Season 6 Homepage IV

First topic message reminder :

Breaking News: Tigers end the regular season top of the table while Worcester will be battling it out in the Championship next year.
 

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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.

Bath said they were playing him at backrow, no?

They have mate

I'll be very interested to see how it goes for him in the back row. Far easier transition from league into the backs in union. can only think of Brad Thorn who has been a successful convert into the pack.

When I was in Biarritz and San Sebastián this week lots in papers re yachvili to Clermont, Toulon and Toulouse. Could see Toulon working.



Also Hari to pretty much every club although locals think he will stay and have a final season

Just watching this morning's Crusaders vs. Hurricanes game. Perenara, Barrett and Julian Savea all excellent for the 'Canes so far (am 45 minutes in).

Hari is 34 now, you'd imagine he's retire this season or next.

Strongest rumour in papers was Clermont for Hari. By strongest mean most mentions. Papers over there have rugby galore every day. Worse than footy over here.

I can just about read it but generally get my mrs who has no interest to translate it properly.

Every SH player in the world is linked with some
Team or other. Real speculation nonsense.

Apparently Pernara
And barret were exceptional today

If I
Was
Hari I would play last couple of seasons
At Biarritz. It's his home club and he is a proud basque.

I'd def have my money on retiring or 1 more season at Biarritz

Some of the Hurricanes attacking play is sublime, but by the same token some of their defending is ridiculous.

Ozzy3213 wrote:Some of the Hurricanes attacking play is sublime, but by the same token some of their defending is ridiculous.

Super 15 in a nut shell Pete

Anyone having issues with this site on iPhone ?? You post and unless you hit my posts it just sticks there??

Not watching the Bath v Sale game tonight, not a big fan of either side. Will be watching St Helens vs. Leeds Rhinos instead.

I am a big sale fan. My second favourite club after glos. Used to watch them a bit when I lived in Manc and they were at heywood road. Controversially i like diamond.

Watch any game bath have a chance of losing

Ross Chisholm tweeted that he is finally fit and ready to play again now. At last some good injury news!

And they are at the minute.

Devoto's defence needs serious work. He was always flakey for the U20's

Bring on the Bath Sale draw...

I said Bath and Sale draw on Superbru btw. And Rebels win. And Hurricanes win (I said by 4 not 3). Bodes well

ChequeredJersey wrote:Ross Chisholm tweeted that he is finally fit and ready to play again now. At last some good injury news!

Is Joe grey back also? Saw him on bench a few weeks ago. Serious depth at hooker. I know ward and his family very well and he never expected the run of games and season he has had. Been sensational

Gray was back and was playing fairly well, he's an excellent thrower. Then he got injured again vs Sarries. Story of the fecking season. Lucky we have so much depth at Hooker because we have 3 hookers injured yet again, lucky Ward's form is so good! Best ripper of ball I've ever seen for us and good in the loose and breakdown but his throws can still go amiss when he has an off day, the game time has helpedthatnthough

CJ he was a 7 or 6 most of his life but covered hooker when necessary. Often played hooker but did not throw in during bath junior days. Full time switch to hooker at about 17. Been at bath saints sale pirates and always had talent. Played 7 a bit for pirates and bath hence his ripping and handling skills.

Glos offered him a contract when at saints but as a bristol born bath lad he has no time
For us and took the other offer. His dad who I knock about with is the least athletic bookish type of chap you could meet. Must be his mums genetics!

ChequeredJersey wrote:Gray was back and was playing fairly well, he's an excellent thrower. Then he got injured again vs Sarries. Story of the fecking season. Lucky we have so much depth at Hooker because we have 3 hookers injured yet again, lucky Ward's form is so good! Best ripper of ball I've ever seen for us and good in the loose and breakdown but his throws can still go amiss when he has an off day, the game time has helpedthatnthough

Basics key for me.
Lineout so important and best attacking ball after turnover so throwing so important

Just tuning in now to the Bath game. How the first half go?

Yeah, hope his time on the bench hasn't affected his throws too much. Kennedy has been poor elsewhere but with him and Robson the line out was good vs Sarries and so hopefully the line out will still be fine, Ward has had some perfect throwing games along with some poor ones. One thing that makes our poor form easier to endure is knowing as well as the England guys being away and players like Nev just back from injury, we still have 2 of our top 3 hookers (impossible to separate) and another back up hooker, our best TH, and almost all our back 3 players and best 13 injured

Bit flat pooly, bit tactical with sales tight defence keeping bath quiet.

A little bit farcial with the scrums at the mo. at least ten minutes resetting a scrum!

Ford had a bit of a mare with the boot! Should have been a penalty try though there. Sale took the scrum down for a good 12 minutes

Good win sale and Marc jones motm, congrats Steve but probably should have been a pen try from scrums.

Great game for the neutral. Dean Richards the ref is awful and Ashley rowden who is
Mainly a touch judge these days was always a poor ref.

Not a penalty try for
Me as bath back 5 trying to crab round which forces the sale th to fold in.

At th your flanker pushes you in. As you are in essence scrummaging against hooker and opposition loosehead you need your flanker to hit your hips in square.

When opposition back 5 crab round the corner your balance goes and you are almost pushing against nothing. As your flanker is pushing you in you naturally fold.

Could have gone either way.

Great sale defence. Pack great and their centres are so effective at killing oppositions attack.

Cips a real top operator now. Never used to be a wet weather player and now nails goals under pressure.

Lucky signing for me as I really did not rate him and his ability to change.

A lesson to Henson is cipriani. He even tackles now. All I need is goosen fully fit now. He needs more games but the fact that Toulon want him as Jonnys replacement and metro as sextons replacement if he goes bAck to Ireland speaks volumes.

Marc jones is a different animal these days. Lineout fantastic. Gaskell also superb skill wise and proper 8. Wasps look tidy with him And miller

Great game for the neutral. Dean Richards the ref is awful and Ashley rowden who is
Mainly a touch judge these days was always a poor ref.

Not a penalty try for
Me as bath back 5 trying to crab round which forces the sale th to fold in.

At th your flanker pushes you in. As you are in essence scrummaging against hooker and opposition loosehead you need your flanker to hit your hips in square.

When opposition back 5 crab round the corner your balance goes and you are almost pushing against nothing. As your flanker is pushing you in you naturally fold.

Could have gone either way.

Great sale defence. Pack great and their centres are so effective at killing oppositions attack.

Cips a real top operator now. Never used to be a wet weather player and now nails goals under pressure.

Lucky signing for me as I really did not rate him and his ability to change.

A lesson to Henson is cipriani. He even tackles now. All I need is goosen fully fit now. He needs more games but the fact that Toulon want him as Jonnys replacement and metro as sextons replacement if he goes bAck to Ireland speaks volumes.

Marc jones is a different animal these days. Lineout fantastic. Gaskell also superb skill wise and proper 8. Wasps look tidy with him And miller

Sorry for double posts iphone and this site not happening properly for weeks.

Tough one prop. Not sure if my zeal for bath to lose has clouded my judgement on pen try.

Sje any chance of predos closing at 5 Sunday? Playing tomorrow and at a christening until about 3 Sunday? Will allow me to do explanations instead of just posting which I don't like doing

SirJohnnyEnglish wrote:Ford had a bit of a mare with the boot! Should have been a penalty try though there. Sale took the scrum down for a good 12 minutes

Never a penalty try. Ref was spot on, as was Ben Kay on commentary. Sale were smart and took it down before it moved meaning the ref could not be sure a try would have been scored at the point he awarded the penalties. Cheating yes, but clever cheating.

Pooly, for me, and I don't like bath winning, I feel that with Thomas being binned for dropping scrum when going forward it's a pen try. However, sale showed true dog at the end to hold their line. Feel jones could be a tidy signing for me.

 Tom homer available

If its not a penalty try then its at least a 2nd yellow. Constant cynical dropping of the scrum. 12 mins of resets. Most tedious thing I've ever seen in rugby!

Yeah sure Matt I won't get to results till 8ish anyway  

Do you mean me prop? Not sure pooly posted? Could have gone either way and a tough one

Yeah meant you sorry Matt!!

Like sirj said, pen try or 2nd yellow, poor kick from Henson and poor double drop goals attempt from ford

Ozzy3213 wrote:

SirJohnnyEnglish wrote:Ford had a bit of a mare with the boot! Should have been a penalty try though there. Sale took the scrum down for a good 12 minutes

Never a penalty try.  Ref was spot on, as was Ben Kay on commentary.  Sale were smart and took it down before it moved meaning the ref could not be sure a try would have been scored at the point he awarded the penalties.  Cheating yes, but clever cheating.

If
Only Irish and glos could learn clever cheating hey Pete?

Refs so poorly coached all over the world. Any player could have told them how to handle that situation better. 16 minutes wasted on those scrums is a crime to paying public

Johnathan Mills impresses me when he plays , good old fashioned forward. 


Penalty trys are the hardest thing to get in rugby unless Ref is tired off opposition through back chat. 

THs get a lot of stick for locks and flanks not scrumming straight on forcing props hips to change and bore in.

The scrum is part of the game. I thought it was an intriguing battle down there in the corner, I was utterly engrossed. I agree the ref could have issued another yellow, but it wasn't 12 minutes of resets. Bath could have taken the 3 points on offer at any point. If a penalty is given that's not a reset, it's one team electing to have another go.

anonmattyt wrote:

Ozzy3213 wrote:

SirJohnnyEnglish wrote:Ford had a bit of a mare with the boot! Should have been a penalty try though there. Sale took the scrum down for a good 12 minutes

Never a penalty try.  Ref was spot on, as was Ben Kay on commentary.  Sale were smart and took it down before it moved meaning the ref could not be sure a try would have been scored at the point he awarded the penalties.  Cheating yes, but clever cheating.

If
Only Irish and glos could learn clever cheating hey Pete?

Refs so poorly coached all over the world. Any player could have told them how to handle that situation better. 16 minutes wasted on those scrums is a crime to paying public

We managed to cheat clever at the scrum once this season, last five minutes against Worcester on our own 5 metre line. We basically did what Sale did tonight and dropped it early a few times. Hagan got carded, Halavatau came back on and conned the ref into thinking the Worcester tighthead had folded in. Smartest bit of play by us all season!   

We just give away the yellow card or 2 then the pen try meaning that the situation costs us about 20 points plus. Rather give pen try away and keep players on pitch.

Average yellow card worth 8.6 points this year( Brian Moore in telegraph or guardian) so pen try better to concede.

So close with my draw!

Would have been fair result cj

Getting a bit fed up with constant losses even though I'm adaptating to the feedback people have given me yet still lost ?!

Where am I going wrong/who have I pee'd off?!

Just hope the England boys pick us up and we put 4 tries past Irish tomorrow. I'll happily win 32-31 if we score 4 tries

Front 5 for me prop. Depth at 8 maybe an issue. Unlucky injuries real life.

Garvey in great form but front 5 less so.


Can beat anyone on your day.

Ok thanks Matt, I know my 2nd row needs improvement but worked hard at hooker to improve

Round isn't over yet mate. But second row and the drop in Jones' form can't have helped. Backs look dangerous, feel I'm going to struggle now people have 6N players back

Front 5 prop , Skivs is miles behind AWJ who is your best lock.

Rees only just coming back doesn't help but is top hooker when fit.

Think you're looking at Worcester there driver!! So 2 big grizzly front 5's and I'm good then? Thanks for the feedback all