Fantasy Heineken Cup Final

First topic message reminder :

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Gloucester vs. Northampton Saints
at The Aviva Stadium, Dublin

Light Rain Showers, 13 degrees, 9 mph winds.

Gloucester
Manager Mat

01. Nick Wood	09. Will Genia
02. Joe Gray	10. Dan Carter
03. Nicolas Mas
04. Tom Palmer	11. Hosea Gear
05. George Robson	12. Berrick Barnes
06. Willem Alberts	13. Matt Banahan
07. Julian Salvi	14. Jonny May
08. Imanol Harinordoquy	15. Ian Balshaw

16. Coenie Ousthuizen 17.Rob Buchanan 18. James Johnston 19Eben Etzebeth 20. Jamie Heaslip 21. Dan Robson 22. Israel Floau 23. Charlie Sharples

Tactics:

We have selected a team that has pure control at 2, 8, 9,10,12 shirts that can see us through to a win in this game. Due to the conditions we will be looking to control the game early dominating position and kicking. We
See their lacking of kicking options and lineout as key to our victory. We also
Think our subtlety and ability to
Change the game as being huge.
We can play anyway required and have
A kicking game from carter Barnes
And Genia which rules.

We have a lots of carriers throughout and also experience which matters. we have won the last 2 heinos and big games bring big pressure. having won last 2 heinos means we will
Not be affected by occasion.
so many of our players have been there
Done that so experience massive. our 8,9, 10,12 in wet conditons is huge all world class and brimming with experience.
Our pack has been chosen due to its technical ability. We see lineout as a huge win for us with launch and lawes poor operators. We will pressure them
Here massively.

We have a experienced carrying pack with subtlety and see saints as athletic but not set piece pack.

We have an impact forward bench that kills saints with world class carriers
Forward options on the bench are all powerful ball carriers or have the ability of strengthening our setpiece during the game.

Attack: Our attack will be about balance.

we will be looking to kick with genia carter barnes and pin the saints back 3. saints have no kicking options in
Wet so we
See this as massive. We also want to carry as much as a pack as possible as we have a massive bench. Coenie is scoring tries
Galore
And our reserves are world
Class.

We will look to play narrow early and kick a
Lot. However we will
Look to hit banahan at 13 wide where he has played all
Season and get his off load involved .

We will also look to exploit gear on cross kick vs wade and later folau vs anyone for tries.

Generally in wet conditions we will look to
Our options to win territory.
They have 1 kicker so we can pressure and win territory. Easy to blitz
When fofana and tuilagi can't kick.
Genia will attack fringes and try and kill them wide


Force Them in to kicking the ball to us, so we can start going through the phases and attack open field play.

Breakdown: Salvi obviously a threat, we
Have size and intelligence so kill them


Set piece: The scrum mako been getting killed
Mas to continue with Jj next up. Brutal
Lineout their Achilles heel we have Hari Robson palmer salvi. We are kicking a lot to increase number of
Lineouts and to test how can saints compete.
Lineout huge for attack.
Key Points:

* huge lineout advantage
* Very strong ball carriers to get us over the gainline and give us a great attacking platform
* Control in 2, 8, 9. 10 positions, key for a final, make right decisions, take points when on offer.
* Match winners in the backline - may carter gear Genia
* Subs bench picked for impact coenie Jj Etzbeth carry

* Experience won last 2 heinos and have more experience in team we know how to
Win they don't we are veterans of this cup!


Northampton Saints
Manager - dammit_chris

01. Mako Vunipola	09. Mike Phillips
02. Dylan Hartley(c)	10. Juan Martin Hernandez(k)
03. Carl Hayman
04. Courtney Lawes	11. Julian Savea
05. Joe Launchbury	12. Weslie Fofana
06. Samo Manoa	13. Manu Tuilagi
07. Sam Cane	14. Christian Wade
08. Sergio Parisse(c)	15. Ben Foden

Subs: 16. Tatafu Polota-Nau 17. Thomas Domingo 18. Henry Thomas 19. Julian Bonnaire 20. Billy Vunipola 21. Joe Simpson 22. Matt Giteau 23. Leigh Halfpenny

Tactics: We have selected a team that has experience in the 2, 8, 9 and 10 shirts that can see us through to a win in this game. Due to the conditions we will be looking to control the game early on, getting the ball into Gloucester territory and forcing them into mistakes.

We have a lot of power/gainline breakers in our team and will look to get the likes of Vunipola, Samoa, Fofana, Tuilagi and Savea onto the ball as early as possible and force Gloucester onto the backfoot and tying in defenders before we go wide and bring the likes of Foden and Wade into the game.

Our pack has been chosen due to the form of the players and their speed around the park, so we can hit rucks first and make sure we can clear Salvi away from the ball before he can disrupt our ball.

Forward options on the bench are all powerful ball carriers or have the ability of strengthening our setpiece during the game. Our backs are al game changers in this regard too - Halfpenny will be brought on either at fb or wing with 25mins to go to ensure we have a world class gk in the final stages to compliment Hernandez.

Attack: Our attack will be about getting our power runners onto the ball as early as possible and make Gloucester make tackle after tackle to wear them down. Vunipola, Hartley, Lawes, Manoa and Parisse in the forwards and Fofana and Tuilagi will see a lot of ball early on and we will go through the phases in the wet.

We will look to tie in Gloucester players to rucks and mauls before we look to spread the ball wide and make linebreaks, we will target Banahan's defensive positioning at 13 and see if we can exploit any linebreaks we make. The light rain will suit the power of our backline and suits a gameplan of getting over the gainline and exploiting quick ball.

When there are overlaps we will look to get the ball to Wade and get him involved in the game - have lots of attacking options to pick from and Gloucester defence will have to be on very good form.

We will be looking for Hernandez to put us in the correct areas of the pitch and not take any chances during the early stages. We will also test Balshaw's catching in the conditions by sending up high balls and getting Savea to put him under pressure & force errors. When Foloa comes on change tactics by using Hernandez's boot to test his positioning and take advantage of lack of experience and move him around a lot.

Defence: We will play a similar defensive structure to Saracens, putting the opposition under a lot of pressure with an aggressive defence that aims to force mistakes and handling errors. Defensive effort led by Lawes, Launchbury and Manoa in the pack and will look to stop Gloucester getting over the gainline, especially targeting Alberts.

Phillips playing his usual game and trying to shake up Genia and bring him into a physical battle from the outset. In midfield we have Fofana and Tuilagi, which will need something special for Gloucester to get over the gainline. Foden picked at fullback due to his defensive positioning and ability under the high ball.

Phillips to sweep behind the defensive line and add extra physicality around the fringes,

Force Gloucester into kicking the ball to us, so we can start going through the phases and attack open field play.

Breakdown: Salvi obviously a threat, so have picked a mobile pack that can get to the breakdown quicker than their counterparts and physical enough to smash Salvi off the ball. In Sam Cane we have an out and out openside who is on top form and we will look to get him to the ball before Salvi can slow it down.

Set piece: The scrum is an area that we are really looking to target initially with our front row having an advantage in terms of experience and we will look to exert some dominance here and look for penalties by targeting Wood and Gray. We will use this as a platform to attack.

Lineout we have opted for 3 mobile jumpers in addition to Parisse, and will look to give Hartley a number of options to hit (Lawes, Launch, Manoa, Parisse) and defensively we will put Lawes in front of Hari and generally make a nuisance of himself and test out Gray's darts.

Key Points:

* Great form in real life of nearly all players.
* Very strong ball carriers to get us over the gainline and give us a great attacking platform in pack and backline.
* Aggressive in defence, very strong defenders in the pack, with Fofana and Tuilagi a rock in midfield.
* Control in 2, 8, 9. 10 positions, key for a final, make right decisions, take points when on offer.
* Match winners in the backline - Fofana, Tuilagi, Wade, Savea and Foden - all can score from anywhere on the pitch.
* Subs bench picked for impact with ball carriers in the pack (TPN, Thomas, Vunipola), but players who can change a game by strengthening the set piece (Domingo, Bonnaire) as the game goes on. Backs subs picked as players who can win a game, creative spark.
* Target Gloucester setpiece from the outset and place Gray under pressure.
* Rested players well throughout last couple of weeks, have had eyes of Heineken Cup all season and only undefeated team in Europe.

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Congrats to Chris. Commiserations to Matt.
Sides at the top are just so close to each other nowadays these big games are always hard to call.