Season 6 Homepage I

First topic message reminder :

 
Breaking News: Wasps good form continues with victory at Kingsholm while Driver is feeling the pressure following defeat to former Falcons manager Pooly
 

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Welcome to Season 6 of the Aviva Premiership fantasy 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 (SJE) 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 its 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 match day 23'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 an academy squad of 20 players.  Players who are in the academy must be born on or after 1st September 1991.

Any player, who is at any Premiership club in real life, either in their senior, academy or AASE squads, can be bid for on the domestic bidding page.  Players who are at your own club in real life and are coming through the academy system must be bid for if you want them in your own academy.

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 5 players from the Championship or the National Leagues.  These players must be bid for on the Domestic Transfer Bidding page, and each bid will be considered by me on its 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.
  
  There will be a summer foreign transfer window, which will run as follows.
  
  Structured Window
  
  No cash will be used and each team will get effectively free transfers by way of a draft, which will run 12th, 11th, 10th …… 1st, 12th, 11th,10th… 1st place side.  This will run from 10th June 2013 until all teams have had their two picks.
  
  Open Window
  
  Open transfer window, teams have unlimited bids provided they have the financial resources to cover them.  Teams may only bid for one player at a time.
  
  
  

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

All released players will be deemed to have joined a Championship side and can be bid for on the Domestic Transfer Bidding page.

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 match thread will be put up every Monday.  Home teams must be named by midnight on Tuesday.  Away teams must be named by midnight on Wednesday.  Both teams must provide tactics by midnight on Thursday.  Predictions will be open from 00:01 hours on Friday and remain open until 20:00 hours on Saturday.  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.

Managers are asked to provide detail as to why they have predicted a result.  To be considered a descriptive prediction this must be a full 3 lines long when entered into the text box.  If you are not providing a descriptive prediction you will be restricted to predicting a 1 point win either way.

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 match day 23, and at least 4 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.

£2m 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.

Eng vs NZL over the years...

2002
Jason Robinson; James Simpson-Daniel, Will Greenwood, Mike Tindall, Ben Cohen; Jonny Wilkinson, Matt Dawson; Lawrence Dallaglio, Richard Hill, Lewis Moody, Danny Grewcock, Martin Johnson (captain), Phil Vickery, Steve Thompson, Trevor Woodman.
Replacements: Regan, Leonard, Kay, Back, Healey, Johnston, Stimpson

England won 31-28

2005
Josh Lewsey; Mark Cueto, Jamie Noon, Mike Tindall, Ben Cohen; Charlie Hodgson, Matt Dawson; Andrew Sheridan, Steve Thompson, Phil Vickery; Steve Borthwick, Danny Grewcock; Pat Sanderson, Lewis Moody, Martin Corry.
Replacements: M Stevens, L Mears, L Deacon, C Jones, H Ellis, O Barkley, M Van Gisbergen.

NZ won 23-19

2006
Iain Balshaw; Paul Sackey, Jamie Noon, Anthony Allen, Ben Cohen; Charlie Hodgson, Shaun Perry; Andrew Sheridan, George Chuter, Julian White; Danny Grewcock, Ben Kay; Martin Corry (capt), Lewis Moody, Pat Sanderson.
Replacements: Mears, Turner, Jones, Lund, Richards, Goode, Van Gisbergen.

NZ won 41-20

2008
Delon Armitage; Paul Sackey, Jamie Noon, Riki Flutey, Ugo Monye; Toby Flood, Danny Care; Tim Payne, Lee Mears, Phil Vickery, Steve Borthwick, Nick Kennedy, James Haskell, Michael Lipman, NickEaster.
Replacements: Hartley, Stevens, Croft, Rees, Ellis, Cipriani, Hipkiss

NZ won 32-6

2009
Mark Cueto; Matt Banahan, Dan Hipkiss, Ayoola Erinle, Ugo Monye; Jonny Wilkinson, Paul Hodgson, Tim Payne, Dylan Hartley, Duncan Bell, Simon Shaw, Steve Borthwick, Joe Worsley, Lewis Moody, James Haskell
Replacements: Thompson, Wilson, Deacon, Croft, Care, Geraghty, Tait

NZ won 19-6

2010
Ben Foden; Chris Ashton, Mike Tindall, Shontayne Hape, Mark Cueto; Toby Flood, Ben Youngs; Andrew Sheridan, Steve Thompson, Dan Cole; Courtney Lawes, Tom Palmer; Tom Croft, Lewis Moody, Nick Easter.
Replacements: Hartley, Wilson, Attwood, Fourie, Care, Hodgson, Armitage

NZ won 26-19

2012
Alex Goode, Chris Ashton, Manusamoa Tuilagi, Brad Barritt, Mike Brown, Owen Farrell, Ben Youngs, Alex Corbisiero, Tom Youngs, Dan Cole, Joe Launchbury, Geoff Parling, Tom Wood, Chris Robshaw, Ben Morgan
Replacements: Paice, Wilson, Vunipola, Lawes, Haskell, Care, Burns, Joseph

England won 38-21

2013
Mike Brown, Chris Ashton, Joel Tomkins, Billy Twelvetrees, Ben Foden, Owen Farrell, Lee Dickson, Joe Marler, Dylan Hartley, Dan Cole, Joe Launchbury, Courtney Lawes, Tom Wood, Chris Robshaw, Billy Vunipola
Replacements: Youngs, Mullan, Wilson, Parling, Morgan, Youngs, Flood, Goode

Guessing not allowed to change players as two of my team have been called up now!!

Yawn Ha ha hardly etzbeth dropped more like second choice given a
Run In certain positions.

Steenkamp
And Strauss certainly not first choice

Any side that has Strauss
And bakkies second choice is serious unit.

Etzbeth does not call http://m.news24.com/sport24/Rugby/Super15/Etzebeths-new-empowerment-20130522

With Alberts and Vermaulen line out options also SA
Look good.

Strauss has serious darts. Hartley, bizmark and Strauss prob only hookers in int rugby with accurate darts under pressure

Etzebeth doesn't call for SA.

I'm surprised he was dropped too. He missed quite a few tackles against Wales but put in an ok shift, be interesting to see how Bakkies gets on.

This is better than arguing!

 

Haha, I like that one!

I thought it was quite apt on this occassion 

Pretty spot on for me that one lol

We need a talking constant rubbish and consistent bigging up of own players smiley!

 

Best I could do....

Can you tell I've got time on my hands again? 

Sgt_Pooly wrote:Pretty spot on for me that one lol

We need a talking constant rubbish and consistent bigging up of own players smiley!

Surely a mirror would work for you ?

The tension is unbearable between you two 

More seriously I was hoping you two could sort this out between yourselves or at least keep the squibbling away from the home page please.

Doesn't look like they are playing with light sabers in that one SJE...

How many England going to lose by tomorrow? Can see our defence being ok, but can't see where the tries will come from.

NZ by 10 Chris for me. Really looking forward to Irl-Oz some real optimism around the team at the moment with Schimdt around

Where on earth are you getting these smileys ?

For me we need our big centres to actually carry it hard to the line.
36 is a better player when he plays more as a crash ball centre. It's when he tries all the offloads and outside breaks where he goes wrong. Ben smith is a much better winger than centre and I think we can get at him.

Savea always scores I reckon we will lose by 11-13 pointa

If I told you Matt

Not slating him but England have a better chance with Carter starting 10. Hasn't hit the heights this year. Not running at the line anymore and is playing deeper a lot more lately. Kicking has been great though which I suspect is what is keeping him in the side at the moment

I thought Cruden would of been given more of a chance of late , Have to say i don't think Hansen is the man to take New Zealand forward. Only makes forced changes.

Messem, Ben Smith , Sevea is only in the team because of others leaving. Ben Smith is the form player in the world though.

Don't agree with that Driver.

Cruden, Barrett, Saili, Savea, Messam, Luatua, Smith, Pitau, Cane, Retalick, Romana etc have all got a good go under Hansen. What would english fans give to have tried out so many players? While still winning as well I might add!

Cruden , Barrett , Messam , Luatua , Smith , Cane , Romano where all given a crack by Henry originally.

Recalling Cory Jane alone is a joke itself.

Luatua, Barrett, Cane, Smith & Romano all made their debuts under Hansen!  

Messam & Cruden were never given a real run under Henry either but look like first choices these days under Hansen

Nz kick more than any team in world rugby. They are superb at basics and taking the right options.

A list of Hansen's debutees in order:

Retalick, Savea, A Smith, Cane, Romano, Faumina, Coles, Kerr Barlow, Afeki, Thrush, Luatua, Piutua, Todd, Crotty, Taylor, Saili, Bird, Halai, L Whitelock & Toomega-Allen

Last 4 don't really count as it was a 2nd/3rds team v Japan but thats a hell of alot of forced changes

Carter's has been poor but he's still better than any option we have, I despair with Farrell. 1 good game in 5 isn't good enough.

 



Retallick has been the best newcomer this year stepped in and looks the real deal. Been super impressed

Aaron Smith is great on front foot but has shown he can be seriously put off his game if put under pressure.

Hardly having a go, Carter hasn't clicked this season, it's not debatable he's not been in best form.

A 50% Carter is still twice the player of Farrell though, surely you'd take that one!

I have no idea why that icon is on there I did not mean for it
to be there. On an I phone and cannot get rid of the
emoticons from far right hence not
Typing
To
End of each line

For me NZ lack a truly top class hooker and no9, if they had those they would be up there with the best ever teams.

Its their strike runners that impress me, so many guys who can get them over the gainline, the whole backline from 11-15. Take all the right options.

We've got nothing in comparison there - need Tuilagi back desperately, or to get a time machine go back and persuade George North to choose the right team!

Could add JD to that list for the time machine mission..

They are scratching round at hooker with mealamu shot to bits and Hore ok but again not getting any younger.

I want to see if Perenara progresses only 20-21 but has got
Injured every time he has looked like he was going to get a run. He is on this tour but has had not much rugby this year.

Smith at 9 is a fine player and also young. Both of them need a bit of work though. Smiths
Pass is fantastic.

Both NZ props have struggled this year. Franks and woodcock have not taken to the new laws at all. They have so much firepower that it has not mattered yet but could
Cost them at some point

Press the emoticon button again Matt. It closed them then.

Press the emoticon button again Matt. It closes them then.

Nice one Fluxy they are gone

Good opportunistic try for Phillips, don't know why he has o point where he'll score though.
Harsh yellow for tipuric too.

Great pack performance, just fell short in the end but good effort.

Backline pretty poor again, Dickson improved and Farrell ok, Brown quality again.

Game changed when Hartley went off. I really like Tom Youngs but he shouldn't play Int rugby again till he can learn to throw, tempo changed completely and we couldn't get a foothold.

Roll on the 6N, not quite sure what we've learned tbh

Oz have made a superb start here

England ratings?

Marler - 7 - one of his better games, scrummed well and got through plenty of work
Hartley - 7 - decent showing, not a world beater but shows value of decent throw
Cole - 7 - again scrummed quite well, made a few defensive errors but decent game
Launchbury - 8 - improving all the time, all over the pitch
Lawes - 7 - Distribution from lineout needs work but another strong loose game, worth sticking with
Wood - 7 - another steady game, rarely puts foot wrong
Robshaw - 7 - growing as captain, tackled heart out and carried hard
Vuinipola - 8 - the go to man. Will never last the 80 but gets us over gain line which we've missed

Dickson - 6 - much better performance. Passing is poor but buzzed about and kept tempo
Farrell - 6 - Scrapes a 6, poor distribution and sits too deep. Great defence and steady nerve
Ashton - 6 - better performance but odd choices at times, needs dropping
Twelvetrees - 6 - again steady, ran hard but not the saviour we hoped for
Tomkins - 5 - First half to forget. Poor hands and looks lost at Int level, surely a stop gap?
Foden - 5 - poor defence throughout, nothing positive of note, lucky to get a 5 but given little ball to work with
Brown - 8 - again our best back, cemented FB spot

Youngs - 3 - enough chances Tom, awful
Parling - 6 - got stuck in, 2nd choice now but decent option from bench
Morgan - 7 - he's found his position as impact 8, looked different player from Gloucester performances
Youngs - 6 - one terrible box kick but notable passing improvement on Dickson and looked threatening, must start
Flood - 4 - tried to force game, not great time to come on with us struggling

Mullen/Wilson/Goode - not enough time on pitch

I am going to take a picture of your Hartley comment and put it into a frame and hang it over the fireplace.

Think we've learnt that our pack could be the best in the world come 2015, have some nice options in depth too, but despite Robshaw getting better and being a leader we are still short of a top class openside and there isn't anyone out there who will change that by time of the WC. Lawes and Launchbury works very well as a combination.

Serious issues in the backline, would say only Tuilagi and Brown are guaranteed a starting place - as much as I rate Dickson I don't think he's going to move us forward, but Youngs and Care have to improve their consistency. We need to stop playing fbs on the wing and hopefully the 6Nations will see Wade or Yarde given a go. Thought thought Twelvetrees and Ashton were ok today.

All Blacks have so many match winners in their backline, dont think we had one today.

I'm not a Hartley fan but he showed the value of a solid throw.

He's been ok this AI, better than previous years. Perhaps the added carriers in the pack has took some of the pressure off him.

Pack is all but there. Add B.Youngs, Tuilagi and Yarde to our backline and we're a top side.

We gave the AB's a huge scare, and looking good for 2015 for me.

Watched the game live and for me lawes was man of match from England. Did everything.

Our front 5 worked well and backrow were excellent. Dickson added tempo and Foden defended superbly 1 on 1.

Tom Youngs disintegrated and cannot be allowed to play for England with darts that have got
Much worse. He is struggling.

NZ lost shape when Carter went off. He looked really sharp. Anyone know what happened ? Looked like a hamstring.

Sam Whitlock was immense and Savea is a star.

We needed about 20 phases to hit there 22 they needed a few. So much more clinical.

England showed
That you can pressure 9,10,12 channel and get results. Aaron smith was poor again when under pressure.

When cruden came on Dagg was first receiver a lot and it did not work.

We defended superbly and it bodes well. Don't fancy NZ in the rain one bit. Our pack is looking great even missing a few players. Vunipola followed by Morgan is brutal.

Left
The game happy. Our midfield and clearing quick ball still the problem but easily sorted.

Robshaw and wood are good together but still
Think we could do with a carrying option in one of those positions