Fantasy Aviva Premiership season 4

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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

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Waiting List
1. Sam
2. pullthestrings
3. Bathite

Hari for me was mom qf, semi and final. Times agrees with me. Kaino outstanding player overall he is so consistent. Dusatoir a warrior and excellent today also.fantastic player

Maitland would get England bench maybe. Good player same as Hamilton who was a Canterbury legend yet for me a lucky ab

Hari v good against England. Less so Wales, he was v good again today but I thought McCaw & Dusa were better.

I'm guessing we all agree that Big Geth's try is try of the tournament?!

definitely most entertaing try of the tournament! one of my favourites was nonu's v ??? when SBW ran with the ball in one hand past about 3 or 4 players and passed to nonu to score.

80 yard sprint to the line wasn't it prop?

And he somersaulted through the posts....I scored one like that a few matches ago...wasn't off a maul honest

Although watch the try again and there's a random Namibian back who simply falls over about 10m away from him!

Namibia worst team in tournament but great gethin try

Wc team of tournament

1 woodcock
2 mealamu
3 mas
4 thorn
5 nallet
6 kaino
7 warburton
8 hari
9 Phillips
10 priest land
11 clerc
12 nonu
13 smith/rougerie/ Fourie
14 kahui/ Jane
15 dagg

Picking a team of the tournament is really hard, as a lot of the standout performers play in the same positions.

Back row very competitive, whereas front row not as many standout performers.

The bias on the WC teams is funny, we all do it. Be harder to pick a WC team not involving your own players I reckon

I would say realistically that looking at my squad, Nallet, Dusautoir and Nonu would have realistic shouts of being in a team of the tournament. Going on his performance today, had Trinh-Duc been given the shirt from the start by Lievremont he may well have been a possible as well.

agree with those 3 for you pete.

from my squad it's kaino for sure, with possibly poux, best and fourie on a shortlist.

Not sure about Poux, been a little up and down early on, but the other three would all be in the mix stnick.

Did you go to the game today? Heard Bowden was superb when he came on.

Think mine is pretty objective hari big game player and destroyed England Wales and nz lineout. Dagg undebatable as best fb his defence was as good as his attack. 50-70 metre line clearances endears a back to any forwards.

For me mas only played knockOut games but did serious damage. 3!of my team in wc 15 I will take. Arguments for bonnaire but for me no one rivals kaino in this tournament. Ferris, burger, bonnaire all outstanding but nowhere near kaino who was super human

no didnt bother today as wanted to watch the football.
dad went and said as soon as allinson and bowden came on we went up a couple of gears. bowden is different class at the moment. great games for armitage and gibson as well.

Gibson is a player. Wonder how far he will go. Never seen him play badly

Not going for any of my players:

1. Healy
2. Mealamu
3. Jones
4. Roussow
5. Nallet
6. Kaino
7. Warbs
8. Falatu

9. Weepu
10. ?
11. Ioane
12. Nonu
13. Fourie
14. Jane
15. Beale/Dagg close call

1 woodcock
2 mealamu
3 franks
4 thorn
5nallet
6 kaino
7 warbs
8 faletau
9 Phillips
10 priest land
11 clerc
12 nonu
13 smith / Fourie
14 Jane
15 Lambie ???

With none of mine. Beale for me was poor loads of knock ons and not solid

Think I have a few players who played well in the World Cup

Cian Healy, Kevin Mealamu, Kurtley Beale, Aurelien Rougerie were top class

While Lobbe, SOB, Lydiate, Murray, Steyn all had solid tournaments

I thought the Canadian with the beard should make all the team's of the tournament. That facial hair was truly awesome.

What about the Japanese 10? You know the one who was probably 99.99% New Zealander? He had some cracking games, espcially against France and Tonga.

For no8's I'd go between Falateau, Read and Parisse - thought Sergio was brilliant in every game he played, scored a few tries too and was behind everything good the Italians did. Hari had two good games, England and the final, so not sure he should be there.

Think Halfpenny would be in for a shout for 15 of the tournament too - but he doesnt have an awesome beard like the Canadian...

Just saw highlights of Sarries v Exeter - thinking that Owen Farrell is going to be in the England squad come the 6 Nations. Incredible display of kicking and passing.

anonmattyt wrote:Difference playing in a good side sje. Freuan has poor hands and cannot be played outside nonu.

Canterbury produce more talent than any club but also "club players " look better playing for them.

His hands didnt look bad at all in the Super 15 where he was the form 13 with Fourie this year. If Manu Tualagi can look good with no hands at all outside Mike Tindall I dont think Freuen has any worries outside Nonu somehow.

He was a Wellington boy and was poached by Crusaders after winning world junior player of the year so I doubt they see him as a "club player"...

Think Manu Tuilagi looks good because he's the best young centre in world rugby SJE. Only 20 and getting better each game. If we can only find a good 10 and 12 combination to unlock him England will be back - especially if they start playing some of the young Gloucester players, would love to see Sharples replace Cueto.

Also desparately need a no7 - watched Tom Wood for Saints on Saturday and can't believe he didnt get more game time at the WC, his breakdown workrate is a lot better than I thought it was.

In the Papers yesterday a few journos were calling for wood to be England captain. A good shout and an excellent player.

Tuilagi is a different class to freuan for me. Agree England need a ball playing 12 to take the pressure of flood if we have to persist with playing him. Farrell could do that job

I like Tuilagi Chris but he has no hands. Theres no offloading game from him yet at all and he most definately isn't a distributor is he? If he can do well playing outside Tindall at 12 im sure Freuen who has a very good offloading game and decent hands is more then capable of playing outside Nonu. If Robbie Freuen were English would Tuilagi have got a look in this world cup for England with Freuen in the form hes been in the last 2 years?

Tuilagi is a different class to Freuen based on what? One decent season at premiership level and good world cup for a very poor England side? While Freuen is a world junior player of the year, ruled the roost at the ITM cup (premiership level) and has been cracking for two years at Super rugby level now


Agree we need to sort 7 out. Wood should have been given more of a chance at the world cup but is definately a 6.5 rather then a 7. For him to work at 7 we really need to get the backrow balance right and to be honest iof we were looking to play a 6.5 there I would like to see Robshaw given a chance

ITM cup isnt prem standard, the defences are shocking in the ITM.

If you are going to go with a 6.5 at 7, then you are better off going with two 6.5's, so potentially Wood and Robshaw together.

I wouldnt consider the defences in the ITM any worse then what we see in the premiership each week and the rugby on offer is to the same standard as the Premiership

Itm is garbage standard. Tuilagi has proven himself at international level in a world cup so for me is a different class

Dont think England management trust Robshaw for whatever reason - I dont think he will get the call if Johnson stays in charge, same with Dowson. I reckon Calum Clark will come into the reckoning soon enough, he's now first choice at Saints and every game he plays he gets better and covers second row, both flanks and is a very good lineout operator. Think he's 21 too. It seems as though England might have had a word with Saints and asked them to play Wood at 7 - I've got quite a few mates who live near the Saints owner and they think Wood is going to be a top, top player. Wonder if he will edge out Croft, or be given the 7 shirt?

Tuilagi does have good hands - watch him for Leicester and the passing he brings to the club, he's done it for England too. His problem isnt offloads or anything like that, its not playing heads up rugby, but that will come with experience - Tuilagi is a special player, I wouldnt want any other 13 in rugby to be taking his place right now as we've got him as an England starter for next 10-12 years.

Guess we will need to find a new no8 too with Haskell playing in Japan and then s15 - how's Narroway been playing? Hopefully with Wales playing Falateau at 20 it will show Johnson that England can take a gamble with youth - just dont know who we've got...

Also as Palmer is staying in France, Shaw is retiring and Deacon is quite frankly not an international lock - who will England bring in as replacements? Lawes is nailed on starter, will it be Attwood, the young Lon Irish lock...who else is there?

Garvey could well get a call up wouldnt suprise me

I'd love to see:

6. Robshaw
7. Wood
8. Dowson

Croft needs to be around there somewhere but not sure he suits Wood.

Parling/Robson are in good form and could easily make step up.

Narroway has played 7 quite a bit this year. Good player but for me maybe a bit off international level.

Cupboard is pretty bare second row wise apart from robson who has been in electric form for over a year

Dowson a million miles away from international class. Parling is a good player but needs a run of games. Probably played 5 games in 18 months. Been a mixed bag since back which is to be expected after such a lay off

Chris

Shaw is set to sign for Toulon to cover bakkies injury so don't think he's retiring

ITM isn't garbage standard Matt

Parling is a class act, needs games though I agree on that. I'd have him, Robson & Attwood as potentials for 6N. Possibly Botha too

Havent seen Parling play that well yet Pooly, Leicester's only good performances have been when Slater and Skivington have been in the engine room - they've taken some massive hammerings when those two havent played. Not sure if Parling brings enough to the game, though not surprising as he's been injured for so long.

Robson to me is a guy whose going to be a good club player, but not quite good enough to make step up (though that didnt stop Deacon!).

Nick think you could be right with Garvey - they need a long-term partner for Lawes, which means a more intelligent type of player, as Lawes is a bit of a machine but doesnt always take the sensible option - has to be one of the best defensive locks in the game though, and still only 21-22.

I'm not sure Attwood is 'tough' enough to be an international lock - hope Launchberry continues to progress the way he is, he's looked very good for Wasps this season. There's another good youngster at Bath who's played well recently but can't remember his name.

Everyone see that George Ford won IRB u20 player of the year? Still only 18 too - hopefully he'll win it for the next two years in a row too!

I really like Dowson, clever player. Could make a good Int 8

Parling played in the humping of Gloucester at weekend.

Driver that's a good move for you then - I heard that he was going to go and play for Bath or retire and the Wasps management came out a few weeks ago and said that Shaw told them he wouldnt play for another English team, so looked like retirement was the only option.

I really like Dowson as a club player, but think each time he has to step up e.g. when he plays guys like Heaslip, Hari etc he comes up short - he could probably play flanks for England but not no8 - think he doesnt quite have it. Same could be for Robshaw as England management are obviously not seeing something there with him.

I know Pete will rib me for this, but we really do need Tom Rees back on form, think he's our only true no7 who can step up - but he's one injury away from retiring I think - three seasons, three massive injuries. Poor bloke - but luckily this time he's done his knee as opposed to his shoulder, which was the problem, so fingers crossed the extra time off will see that heal back to new!

Who's this Tim Rees lad you keep going on about? Lol

He's the best English no7 around Pooly, even when injured he's better than Robshaw

Really hope he comes back, one of my favourite players, can't think of any other out and out 7's in England - ask Pete about the time he schooled McCaw in New Zealand...it's his favourite subject. If he avoided injury I think he'd be England captain now - sadly we might never know though!

Anyone see the Wasps v Dragons game - looks as though Dragons have unearthed another top draw young 10. No idea who he was though as was watching in Welsh commentary!

You have a serious list of favourite players! You should play him this weekend Chris

Dire result from Wasps that

All blacks team of year with Henry coach and dusitoir getting player

Very odd call imo. Fantastic WC final but he actually was a little off the boil throughout the rest of the year. Pocock must be gutted

Pooly by now you should realise that all my players are best in the world and should all be playing for England, even the foreign ones...

Wasps played sui cide rugby on Saturday - should have walked the game, but we keep changing our pack every single week and get no consistency at all, so annoying as when Wasps click they are really good - Nicky Robinson is a great signing for us - will be interesting to see how thy use Thompson now, as Webber has been really good.

Pocock was off the boil early part of the Super Xv season as well though Pooly. Think looking at the nominees, all started the year slowly and grew into it a bit.

I think it's on Ints only Pete.

Dus is a class act but he's hardly been on fire previous to WC later stages. I thought he was an odd call in nominees after an average 6N. Not knocking Dusa Pete but I find the win baffling.

I don't think there was a clear standout to be honest, unlike in previous years. Can't really remember much of Dusautoirs form in the 6N's so can't comment, but the list as whole was strange. Weepu at one point earlier this year wasn't even nailed on to start for the AB's.

If France had won the World Cup do we think they would have got the team award?

Having lost to Tonga and Italy over the last 12 months

And Argentina twice....Aus by 40+ points at home!

IRB awards are pure ar se. McCaw didn't deserve it year before last, just seem to be token calls

Best players I've seen international rugby this year have been Nonu, Dagg, Ioane etc and they haven't been consistently good all year.