- Matthieu Jalibert to be top points-scorer (6/1, sky bet)
- Antoine Dupont to be top try-scorer (20/1, e/w, William Hill)
England's Owen Farrell is a worthy favourite to be top Six Nations point-scorer for the third time in his career but Mathieu Jalibert, of title rivals France, looks better value.
Last year, France players topped the try-scorer and points-scorer charts, and we’re banking on Antoine Dupont and Mathieu Jalibert to follow in the footsteps of Charles Ollivon and Romain Ntamack and land a tasty double in 2021.
With his sniping runs and brilliant support play, Dupont really has the bit between his teeth and has now superseded Aaron Smith as the best-attacking scrum-half in the world.
Over the last 12 months, he has scored tries at a rate of around one every other game and no defence appears capable of stopping him when he is on his game.
The Toulouse star, 24, will get good ball to work with and will be looking to get off to a flyer against Italy in Rome this weekend, as will winger Teddy Thomas.
Thomas appears to have put his injury and disciplinary problems behind him and playing for a team that likes to run with ball in hand, he should be there or thereabouts in the top try-scorer stakes, too.
At 9/1, he is better value than England’s Jonny May, who was the championship’s best finisher in 2019.
Matt to apply some gloss
As for the points market, England’s Owen Farrell is a worthy favourite.
When asked if the fact he hasn’t kicked competitively since slotting the winner against France in the final of the Autumn Nations Cup in the first week of December was a problem, Farrell gave one of those quizzical looks normally reserved for his goal-kicking routine.
Farrell will soon be back in the groove and will get his fair share of opportunities. He had an incredible 27 attempts at goal in the ANC, and even though he missed nine of them, point-scoring opportunities will come his way freely.
Asides from short-priced favourite Farrell, we like the look of Matthieu Jalibert. Jalibert has come of age as a replacement for Romain Ntamack in all respects.
The Bordeaux-Begles playmaker was nudging 90% with his goal-kicking in the ANC and also offers more of a try-scoring threat, which could potentially boost his points tally further, than rivals such as Farrell and Ireland’s perenially injured Johnny Sexton.
