Fantasy Aviva Premiership season 4

First topic message reminder :

Welcome to the Aviva Premiership Season 4

---

---

Teams

Bath RFC	InTheFastLane
Exeter Chiefs	Driver - RIP 606
Gloucester	Anonmattyt
Harlequins	Steven_Sharks
Leicester Tigers	LukeLovesLuka
London Irish	stnick88
London Wasps	Arry
Newcastle Falcons	Sgt_Pooly
Northampton Saints	Dammit_Chris
Sale Sharks	SirJohnnyEnglish
Saracens	LDCPete
Worcester Warriors	prop_lyd

---

Links
Rules
Fixtures
Aviva Premiership League Table
European Homepage
LV Cup homepage
Budgets
Domestic Confirmations
Transfer Homepage
Foreign Transfers
Press Releases

---

Waiting List
1. Sam
2. pullthestrings
3. Bathite

Have you just put that up? What you looking for SBW?

I'm looking for 10/12 and just generally replacements for whatever position I let go.

Morgan Parra at 10 versus All Blacks. Oh dear lord, what on earth are the French doing - Dan Carter is going to eat him up!

Mad Marc at his finest mate. Get the feeling France want to finish second in the pool to avoid the Saffas and Aussies in the knockout stage.

they should have got rid of ML at least 2-3 years ago - reckon with the new coach France are going to be a serious threat again, its only their selection policy that has let them down in recent years!

Thing is, if Parra goes out and has a stormer then everyone will be calling him a genius!

Parra played well at 10 last week, I think it's a fair call. Skerla is injured and Dussoin just got out there.

The other thing is France can probably get away with playing a 9 at 10 more than any other country as they tend to play more off 9 anyway, so realistically they are playing off two 9's so it shouldn'#t make that much difference.

makes complete sense him and yachvilli can interchange. yach played lots of ten. obviously they want to be in the NH side of the draw. hope they do. will be good to see another NH team in the final again and works well for England

Just watching end of SA match, how good was Steyn at 12! Can't see JDV getting back in if Steyn keeps it up

I always thought steyn was a good 12 but he never got rated too well for me when I played him there.

Snap stnick. I had him in season 1 and ended up selling him as he used to get slated.

I think it's because he tended to play more 15. Him and Fourie combined really well, Fourie was outstanding

Nalaga didn't deserve to be on losing side either, gave JP all sorts of problems

Listening to offers:

HK Marius Tincu (Romania)
PR Craig Mitchell (TH) (Wales)
PR Juan Gomez (TH) (Argentina)
PR Ben Alexander (LH/TH) (Austrailia)
PR Rodrigo Roncero (LH) (Argentina)
LK Dean Schofield (England)
LK Flip van der Merwe (South Africa)
LK Ed Slater (England)
LK Brad Thorn (New Zealand)
CE Dan Hipkiss (England)
WG Charlie Amesbury (England)

Revolving door much Pooly - didnt you sign Thorn and Amesbury earlier this week lol,

He's not supposed to be on there, damn IPhones!

Anyone see Campo's comments about Quade Cooper this weekend - for the first time ever I couldnt agree more...should have taken Giteau!

"Under pressure, you want people in positions that can control the game and be smart about it. These guys weren't smart at all. People have got to realise that I was a winger, so I was the last man on the line to try things. He's a playmaker so he's getting the ball all the time.

"I don't think he understands the position sometimes, he thinks he can do a lot of things and he's got to realise a number 10 normally is the big go-to man. When you're under pressure you get the ball and kick it down touch like Dan Carter does. On the weekend I was watching and Cooper got the ball and just wanted to try everything himself.

anyone see the Italy game today - Parisse has to be the best no8 in world rugby by a country mile - if only he were English! Would solve all our problems instantly...

"Parisse has to be the best no8 in world rugby by a country mile"

Lol.....I think a few may disagree with that Chris.

Think he is close with Read, but they are the 2 standouts.
Then you have a few others like Spies, Hari, Heaslip.

I'd go with that Nick, Parisse is quality but not a standout in his position

Heaslip!!!!!!

He's def up there but not quite at that top level imo. He never really shows up for the big games.

Parisse does it all whilst playing for Italy, he's done it for best part of 7-8 years at the highest level - imagine what he'd be like if he played for the All Blacks - I know he was only playing against Russia yesterday but everything went through him - thought he was a lot older than 27!

Apparently the Romanian's are going to put out their 'b' team against us because they want to concentrate all their efforts on beating Georgia the week after. Sounds as though they are going to be playing:

1. Stevens
2. Hartley
3. Wilson
4. Palmer
5. Deacon
6. Croft
7. Moody
8. Haskell
9. Youngs
10. Wilko
11. Ashton
12. Tindall
13. Tuilagi
14. Cueto
15. Foden

He doesn't tend to stand out against the better teams Chris and also doesn't look as good when he plays for Stade. I think he looks so good for Italy because the players around him arnt that great.

Top 8, but no better than Read or an in form Heaslip, Harinordoquy, Spies or Lobbe for me.

It's just another position with no obvious standout, there isn't many positions with one.

Ashton plays right wing

Australia: 15 Kurtley Beale, 14 Adam Ashley Cooper, 13 Anthony Faingaa, 12 Robert Horne, 11 Drew Mitchell, 10 Quade Cooper 9 Will Genia (c), 8 Wycliff Palu, 7 Ben McCalman 6 Scott Higginbotham, 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 Rob Simmons, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Tatafu Polota Nau, 1 James Slipper.
Replacements: 16 Stephen Moore, 17 Sekope Kepu, 18 Dan Vickerman, 19 Radike Samo, 20 Luke Burgess, 21 Berrick Barnes, 22 Pat McCabe.

Can't believe Fa'ainga is getting another outing after the Ireland game. Good side though, Horne at 12 is odd. Like to see Barnes

Great to see Big Palu back! Definately Oz's best carrying threat when fit!

Good to see my 3 worcester players in that squad!!

Both teams really going at it today in this match.....if only Japan could cut out their simple handling errors.

Pretty sure Parisse would by 90% of people's starting no8's for a world XV these days Pooly - he's been brilliant in every game I have seen him play, including games against all the tri-nations teams I;ve seen him play in. Reckon he'd make the NZ starting XV.

Reckon not having Giteau in the WC squad is going to cost the Aussies...

If Japan had kicked to goal all their penalties then that penalty then would have been for the match!!

He wouldn't start for NZ Chris, Read was AB of the year and touted as next AB captain. He was pretty subdued v Austrailia tbh.

Your opinion is that he's streets ahead of any other 8. Mine and other peoples are that he isn't. He's a top 8 but no better than Read and on form Headlips etc

Just so people know, from 4 o'clock today until 1pm on Saturday I will have no computer access, so my predos descriptions will not be as in depth as usual as will be doing them on my phone.

And Read's set this WC alight has he Pooly? Parisse every time for me - has everything, always plays behind a retreating pack and constantly produces incredible performances. Think he's the best no8 around, as has the complete game. So much easier for Read, Heaslip etc to play games as they play in a strong pack.

you going to Falcons game Saturday Pete?

and did you see Greenwoods assessment of our game v Saints, described us as very powerful, big runners, heavy in the hit. Been a while since we were associated with those kind of words (apart from hala'ufia)!

This one is for you matt....'Bowden is a class act at 10'.

Read's injured Chris......

When does the Italy pack every retreat?!?!? How does Italy have a bad pack, they have an awsome pack and always comepete. I don't doubt you prefer Parisee as you have him in your side.

Sorry when is the Italian pack ever retreating? They can match anyone in the scrum and has been a while since they were really beasted in the back row. Lineout not the strongest but never dominated. There probelm is with the backs not the pack. Parisse shines because he is pretty much there playmaker!

Working Saturday stnick, bit gutted to be honest.

We need to put a decent performance in against Falcons and try to get 5 points and get onto a bit of a roll.

Haven't seen the Saints game, but heard it wasn't a classic by any stretch of the imagination, glad we hung in there and ground out the points.

You see the Ulster game Johnny? Just watching now, Payne looks immense! Going to be the difference for them this year I reckon

As long as we perform like we did upfront on Saturday, the backs should have enough. Bowden is looking great at 10, although I'm not convinced by Shingler at 12 at the moment, JJ and Ojo look threatening.

Once Ulster get Pienaar back as well, they're backline will look pretty dangerous with Payne in.

Havent seen it yet mate! Ulster have a serious side this year. There NIQ signings over the last few years have been truly inspired and the academy is churning out player after player at the moment. Tough group in the Heino but could defo cause Leicester and Clermount problems this year

Agree Nick, they'll contest with most up front but lacked a bit of spark last year. Think Payne will give them bit extra. Lualala is having a stinker, just runs everything and gets turned over

Hope you remember that for predictions this week

They have a cracking set of centres coming through. Spence is the main man but Cave has finally come good. Watch out for Marshall later in the season and Whitten wh has been playing wing a bit so far this season. Thats all before Paddy Wallace comes back from the world cup. For all the slagging he gets of certain Irish fans he is a very good IC at club/regional level

1. Scottish guy Jacobsen, cleaned out the Georgians
2. John Smit for his dignity when all call for his head!
3.Mike Ross. Unbelievable to win pens v Australia.
4. Paul o’connell my captain, what a blooming legend!
5. Alum Wyn Jones could be part of special wales campaign
6. Gorgodze, godzilla has to be in.
7. Sean or is it Shaun O’Brien the turnover king!
8.Pierre Spies epic v Fiji
9. Morgan parra but he has to play 10 this week!
10. Can’t be Quade – gutted. Morne Steyn
11.Digby Ione, boy did the Aussies miss him v Ireland.
12.Nonu, NZ have to pick him over SBW
13. Fourie, always think this guy is special
14. Tommy bowe the intercept that had us all jumping?
15. Israel dagg, the man is class

Greenwoods team of the WC so far!

Never really liked Wallace. Spence is playing 12 with Cave 13, Cave prob looking the better of the two tbh. Both young kids though

Wallace is the stereotypical ball playing 12. Very good at club level but not got enough to make the step up to international. Spence is only 20 still I think. Cave is 24 now. Pretty much lost 2 seasons to injuries unfortunately but going very well the last year or so. Can't see him as international quality but cracking centre for the Magners and Heiniken cup.

Spence has some nice hands on him, Cave looks a real threat as does the young winger.

Craig Gilroy by any chance? Hes another cracking prospect up north. Was the top Irish try scorer in the magners last year. Ulster are pretty good at churning out wingers in recent years with Bowe now world class and trimble looking very good

Thats him, looks tasty. Although Blues are pretty garbage tbh