It's literally hours away. The Six Nations, that is. France and Wales kick off the 2019 men's tournament in Paris on Friday evening. Then it's Scotland against Italy in Edinburgh on Saturday afternoon, and -- finally -- Ireland meet England in Dublin on Saturday evening.
If you've still to finalise your Fantasy Rugby XV, time is rapidly running out. This is the most difficult time for Fantasy managers, as they look for an early edge over their rivals. So let's see if we can help you get out of the blocks quickly.
Fixtures
Friday, February 1, 8pm GMT -- France vs Wales
Saturday, February 2, 2.15pm GMT -- Scotland vs Italy
Saturday, February 2, 4.45pm GMT -- Ireland vs England
Where am I going to score points?
There's no doubt that Conor O'Shea is working wonders with Italy. And the country's Pro14 sides are doing pretty well -- Benetton, who supplied 18 players to Italy's Six Nations initial squad, are currently second in Conference B -- but all indications are that Scotland are going to win big at Murrayfield. It's set to be cold but dry in Edinburgh on Saturday, and though the ground may be damp after overnight frost, it's still worth loading your backs with Scottish try-scorers. Stuart Hogg, in particular, should get plenty of chances to run with that ball, while you'd expect ESPN Fantasy Rugby favourite Finn Russell to pose all sorts of problems
Who should I leave out?
Starters are vital -- it's two points each in the bag before a ball is even kicked, so the five percent of you who still have French battering ram Mathieu Bastareaud in your squad are advised to get rid of him, as he's not in Jacques Brunel's matchday 23. By the same reckoning, there's no Jonny Gray in the Scotland team, which should have 44% of you rushing to make a change before the cut, while the injured Leigh Halfpenny is still on 27% of Fantasy Rugby managers' teams. Ben Te'o was another popular choice early on, but - quite rightly - has fallen down the centre selections after picking up a side strain in camp earlier this week. One percent of you still have him in your Fantasy Rugby team, though...
Who should I bring in?
France have sprung a surprise, leaving out Bastareaud and bringing in the 19-year-old Romain Ntamack. Many have wondered over the wisdom of that selection, but the teenager has handled big men running at him down the 12 channel in the Top 14 and the Champions Cup, hardly the worst proving grounds. He may be worth a punt in the centre. The smarter money, however, may want to go with England's fit-again Manu Tuilagi, even in cauldron Dublin. He was the headline when Eddie Jones announced the team - and is a genuine gamechanger.
Who should be my kicker?
If you don't have him already, you could do worse than consider Greig Laidlaw. If Scotland do rack up the tries against Italy, he should get plenty of shots at goal. That said, the Ireland-England clash at the Aviva has all the hallmarks of a monumental encounter and is most likely to be decided in a battle of the boot between Johnny Sexton and Owen Farrell.