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Upcoming Fixtures: AP R1 - Newcastle Falcons v Sale Sharks, Gloucester v Northampton Saints, London Welsh v Leicester Tigers, Saracens v London Irish, London Wasps v Harlequins, Worcester Warriors v Bath Rugby

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Waiting List
1. pullthestrings
2. Bathite

Welcome to Season 5 of the Aviva Premiership fantasty rugby game. Below are the rules of the game which must be adhered to. If there are any situations that arise in the course of the game which are not covered by the rules, a final decision will be made by the RFU (Ozzy3213) as to how the situation will be resolved.

Senior Squads wrote:
The maximum squad size is 40 senior players. If a team has more than 40 players in their squad then they will be fined £1 million per player over the permitted amounts per day for the first seven days. If after 7 consecutive days a team still has more than the permitted number of players then the team will be fined £2 million per player per day, and fined 1 league point per player per day for the next seven days. If after this time a team still has more than the permitted number of players in their squad, the RFU (me) will remove players at it’s discretion to bring them back under the permitted numbers. There will be no right of appeal to players being removed.

Be aware that all tier one international matches which are played during the season will count in the game, and players selected in the matchday 22's for those matches will not be eligible to play for their clubs on that weekend, therefore you must give due consideration to the make up of your squad.

Academy Rules wrote:
Each team will be allowed to have a listed senior academy squad of 20 players. Players who are in the senior academy must be under 22 years of age as of 1st September 2012 (therefore must have been born on or after 1st Septmber 1990). Players who are under the age of 20 (so born after 1st September 1992) AND are in the academy of the club that you are managing in real life, DO NOT need to be listed as senior academy players as part of your 20, but are available to you in this game and cannot be poached by other clubs without paying you a fee.

Should a player not listed in your 20 senior academy players, but part of the clubs academy in real life move clubs in real life, then you will have first option of promoting him to your listed senior academy. If you choose not to take this option he will become property of the club that he moves to in real life in this game.

Transfers wrote:

• Domestic (other AP Teams)
  Each team has a budget to use in the purchase of players. Domestic transfers between AP clubs, regardless of nationality of player, should be negotiated between the respective managers, and then confirmed on the Domestic Transfer Confirmation Page.
  
  
• Domestic (Championship and below)
  Each team may during the season purchase no more than 3 players from the Championship or the National Leagues. These players must be bid for on the Championship/National League bidding page, and each bid will be considered by me on it's own merits before being accepted or rejected. No bid will be accepted until a minimum of 24 hours has elapsed from the time the bid was made, in order to afford other managers the opportunity to make a counter bid.
  
  
• Foreign
  To make a foreign transfer (i.e from any club outside of the AP, regardless of whether the player is English) a bid should be made on the Foreign Transfers Page, which will be considered by me against the posted guidelines for purchase prices before being accepted or rejected. No bid will be accepted until a minimum of 24 hours has elapsed from the time the bid was made, in order to afford other managers the opportunity to make a counter bid.
  
  Foreign transfers will unlimited during the off season and 2 during the season. The exact dates of the two transfer windows during the season is to be confirmed.
  

Player Releases wrote:
Managers may choose to release players from their clubs, for which they will be offered compensation

Compensation will be paid as follows

£2 million – current international (must have played international rugby in the previous 12 months)
£1.5 million – former international
£1m – top flight experience
£0.5m – other

If a released player plays in real life for a team outside of this game he will be deemed to have returned to that team. If not then he will be deemed to have signed for a Championship side. If another manager wants to pick a released player up, they will have to bid for him in the same way as for a foreign or Championship/National League player.

Retirements wrote:
There will be no compensation for retiring players. Should a player who retires decide to come out of retirement and play again, then he will automatically go back to the club who he was playing for in the game when he retired.

Fixtures wrote:
There will be 22 Aviva Premiership games per season, plus the play offs. There will also be Heineken Cup, Amlin Challenge Cup and Anglo Welsh Cup matches. These games will take place once a week. A thread will be put up for managers to name their teams on Thursdays, then on Fridays, managers will post the scores that they think will happen from these games (apart from games in which they are involved). An average of all predictions will be taken, and then 0.5 points added to each teams score for each prediction that had them as the winner, and that will then be the final score.

Teams wrote:
When naming your team, not only should you put the starting XV and replacements, but also tactics that your team will employ. Results will be affected by the tactics described.

In addition, each team must have the following:-

At least 10 England qualified players in your matchday 23, and at least 5 of those must be in your starting XV.

At least 2 props and 1 hooker on the bench.

All players must be eligible (not injured or banned).

Failure to comply with these rules will result in forfeiting the match and a 1 league point deduction.

If you fail to submit a team for a match, then the other team will be automatically awarded a 30-0 bonus point win. If both teams fail to submit a team, then it will be scored as a 0-0 draw.

Injuries and Suspensions wrote:
Injuries in this game do NOT reflect real life, they will be generated by me.

Players banned in real life will be ineligible for selection in this game for the duration of the ban.

Inclusion of injured/banned players will result in them being replaced by players on the bench, and the bench not having eight players, which may result in punishment if it concerns the front-row.

Punishment for fielding an ineligible player will be loss of one match point for a first offence, two for a second offence and so on.

Financial Rewards wrote:
There will be no rewards for the result of an individual match, instead the managers will receive cash for predicting.

£1.5m for descriptive predictions
£0.25m for scores on the doors predictions
If you fail to predict without first advising me that you are unable to do so that week, you will be fined £1m for a first offence, £2m for a second offence, £3m for a third offence etc.

AP finishing positions.

Champions: 8m
Runners Up: 6m
Playoff Semi Finalist Losers: 5m
5th: 4m
6th: 3.5m
7th: 3m
8th: 2.5m
9th: 2m
10th: 1.5m
11th: 1m
12th: 0.5m

Heineken Cup

Losing Quarter Finalists - £2 million each
Losing Semi Finalists - £3 million each
Runners Up - £4 million
Champions - £5 million

Amlin Challenge Cup

Losing Quarter Finalists - £1 million each
Losing Semi Finalists - £2 million each
Runners Up - £3 million
Champions - £4 million

Anglo-Welsh Cup

Losing Semi Finalisst - £1 million each
Runners Up - £2 million
Champions - £3 million


If your budgets falls below minus £10 million for any reason, the administrators (ozzy3213) will step in and players from within your squad will be released for the relevant financial compensation in order to bring your budget back above minus £10 million.

Youngs at his best still not fit to lace Genias boots.

Toulon's England international flanker Steffon Armitage has tested positive for a product on the World Doping Agency's banned list, albeit one which could be construed as having therapeutic qualities.

Rugbyrama, the sports website of French daily Midi Olympique, reported that Armitage is understood to have tested for Doliprane codeine - a simple painkiller, in this case for back pain.

The test came following Toulon June 9 Top 14 final loss to Toulouse at Stade de France.

The product can be taken with written medical authorisation as a therapeutic treatment but in Armitage's case such authorisation was not forthcoming, according to the report, emanating from sources at Midi Olympique whose next edition appears Friday.

Armitage is provisionally suspended prior to an appearance before the French Rugby Federation's anti-doping commission on August 21, the report added.

However, a statement released by Toulon stated that, "Steffon Armitage has absolutely not taken any illegal substances to improve performance but only a drug strictly authorized by the AFLD and well known to all."

Armitage was said to be suffering from back pain and was administered anti-inflammatory as well as paracetamol codeine (2-4 tablets / day) and Toulon say that all medications are approved by the AFLD.

Toulon added that, "The presence of morphine in urine of Steffon Armitage is explained by the fact that 10% of this authorized drug (paracetamol codeine) naturally turns into morphine."

seems a bit ridiculous

They've done him for taking a pain killer. What's the point in having pain killer in sport?

surely someone cant be banned for that. crazy.

He should be banned for life!!! Scumbag

If he has a doctors note then he should be fine. Should be clearing all medication at that level with doctors anyway.
If he hasnt can understand why a ban might be given out though.

He didn't have doctors note , think it was a last minute thing SJE.

Reckon he will probs get a 3 month ban myself.

Well hes a stupid boy then every top athlete knows they have to keep everything above board on the medicine side

Toulon should have known better as well not to give it to him if he didnt have any doctors note or anything

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/munster-agreeable-to-sarries-us-trip-197228.html


Hope this comes off this time around.

Havent Sarries also announced a European game for Belgium? They are really pushing this a lot now, also sounds as though they will be playing a more expansive style next year too.

Farrell thinks expansive means he has to kick it further.......

anonmattyt wrote:Joc player I want to sign most. What for him pooly ??

Haha, just seen that. Everybody has their price

Farrell has a really nice pass on him and did very well against the French - he plays to what his coaches tell him to. Think he might surprise a few people next season!

He might but I don't think he will.

I do not see the player you do with Farrell. I think he has poor distribution and more than not picks the wrong option in attack (ie kicks). Saracens will struggle to change their style with him in the side, esp at 10.

What he does have though is bottle & a great defence, will he add to this? I dont know.

Farrell might be able to pass and he might improve greatly but there is no way Lancaster has told Farrell to play the way he does for England in my mind.

100% Steve, the problem he has is that he reverts to what he knows and it's to kick the ball away.

Its nothing to do with the management (with England anyway) but more it's how Farrell plays. He has a nice pass 10m away from opposition defence with no pressure but when flat to the line he often passes behind the man.

Boys still young and could change but I'm unsure he can. Willing to be proved wrong.

Always said that Farrell is a 12 who was asked to play 10. Think it is so important that if you make it at the highest level as a 10 you have to play a vast majority of your rugby in that position. For Sarries he's always been a 12 until last year. It shows in his decision making there.

Compare him to George Ford, who has played all his rugby as a 10 and you see a huge difference.

Personally think Farrell has done really well for someone that young to move to 10 and then take the England shirt. Flood should be back ahead of him though.

ITS THE OLYMPICS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Crusaders could be going out here...Carter out of sorts.

Incredible defence

chiefs deserved that.
hopefully the sharks will win tomorrow, that would be a quality final.
stormers are a bit boring.
reckon sharks pack can get on top. such a shame lambie and steyn cant play though, would make that back line so much better.

Glad Chiefs won, bit more entertaining than Crusders. Just settling down to watch it now.

With you there Nick, prefer Sharks. Still no Burger Matt eh

Sharks are my team in South Africa, but there is part of me that has been really impressed with the Stormers this season and I would be happy to see them in the final against the Chiefs.

I know people say the Stormers are boring, but there is more to rugby than just trying ot run it from your own 22 all the time. What impresses me with them is they are so good tactically. They pick their moments to launch attacks brilliantly, and the half back pairing of Duvenage and Grant are incredibly underated. Their game management is fantastic. I am quite surprised that nobody has picked up Grant in this game.

Want the Sharks to win of course, but will be happy enough if the Stormers get there.

I thought about Grant but heard he was off to the J-League.

What happened to Carter this week???? He was fantastic last week and terrible this. Even his defence was all over the place, I wonder if he's carrying an injury?

Martin O'Neill earned my thumbs up tonight.

After watching what was a terrible performance from his Sunderland team against Hartlepool. His face filled with rage he wiped it clean and went out and spent a hour signing autographs and having his photo taken with fans from both clubs.

Then some daft arses started fighting after the game and were arrested.

Will watch crusaders game later. Reports say pack not on front foot and Crockett struggled on keo.

Oneill great man. Been at a talk with him and back and dallaglio on culture of winning. He was so intense yet great after and did signings and chat til wee hours.

I love sportsman dinners and try to attend quite a few. Rugby players great speakers but always most interesting are the ones from other sports in their single mindedness. Shows diff from individual and team sports.

Saw Colin Jackson speak and every sentence started with I. Not a slight but I love team sport and the banter and kinship. Athletics etc must be lonely.

Watching saders why drop Owen franks? He has been great.

As i said before mccaw no 8 at top level. Saders back 5 had no carriers when Romano went off.

Kerr-Barlow clever player

How do people see Lloyd Williams on here?

I think he could be a superstar for Wales just needs to get ahead of Phillips.

I think he's a good player with a lot of potential driver, but needs to consistently perform on the big stage for him to get rated against top players here. Needs to see him dominating in Heino matches or displacing Phillips from the Welsh jersey.

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,16024_7945299,00.html


Has Michael hooper moved on ?

Hooper of to Tahs Matt. Heard it a while back on the commentary.

Driver - RIP 606 wrote:How do people see Lloyd Williams on here?

I think he could be a superstar for Wales just needs to get ahead of Phillips.

His dad was after dinner speaker at our club. He played 9 and Played for Wales and lions. He was behind Gareth Edwards and always on the bench and in those days bench did not get on or get capped. He did a really amusing talking of how Gareth Edwards never got injured and how his son will get millions of caps for being bench.

He is a tidy organised player

Didn't Irish try to sign him?

BDP put on his ares there by Etzebeth.

BdP got his tackling technique all wrong and got munched.

Amazing how many caps people get now. So many games. Pocock nearly has 50 caps at age 24

JP just cut this game up , lovely pass to Mvovo.

Stormers scrum smashed there!

Ouch etzbeth on bdp. I am watching on delay. So glad I signed him.massive talent who can only get better. Come on stormers. My super 15 team

Rare error from Deon Fourie.

What a play from Stormers , great vision from Fourie , massive carry from Bekker!

Etzbeth has carried about 8 times in 20 mins. Jdp killing Kitschoff

Sharks scrum is very dominant first half .

Pietersen On fire great play michalak. Stormers have to open up now

Missing the game. Are the Stormers not looking to threaten the line for a change???

JP best winger in the world right now for me. I sold him bout 18 months ago. Gutted, he looked like he was going backwards then. Really kicked on this season.