despite only having a few caps for the Springboks, so he’s no stranger to this stage. He’ll be looking to make the most of his opportunity in the boiler house.
Our loose-forward trio is formed of Tommy Reffell, Steven Luatua and Luke Jacobson. Wales’ Reffell is just six credits, and he will be a huge menace to Portugal at the breakdown, with his relentless mindset towards jackalling. He’ll be dominant in collision area too. Samoa’s Luatua is an obvious one. He played for the All Blacks for three years, has played against the British and Irish Lions for the Blues in 2017, and has played for Bristol Bears for six years. He’s a hugely talented back rower who’ll be coming up against RWC debutants Chile. Completing the trio it’s New Zealand’s Jacobson, he has 16 caps for the All Blacks and took over the captaincy from Same Cane at the Waikato Chiefs when the skipper was rested earlier this year, so he’s a trusted leader at Number Eight/back-row. Against Namibia, he should be heavily involved.
Disclaimer
At the time of writing, England, Ireland and Samoa are yet to name their teams.
If you would like to use this team for round two, check that the following players are actually playing before each match begins.
- DAN COLE – ENGLAND
- ROB HERRING – IRELAND
- THEO McFARLAND – SAMOA
- STEVEN LUATUA – SAMOA
- ULUPANO SEUTENI – SAMOA
