Now that you've set up a mini-league for ESPN Fantasy Rugby 2019, or joined a friend or colleague's, the pressure is on to deliver. There's no hiding when everyone in your private tournament can see your every move. Every. Single. One.
To win your mini-league, it's not enough to pay attention to what's happening in the Six Nations proper -- though that will help hugely. You need to do a bit of a Leeds United and indulge in a bit of spying on your rival mini-league managers to see what are doing with their fantasy squads.
Fortunately, that's all above board in ESPN's Fantasy Rugby competition.
So, once you think you've selected a strong initial squad -- check out some of our earlier articles if you're having trouble choosing that perfect midfield combination -- you can compare your team to those of everyone else in your mini-league. It's then up to you to decide whether you want to stick or twist.
There's no point selecting basically the same squad as everyone else, otherwise no one's going to race away with the league. The odd left-field selection could bring huge dividends, but there's a fine balance between left-field and off-pitch: don't necessarily pick that Italian bolter because no one else has thought of him.
At least, not before you've checked out what he can do. It's a good idea to take some time to track key players' recent form on ESPN, both at international and club level, before making that bold selection move.
If seasons gone by have proved anything, it's that it is often wise to tinker with your side depending on the schedule. Italy are perennial Six Nations strugglers, for example, so it may be worth adapting your squad depending on who they're playing. They lost all of their games in last year's competition, and players often rack up plenty of fantasy points against them -- remember Owen Farrell's try, four conversions and an assist in 2018. On the other hand, Italy's Tomasso Allan scored a health portion of his 53 overall points in a single match against Scotland.
France, too, only won three of 11 internationals in 2018, so it might be worth weighting your Fantasy Rugby side against them on certain weeks when other fixtures may not be so favourable. And remember, England finished fifth in last year's Six Nations. Then again, one or both sides could come good in this World Cup year.
Remember, though, this is a five-weekend, 15-match international rugby marathon. Don't worry if you fall behind on the first weekend as there are another four rounds of matches for you to catch up. So be bold with your selections, take a few calculated risks ... and those bragging rights could be yours for the next 12 months.