Six Nations: best bets in the tournament player markets

Free rugby tips, best bets and analysis for the Six Nations.

Best bets

Jacob Stockdale top tournament tryscorer
1pt each-way 10-1 Hills
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Luke Cowan-Dickie top tournament tryscorer
0.5pt each-way 66-1 BoyleSports
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Matteo Minozzi top Italy tryscorer
1pt 9-2Hills
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Dan Biggar top tournament pointscorer
1pt 4-1 general
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Top tournament tryscorer

Ulster and Ireland winger Jacob Stockdale set a tournament record with seven tries in the 2018 Six Nations, and while he's unlikely to hit those heights again, he is generously priced at 10-1 to bag the most tries this year.

Jonny May, who took the honours last year with six, is favourite but his scoring rate has slowed a little since a run of 12 tries in 12 games from February 2018 to February 2019.

He landed a hat-trick against France at Twickenham last year to help him to his title, cashing in on clever kicks behind a shambolic French defence. May also scored two against Australia at the Rugby World Cup but managed only one score in his other four games.

Stockdale has been named in Andy Farrell's first Ireland team, to face Scotland on Saturday, in a back three also featuring Andrew Conway and Jordan Larmour. There's no Keith Earls - Ireland's top scorer with 30 tries in 80 Tests - in the 22.

He has the same run of fixtures as when he netted his record haul two years ago with home games against Scotland and Italy, the two most porous defences last season, and is sure to play a big part as Ireland look to play with more width.

At a bigger price, England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie is worth a look at 66-1 with BoyleSports who, along with Betfair and Paddy Power, are offering seven places in their market.

The Exeter man is unlikely to top the table, and probably won't start a match as Saracens' Jamie George has been a clear first-choice.

But Cowan-Dickie made at the World Cup with three tries - two of them off the bench - and is a dynamic ball-carrier who relishes taking on tiring defences.

Three tries in Japan was enough to make him joint-top England scorer, along with May and Manu Tuilagi, and at 66-1 even a share of the place money can be a decent return.

The injury to number eight Billy Vunipola has robbed England of their most effective carrier so Cowan-Dickie should have even more chance to come to the fore.

Top Italy tryscorer

Matteo Minozzi burst on to the Six Nations scene in 2018, when his four tries earned him a nomination for player of the tournament.

Aged just 21 then and standing at 5ft 9in, the Italy full-back outscored everyone bar Stockdale and May, proving a real handful for tacklers.

Injury robbed him of a chance to follow up in the 2019 Six Nations but he was up and running again in time for the Azzurri's World Cup preparations, scoring a hat-trick in a warm-up game against Russia and touching down in pool matches against Namibia and Canada.

Minozzi has scored in two of his last three starts for Wasps and it may not take a huge haul to lead the way for his country.

Top tournament pointscorer

Owen Farrell topped the 2019 Six Nations scoring charts and was second to Handre Pollard at the Rugby World Cup.

The England fly-half is again favourite to bag the most points in this tournament having finished 16 points clear of his nearest rival last year.

But the battle has been closer in the past and Wales fly-half Dan Biggar could be a value pick to outscore Farrell.

Biggar hit only 21 points last year but was second-choice behind Gareth Anscombe, who kicked 43. Anscombe was injured before the World Cup, where Biggar weighed in with a 41-point haul.

Wales’s points haul in last year’s tournament included 16 penalties – England kicked eight and Ireland only three – but only ten conversion attempts to England’s 24.

It reflected Wales’s pragmatic approach under Warren Gatland, but although new coach Wayne Pivac wants a more open style, that may take time, while England, with three away matches, look unlikely to rack up so many tries.

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