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First topic message reminder :

Breaking News: Gloucester smash their way into the top 4 for the first time this season, beating local rivals Bath at The Rec. Worcester move up one place condemning Wasps to the bottom of the table after a bonus point win over their relegation rivals.

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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 Finalist - £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.

Huget has had a good game

Fofanna & Picamoles have been fantastic for the French ball in hand today. Huget done well from fullback. Nyanga come into the game more the last 20 minutes. Joubert has been very leniant to England but agree he could of never seen the offside for the try

Tom Youngs gone well off the bench for England and Robshaw has been everywhere. Tuilagi shown us what we have been missing

Ashton needs to buck his ideas up

Tuilagi MoM for me with Robshaw and Wood running him close.

Picamoles for France with Fofana and Huget close.

Maestri lucky to be in the french side. Not a great player.

What on earth were France doing with their subs, was the complete opposite from England, each sub we made had a huge impact.

Think the game showed how good Haskell has become at the breakdown now, as soon as he came on we got the upper hand there.

Lawes definitely not an international no6.

Really liked the combination of Hartley starting and then Youngs coming on for him and really upping the tempo. Much better than the other way round.

Tuilagi is a freak. Never seen anyone smash Basteraud over 3 times in a game.

Over the wales to prevent the grand slam! Riots in Cardiff if England win.

Prop always good to save our easiest game to last

"Really liked the combination of Hartley starting and then Youngs coming on for him and really upping the tempo. Much better than the other way round."

Lose Hartley altogether might be the best option there lol!

If his throwing isn't 100% - which it wasn't, what is he bringing? Anonymous for me.

Great win again. French looked decent, but we were the better side. Comfortable win in the end.

Brilliant play leicester. George Ford having an excellent game with ball in hand.

Southern Kings won there opener 22-10 against the Force with Luke Watson having a fine game at 7 apparently.

Tweets I saw said they improved when he went off and his replacement was very good.

Results are done.

League table updated.

Chris Ashton 6
One lovely inside angle off Ben Youngs but defence was suspect especially in Wesley Fofana's try.

Manu Tuilagi 9
His try may have had some fortune but he is England's biggest attacking threat by a mile.

Brad Barritt 8
Did what he does- tackled his heart out- and did it very well. Hugely underrated.

Mike Brown 6
Not involved as much as he would have liked but did nothing wrong.

Owen Farrell 6
No calamity, but not his best afternoon by any stretch and ended leaving in pain.

Ben Youngs 7
A decent game, forgetting one poor first-half pass, without being outstanding.

Joe Marler 5
Disappointing in a retreating scrummage, thus his departure after 51 minutes.

Dylan Hartley 4
Was brought in for his bulk and it did not show and he also left early. Tom Youngs was much better.

Dan Cole 6
Had a torrid time at scrum time. Did work relentlessly in the lose, though.

Joe Launchbury 8
Tackled remorselessly and was able to canter in the wide channels occasionally. A fine athlete.

Geoff Parling 7
The line-out expert and showed notable energy throughout, showing up his opponents in this respect.

Courtney Lawes 4
Just missed too many tackles in the first half and was not enough of a presence at the breakdown.

Chris Robshaw 8
Grew in influence as the game progressed, with his unyielding work-rate just too much for France in the end.

Tom Wood 7
Great hands at times and a vital second-half interception. Has done remarkably well in what is, after all, not his favoured position.

France:

Yoann Huget 6
Delightful runner and it is always his first instinct to do so. Little chance to do so in second half.

Vincent Clerc 5
Some great takes in the air, but little else. Nothing in attack.

Mathieu Bastareaud 6
An early knock on but was always a threat, making yards.

Wesley Fofana 8
A try from the heavens. Looks a decent centre. Might be an idea to play him there regularly.

Benjamin Fall 5
Caught the high ball but never shone, and was clumsy in contact once.

Francois Trinh-Duc 6
Lively from the start, varying his kicks well. A surprise when he left.

Morgan Parra 7
Simply a classy operator. His cover tackling was astounding at times.

Thomas Domingo 7
Might have cost Dan Cole a Lions place such was his dominance at the scrummage.

Benjamin Kayser 6
Nothing more competent really. Didn't show in the loose.

Nicolas Mas 7
Another who can be proud of his work at the scrummage.

Christophe Samson 5
One great lineout steal near his own line., but, like many others, faded horribly.

Yoann Maestri 5
Made a good charge-down and won some lineout ball but looked off the pace in the second half.

Yannick Nyanga 6
Won some lineout ball and made some tackles but just did not make the necessary impact.

Thierry Dusautoir 6
One superb piece of work on the floor in first half but not his usual influence.

Louis Picamoles 6
Fine first half including thunder hit on Brad Barritt and some powerful carrying, but faded.



Harsh on French back three who hardly put a foot wrong defensively.

Farrell and Brown both 7's for me, with Ashton a 5.

Parra, FTD and Picamoles should all be 8 or 9.

Picamoles was a 8 in my book , fantastic game. Trinh-Duc showed what a difference a out and out 10 makes to a side.

His vision really give England problems in defense.

Right with the opinions in this weeks predos, who will is looking for a deal? I need some decent backrowers and some halfbacks.

Another tragedy in the rugby world

http://www.espnscrum.com/scotland/rugby/story/168647.html?fb_ref=fb-fantasy

Wouldn't say Hartley had a poor game at all, his throwing wasn't great, but was going to the back of the line a lot, all Youngs throws bar one was to the front and the time he did throw long it went straight to the French.

Thought he had a good game in the loose and carried well.

Lawes was like a headless chicken at times, seemed like all he wanted to do was make the big hits, he got the French a fair few times, but completely missed on more occasions.

Stand outs for me were Launchbury, Robshaw, Wood and Tuilagi, thought they were all very good.

Not such a good game for Marler and Lawes and Brown is rather wasted on the wing, and Ashton not given any space to attack. He didnt have a good game today!

Mas ate marler for breakfast. Hartley was poor but agree he had to hit harder throws. Youngs hit front every time and it was good captaincy by Robshaw to do it.
Robshaw immense he has grown and is top class

I dont get why the French changed a team that was playing so well, the Michalek sub was just bizarre for me.

And then Mas/Domingo didnt look tired but they took them both off and with Vunipola on our scrum started doing ok.

We did very well to starve Fofana of ball in the second half, read somewhere that of 15 missed tackles in the first half something like 13 were on him.

Missed the game, just reading that Marler & Hartley really poor??? And scrum sorted as soon as Youngs came on?

Hartley.....rubbish???

Reading Lawes & Ashton bad too?

All I can find is Robshaw & Wood went well.

Still on for the slam

Scrum starting to go well was as much to do with the French replacements than the English. Mas gave Marler a torrid time, and Domingo gave Cole problems. Once they went off and France also brought on the pretty boy hooker it went to shoite for them. PSA made some shocking changes.

Really happy with result when I logged on this morning.

Marler isn't a great scrummager, Corbs is a big loss for us. I wonder if Mako might be a better option.

Rowntree seems excited about Mako, I won't be surprised if he gets a start against Italy. I think we are developing along nicely and the coaching team went really well yeterday. They made the right changes at the right times to really keep us going forward in the second half.

Steven_Sharks wrote:Maestri lucky to be in the french side. Not a great player.

Supposed to be a huge scrummager, typical 4.

Thought maestri was alright. Did well at the set pieces. Bit anonymous around the park. But the only one you could pick out there pack that made ground was probably Picamoles.

It's about time Lawes was dropped. No brain, and always looks for the big smash. Doesn't offer much else to the team. Would prefer someone like Kruis or Savage or even Garvey in the squad and Haskell starting.

Lawes isn't an international no6 Fluxy, putting him there and you know he will always look for the big smash, either start him as a lock or put him on the bench for impact.

Haskell made a huge difference, our breakdown work just clicked so much better when he came on.

Probably go with the following ratings

Goode - 6: Doesnt put a foot wrong positionally, but doesn't offer enough in attack and can get boshed aside in defence.

Ashton - 5: One nice run off Youngs, but not getting enough ball and was at fault for Fofana's try (twice)

Tuilagi - 9: Close to a 10.

Barritt - 8: Brought in to lead the defence and marshalled Fofana out of the game second half. Know what you get with him now.

Brown - 6: Not an international winger, gives it his all, but no threat down the left hand side.

Farrell - 6: Seemed too caught up in the physical confrontation and emotions got the better of him.

Youngs - 7: Good performance, Care played very well when he came on though.

Wood - 8: Man is class, to play at no8 that well at international level having never really played there for his club speaks volumes. Was everywhere and made a lot of carries.

Robshaw - 8: Growing game by game. Made hard yards, tackled, was a magnet for the ball. Lion's captain in the making.

Lawes - 4: Don't play him as a blindside again. Went looking for the bit hit too often - either start him as lock or have him as an impact sub.

Parling - 6: Not so effective in the loose as we've seen, set piece wasn't as good as normal either. Didnt see enough of him.

Launchbury - 8: Seemed to be first to every ruck, another growing with every game.

Cole - 6: Torrid first half come scrum time, but got better as the game went on. A menace at the turnover.

Hartley - 5: Odd performance, did well around the park, made his tackles but radar went off in the lineout. Youngs had a great impact from the bench, but didnt look for quick ball from the lineout.

Marler - 4: Mas gave him an absolute stuffing. Vunipola favourite to start against Italy.

My opinion is that if Vunipola started he'd have got stuffed by Mas and Marler would have come on to save the day from the bench again Ducalon.

I'd like to think that come the scotland game we won't see mike phillips starting and maybe look to mix up the centres by having Roberts on bench and Williams starting. 1/2p, Jenkins (I'm guessing he was injured), Coombes and dare I say it: Biggar played well!!

Agree with you there Steve, just been a bit disappointed with Marler's work in the loose so far this 6Nations. Vunipola goes on and makes a lot of carries, which I would like to see Marler doing more of, as that was the best part of his game.

Steven_Sharks wrote:My opinion is that if Vunipola started he'd have got stuffed by Mas and Marler would have come on to save the day from the bench again Ducalon.

I've not been impressed with Marler, can't recall him doing well in the scrum at all for England. It's a shame Corbs is injured and Marler/Mako arnt getting bedded in from the bench.

I'm starting to think Mako has a little more about him.

Ben youngs defence on fofana was embarrassing looks much worst watching It today.

Wood and Robshaw were excellent

Heard Lawes missed a few crackers, we need better lock cover.

I did not see half the stuff in the ground. Mas crucifying marler. Domingo always stuffs cole it's
The
Only person cole really struggles against

Lawes is fine as a lock Pooly, not as a blindside - was like he was trying to prove how hard he could tackle.

Surprised after 10-15mins they didnt think to try Launch at blindside and put Lawes in at lock.

Ben Youngs seems to be getting quite a lot of stick from some of the press for his performance, thought he was ok, but now maybe it is clearer that Care is the form no9 in England and deserves a start.

French engine room were pretty good scrummagers. Launchbury not a great lock to have behind your TH really.

Lawes not great for me, he's a bit of a nothing player. He's fast and makes good tackles on backs but offers little grunt, carrying etc.

I've not seen that Youngs was poor although Care apparently looked good when he came on.

I like that set up, Youngs has better tactical game to start and Care is effective against tired legs.

Launchbury scrummages well his position is excellent.

Mako's fitness levels concern me. We can forget about Corbs by the sounds of it. If he can't stay fit long enough then he is no use.

Lawes fine as a lock not a back row. we need Farrell's injury to be not to serious. Flood not at his level at 10 atm and he would be a huge miss.

I've heard he's developing there and not currently great.

SL said Farrell fine.

Launchbury a good scrummager, Wasps scrum performed very well this season.

Agree with you about Mako's fitness Steve, no way he could last more than 55/60minutes in an international.

Wonder if Farrell could get cited for his cheeky little elbow on Parra? Though am pretty sure Parra's play acting will count against him - was it Parra that tripped Farrell too? Do like Farrell's confrontational side, but emotions got the better of him yesterday.

I maintain France's locks yesterday were poor. Maestri a thug who offers little to the game. Pape missed badly. French back row were good. Dus better than I've seen him for a whille. Clerc quiet, was he fully fit?

Goode summed up excellently in the ratings Chris has used. Positionally excellent, kicks fine but attack and defence he is not up to much at the top level.

I was so worried when flood came on. He is not an international player.

It has always been stated that the aim is to give mako and care game time against Italy so expect them to start.



Can't wait for Cardiff now reckon my tickets would be worth a pretty penny on seatwave.

I am impressed by England but our back 3 is all wrong Goode and brown should not be starting

Goode is a paper weight defender. Unacceptable at that level

Goode is decent in defence.

Who would replace Brown??? Monye??

Sharples can't tackle, May exciting but has Gloucester defence too. Wade possibly but big question marks also.

"I was so worried when flood came on. He is not an international player."

I've heard Flood was good when he came on, Farrell getting knocked in the papers.

Marler, Hartley, Ashton getting slated.

You reckon Steve?

"Northampton Saints scrum-half Lee Dickson is adamant that he can fend off the challenge of
Kahn Fotuali'i who is joining the side at the end of the season."

http://blogs.espnscrum.com/latest-news/archives/2013/02/lee_dickson_relishing_kahn_fot.php

Flood was fine when he came on but I always worry about him and do not trust him as an international player.

I would have may or wade In against Italy to have a look. May a very good defender. Great work rate also.

Would give us an attacking threat as we have none with Goode and brown. Brown could start at fb and be excellent but is not a winger