Fantasy Aviva Premiership season 4

First topic message reminder :

Welcome to the Aviva Premiership

---

---

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
LDCPete Cup homepage
Budgets
Domestic Confirmations
Transfer Homepage
Foreign Transfers
Press Releases

---

Waiting List
1. Sam
2. pullthestrings
3. Bathite

Pisi the other one who was Samoan ten interests me as does faletau and north. Also omahoney the Munster 6 is of interest.

POM is a 7 Matt. Played all his academy rugby and AIL there. Shows as well. Very strong round the breakdown. Good prospect and well thought in Limerick. Mike Sherry at hook is very highly thought of as well. Keep an eye on Ian Keatley at flyhalf as well. Been cracking in the rabo. Alot of people calling for him to get a chance in the Heino. Its thought he should take ROGs 10 shirt by the end of the season at Munster.

I like the look of Rhys Ruddock, the Samoan no9, George North and the Canadian flanker who was awesome in every game!

Good call on Ruddock Chris going well at Rabo. Not ready to step up for the Heino yet but good prospect for the future. Dan Tuohy and Donnacha Ryan would be great options for anyone looking for a lock. Tuohy is a good shout to be the Irish 4 going forward

Nyanja would be a decent shout as a ball carrying flanker.

Rudducks got caps for Ireland hasnt he?

Don't think so Chris , his last involvement with the Ireland set up was when he was called into the Main squad during the 2010 end of season tour down under to cover the back row after the Jamie Heaslip red card vs. All Blacks

1 cap apparently Driver - dpes he start many games for Leinster?

Got more potential than Rees

Ruddock is a top player the best I've ever played against. Was 15 and he was just unreal.

I am very unsure who to go for as a foreign SJE. Tapuai is tempting but might wait it out and see how he does in the S15 and risk no one else goes for him.

Just trying to figure out where I should go for someone tbh

dammit_chris wrote:1 cap apparently Driver - dpes he start many games for Leinster?

He was captaining Leinster during the World Cup mate.

cheers Pete - i've got an idea of who most people will be bidding for as think that there are 3-4 players that a lot will want, so just trying to work out who else is available really.

I'm struggling with who to go for to be honest.

By Canadian flanker do you mean Chauncey O'Toole? Think he signed for Ospreys so might be worth keeping an eye on him.

I've no idea who to go for either, not paying ridiculous money for Gorgodze or Faletau, as dont really need them.

Yeah I'm struggling who's available....need a hooker and probably an inside centre (but mccabe and henson may hit form) and p.m's where I need to improve would be much appreciated!! When can we bid?

Weather conditions for Heino matches updated

Feb I think Prop

Is O toole the bearded one if so good player but too small

We turned down O'Toole and went for Sinclair instead.

Jonno resigns.

A little surprising.

Ben Youngs likely to be involved against Ulster after training this week, seems out for 6 months was a little wide of the mark Chris! Might want to have a word with your "contacts"

Just hope the RFU don't make a mess of appointing his successor.

Just got an email from the RFU about an exciting job oppertunity which has just arisen

Lol....don't do it Driver!

Got to be Mallet hasn't it?

Wouldn't like to see Mallet in charge.

I'd personally be pretty happy with Mallet or Mallinder. I wonder what the early odds are

Skysports - we'll have plenty of reaction to this from Wales captain Sam Warburton about this ......... Lol


Wayne Smith and Graham Henry would be choice

Mallinder must be up there. Be happy to see him and West involved.

Reckon pooly might be on the shortlist too with the impressive work he has done at Newcastle.

I read a biography of mallet i picked up from a bookswap when in South Africa earlier this year. he contributed massively to the book himself and to say he is a difficult character is an understatement.

I really like him but he is quite brutal and hard to get along with. Not sure if the RFU would appreciate that although i think he would be a great choice

We need Rob Andrew out more than anyone. I respected him as a player but he is a spineless yes man within the England set up and not the visionary many thought.

Would still take Sir Clive back in a heartbeat

lads in what order would you put my wingers.....

JP Pieterson, Bjorn Basson, Sailosi Tagicakibau

Lol....cheers Nick.

Andrew has to go, what does he do?!?!

JP, Tagi, Basson

Basson has been impressive of late and isnt too far from other two really.

Basson always has doubts about his defence so would go with pooly.

basson has some wheels though

Odds on next England boss from SkyBet.

Some standouts which i'v highlighted in bold.


Graham Henry 13/8
Jim Mallinder 7/2
Nick Mallet 6/1
Jake White 12/1
Ewen Mackenzie 16/1
Warren Gatland 16/1
Peter de Villiers 16/1
Brendan Venter 20/1
Michael Cheika 25/1
Clive Woodward 25/1
Richard Cockerill 25/1
Marc Lievremont 40/1
Shaun Edwards 50/1
Brian Ashton 50/1

If ML or Pdiv get the job I'm never watching England again

Wonder what type of team Mackenzie would pick? If he likes extravagent fly halfs Ryan Lamb could get the nod at 10

The interesting one there for me is Venter. Could be an inspired choice, but not sure that he would want the job in any case.

Would like Venter in charge, great coach. bit of a t wat at times but I respect him.

I hope it isnt Graham Henry, heard really bad things about his coaching style = my parents went on the Lions tour and were on same coach as Sean Fitzpartick and other former players and they all slated Henry.

They overlooked Jake White as an advisor to Johnson last year, so can't see it being him.

I think we will go for a foreign coach who will be backed up by new coaches e.g. with Mallinder doing what Edwards has done with Wales e.g. coaching Saints and doing England work.

Would say that it could well be Mallett - I just hope that heads at the RFU will now roll, they should have backed Johnson or offered to give him more support e.g. Jake White advising. RFU are a joke of an organisation right now - they've messed up English rugby for a decade now and how all of them keep their jobs is beyond me.

Venter's an i diot - couldnt stand it if he got in charge! The first thing he'd try and do would be to persuade the IRB that Matfield and BAkkies were actually English...could then go with Matt Stevens, Brad Barritt and he'd hand a recall for Mike Catt.

WHen you look at it there arent that many outstanding candidates. We've missed a major trick not getting Edwards onboard. RFU should be replaced en-mass.

Edwards is no loss, he's more of an ego which we don't need.

Venter would be interesting but don't think he's fancy it

Chris that is a bit of a nonsense comment about Venter mate. Fair enough if you don't like him, but the whole trying to convert Saffa's thing is just daft.

I would also say he is far from an idiot. He is a qualified doctor, very intelligent and articulate, a good man manager and a decent tactician. He does wear his heart on his sleeve a bit which does lead to strange outbursts at times, but I could live with that if he delivered success.

Just copying his policy from Sarries Pete - not being serious at all!

I wouldnt want Venter at all, he did well for Sarries but there are better out there. I think Mallinder would be a much better choice than him - if you are going down the foreign route then in my mind you need someone who has had international experience.

Dont think Sir Clive will come back, think he's been out of the game for too long. Really havent got a clue who the RFU will get, they will bodge it all up though, you can certainly guarantee that!

I personally would prefer to see an Englishman in charge, but I don't actually think there are any completely outstanding candidates.

Top 5 Candidates by Telegraph...

Nick Mallett
Former South Africa coach, who took the Springboks to the semi-finals of the 1999 Rugby World Cup, is a free agent after his contract with Italy expired. He has expressed his interest in the job, saying England are in need of "freshening up" on and off the field.

Brendan Venter
Former Saracens head honcho took the Premiership club from also-rans to title contenders in one season. Has proven adept at developing young English talent and striking the right balance between off-field socialising and on-field harmony. But he may be interested in the South Africa job.

Jim Mallinder
The Northampton Saints coach is the current bookies' favourite for the post. He is a former England Saxons coach who won two England caps in 1997 and guided Northampton to the Heineken Cup final last season. He has also admitted he would be interested in replacing Johnson, saying: "If one day, I ever have that honour, it would be something that would be very difficult to turn down."

Graham Henry
The most sought-after coach in the world right now, Henry ended 24 years of New Zealand hurt this year by guiding the All Blacks to Rugby World Cup victory on home soil. His record is unsurpassed, having won 85.4 per cent of Tests as NZ coach, winning 88 of his 103 Tests.

Jake White
The South African led the Springboks to success at the 2007 World Cup and has admitted he wants to coach an international side again. He certainly has the pedigree, but his current role with the Brumbies may make it difficult for the RFU to lure him to Twickenham this time round.

Hasn't White just signed for the Brumbies and said that he is not interested in the job?

think he has Pete - i think the RFu will appoint either Henry of Mallet, with a load of English coaches supporting them with a view of getting Mallinder more experience and being eventual coach.

Sorry Chris I cant see why we would approach a coach now just to let another coach we want down the line to get more experience. We are a team in serious transition and need someone to come in now and do the job. Not someone to come in and pass knowledge of to Mallinder so we have to wait a few more years for proper hange

Its not particularly inspiring to hire a coach just because the RFU are trying to get the man they really want ready to take the job in a few years. Doubt theres many men who would want to take a job on like that