Fantasy Aviva Premiership Season 1 - Homepage

First topic message reminder :


TEAMS & TACTICS by 2000hrs SATURDAY

PREDO's BY 2000hrs TUESDAY

Bath Rugby	Bathite
Exeter Chiefs	Ozzy
Gloucester	Prop
Harlequins	Driver
Leicester Tigers	Pooly
London Irish	Pull
London Wasps	Nick
Newcastle Falcons	Flux
Northampton Saints	Johnny
Sale Sharks	Ollie
Saracens	Luke
Worcester Warriors	ITFL

PREM R2 - https://www.606v2.com/t22456-aviva-premiership-round-2-week-6#886054


Links
RULES
FIXTURES
LEAGUE TABLE
EUROPEAN HOMEPAGE
BUDGETS
DOMESTIC CONFIRMATIONS
NATIONAL LEAGUE BIDDING
FOREIGN TRANSFERS
DRAFT
PRESS RELEASES
PLAYER RELEASE PAGE
INJURIES

Rougerie or Jane?

Flux, can you knock up the team sheet for the cup matches

Kahui possibly Nick?

Scratch that just seen Petes bid

Wasnt Kahui no.
Jane is quite tempting but he wasnt someone I had thought of.

SBW...

No he is back off to rugby league potentially so would be a risk.

SBW is a risk, such a shame, otherwise he would have been very high on my list, 11-14 coverage.

SirJohnnyEnglish on Wed Mar 07, 2012 11:37 am; edited 1 time in total (Reason for editing : I'm an idiot!)

First time you've ever spoken sense!!

I've got four hours of lectures, *insert generic statement offering deals*

Haha aww did I touch a nerve SirJ??!!

You good to knock page up Flux?

I can, just on the phone atm.

Seeing some discussion on the cup and how to treat it. Be interesting to see peoples sides and see whos targetting the cup for the guranteed heino spot. League is so tight from 4th to 12th no one is guranteed a Heino spot and the Heino does bring extra glory (and cash!!) next season.

It's tough. I would love to think about advancing. But my side barely challenges sides at full strength. I'm using it to target the league and a chance to rest and bed players in.

It's been confirmed then;

http://planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3551_7577396,00.html

God help us....Leinster HC this year?

Must be a cert now. They have serious quality all over the park in practically every position.

I reckon Ulster could be a surprise finalist.

Morning fellas. Pooly asked me why I went for Jenkins... to spark a bit of debate I've put my reply on here:

I'll tell you why I bought Jenkins - because the scrum seems to be the key overriding factor in this game. I did not see the talent out there at TH so went for a LH and I am trying to work a deal.

I would have loved to go for Quade - but he'd be useless if managers thought I wouldn't win ball.

It depends which school of thought you are in. Is the scrum a key tactical tool or just a restart? I think in recent years we're going towards the latter.

I of course see the importance of winning your own set piece – I’m a fly half! But I think with decent lineout options and a decent back row at the breakdowns, you’ll secure plenty of ball. How many scrums do you see won against the head? So what, we won’t dominate the scrum but we’ll win our own ball. Our backs are so talented they won’t knock it on either so scrums will only ever be our put in!

Obviously I don’t predict my own games, you lads do.. and you’ve highlighted the scrum as key. I’ve therefore targeted that for improvement but for reasons stated above, I’d prefer not to.

"I would have loved to go for Quade - but he'd be useless if managers thought I wouldn't win ball. "

Aus don't have much of a scrum and do ok......

I dont see the scrum as the key but the forward battle as a whole. Way I look at it is scrum, lineout, breakdown and go forward from the pack. If one side is stronger in all 4 areas then for me it doesnt matter how good your backs are you just aren't going to have the ball for them to use. If a pack is light on carriers but wins the set piece and breakdown battle I look to the backs to see if they have a gain line breaker to make up for it. If so they are likely to win. When the set piece and breakdown battle are fairly even go forward and backs become the key. I work on the basis to win away you need to win the pack battle

Your game with Tigers last week I saw Tigers dominating the scrum while you won the lineout and breakdown battle. Go forward was about even. Giving you the forward battle overall. Tigers may have had the better backs on show but your game plan of kicking and looking to the lineout was perfect. Stronger halfbacks and I would have given you the win but Geraghty at 10 let you down

I was surprised you went for Jenkins as well when someone like Zirakavili (spelling), Afoa, BJ Botha, Mike Ross etc are all available and more then capable of shoring up the scrum. Game isn't about having star players in key positions but having workable units for me

Agree with SJE about star players not being the be all and end all. For me it's about units and how individuals would function as part of the team. I do put a lot of emphasis on the pack over the backs in predictions, but take it as a whole, so as SJE has said scrum, lineout, breakdown, carrying, tackling. Conditions and tactics will dictate how much emphasis I place in each area. If it's heavy rain and strong winds and the opposition are going to be sending garryowens up, then there are going to be knock ons, and if you have a front row that can't scrummage, then I am going to mark you down.

If it is bright sun, now wind, hard ground and both teams looking to run the ball in perfect conditions, I will put more emphasis on the breakdown and carriers/tacklers.

There are ways of covering not being a good scrummaging unit in tactics and I would take account as well.

I also mark higher if you have a proven real life unit, hence in the other game I have the South African front row and French half back pairings (have also been trying to get Conrad Smith to play alongside Nonu but Pooly would never sell him to me!!!)

"I also mark higher if you have a proven real life unit, hence in the other game I have the South African front row and French half back pairings (have also been trying to get Conrad Smith to play alongside Nonu but Pooly would never sell him to me!!!)"

I was waiting for you to come in for him but it never happened lol

I don't put anything extra on real life combo's to go against that, I just look for balanced combinations

Something about Jenkins too.....I don't see how he'll fix your scrum??? To me he plays best alongside a strong scrummaging TH. Hes not a dominant/destructive scrummager, he's a good scrummager who generally holds his own but adds loads of work in the loose. He gets plenty of stuffings for the Blues due to them not having a great TH.

TH is the cornerstone of the scrum and this where the push is generally focused, the LH of course adds to this but on a whole if you have a poor TH a strong LH won't fix this.

Real life combinations work for me in that there is no settling needed. Luke had Parra/James out this week in what was James 2nd game for the club??? Usually that would be marked down by me but Parra/James already know each others games inside out so no issues. Also helps when the combo is part of a winning team. Pete had the French halfbacks just after their grandslam win so got a massive boost in predictions!

I'll add my two pennies to this in good time, just a bit busy at work, but an interesting debate!

Definately interesting Bathite. Be good to get everyones views on it if possible!

Right then, in general, I try to keep my predictions as realistic as possible, in that I like proven combos and appreciate form. I don't like to over hype youngsters too much though and would prefer a solid club man in good form over a youngster with huge promise. So for example, I'd rate JSD above May and Trinder.

With regards to the forwards, I have bias towards a solid pack, especially in internationals, HC and Aviva. You can get away with it in Super Rugby because athletes are so much more athletic and agile and can score more in broken rugby and possession changes hands a lot more frequently as a result.

In my ideal team for this league

Front Row - beast of a TH, he is the cornerstone and sets the tone for the scrum, which is a great platform for attacking, but also key for securing solid ball to clear your lines. A TH that can apply pressure to the opposition will tire the opposition pack and have a huge psychological effect. I hate seeing a pack go backwards and give away silly pens at scrum time, that either result in three points, or a loss in momentum in attack. Scrummaging must be a strength, to ensure fluidity and to allow a gameplan to be carried out, whatever that might be.

Second row - really look for balance here, I like a lineout guy and a ball carrier. Garvey / Wentzel is a great combo on here and one I love, along with Attwood / Muller of course!

Back row - A breakdown man is so key in this league, Salvi, Louw, Burger are all great at this.

When I predict, I look for scrum dominance and breakdown specialists

Balance is key. I look for it throughout the pack rather then in combo's though. i.e I sometimes go with Lawes/Manoa in the 2nd row. Both are good lineout jumpers but not considered specialists . I make up for that in my back row with Wood and Read though

(I think Lawes is a great lineout lock key to England and Saints lineout in recent years but in a minority here? POC rates him as one of his hardest opponents in recent times)

Think the breakdown is crucial and having an out and out 7 does really help but a good well balanced backrow with a 6.5 on show works just as well. On the other league the breakdown has genuinely been seen as a strength for me and my flanks would usually be 6. Thomson 7. Quedragao. Neither are out and out 7s but both are very good at the breakdown. I've tried to recreate that a bit with 6. Ferris (good at clearing the rucks but not as good at poaching ball) 7. Wood (Good at poaching but not as good clearing) 8. Read (Very good at the breakdown all round for an 8!!). No player would be considered an out and out 7 but together they should really work well as a unit. Or so I hope!

Glad I sparked a bit of debate... lay the seed and then run!

I'd just like to point out that I am not SJE in disguise, but we do see things very similarly. Balance is everything in a pack.

I can see the value of a true 7 who is great on the deck, but back rows are about getting a balanced unit. As an example Worcester's on here has three very very good individuals in, but they are al very similar players who carry really well and put in tackles. None are great at the breakdown which for me is an issue (I'm not saying anything I haven't said in predos here so think this is ok to say). A slight tweak with a different type of player and it could be a very good unit, but it just highlights that big names don't do it for me, it's about getting the balance of players right.

I agree completely, but there are still always huge gains to be made if people get the right big name in, doesn't surprise me that you are a bit anti superstars, as thats everything that Exeter represent and do better than anyone else in the league, so why change that. Having said that, JOC at Tigers, Steyn for me, DC at Worcs, Hari at Irish all go a big way to sorting out the weaknesses of the teams in real life and I can see how they would really benefit those teams in the long run.

I'm not anti big superstars, hell Bismarck was my first signing, as Richie McCaw was in the other game, but my point is this.

JOC at Tigers works, as he would be able to play as he does for Australia given that he is behind a monster pack, and has other quality players around him.

DC at Worcester in this game I don't think would have the same impact as he does for either the Crusaders or All Blacks. Don't get me wrong, he is an all time great who can make things happen out of nothing, but he is human, and behind a pack that is not putting him on the front foot, can suffer from the same yips as any other 10 in the world.

Fair enough

balance is key!

Thoughts on not doing/needing tactics for cup games?

I think you should still have tactics in. Maybe not as much effort put in to them as usual but definately need something

I think that SJE has said that it will be interesting to see how serious teams take the cup and how much effort they put into tactics will be pretty indicative I would imagine.

If you're taking the cup seriously and you want a HEC space, you'll do tactics and if you do, I'm more likely to favour you in predictions......if you're not that bothered about the cup, don't do tactics and won't be upset if you lose.........simples

"(I think Lawes is a great lineout lock key to England and Saints lineout in recent years but in a minority here?"

Possibly, I think he's a pretty average lineout option myself. I'd have many other locks ahead of him in this area which is odd as he should be great considering his athletism & size. I tend to think he lacks a little upstairs tbh

I think hes a great jumper. Been a main go to man for Saints who probably have the best lineout in the Prem in real life and for England as well in recent years. Agree he hasnt the intelligence to run a line out but hes definately a great option to hit

I don't think he is mate, decent option yes, great jumper...very much no.

SirJohnnyEnglish wrote:Saints who probably have the best lineout in the Prem in real life and for England as well in recent years.

i'd say a lot of that was down to Hartley being a reliable thrower, Day being a great organiser and Wood and Clark offering good jumping options.

I'd also argue that Sarries lineout is better, especially now Britz has worked on his throwing

Manoa has been their leading lineout reciever in the last few months.

I was going off last year, their run to the HC, but yeah you're right about Manoa, they haven't exactly missed Lawes

Lawes is a good lineout jumper. What he lacks is the intelligence to call the lineout. As a straighforward jumper he is very good.

What he lack is intelligence...........full stop!

Someone agrees with me! I think hes a great jumper. Will never lead the line but a very goodoption if you have someone around to call it for him.

You sure your not me in disguise Pete?

The same England team that faced Wales, to face France. Quite glad that LAncaster has made any changes, gives the players a chance to prove how good they really are. I think France are there for the taking for this England side on Sunday.

Beauxis at 10 is a strange call, I fancy our chances.

Disappointed not too see Flood not involved, I suspect tries maybe hard to come by again.

I'm glad Flood isn't involved, hasn't done anything to justify selection and warrant Hodgson or Farrell being dropped. Make him fight to get the shirt back. Let's hope he isn't afraid to drop Ashton if he continues to plateau