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.

Run in for play off spots

Sale Sharks v Leicester Tigers
Bath Rugby v Northampton Saints
Exeter Chiefs v Harlequins
Gloucester Rugby v London Irish

Harlequins v Bath Rugby
London Irish v Sale Sharks
Northampton Saints v London Wasps
Worcester Warriors v Gloucester

If I had to put money on it I'd say Gloucester + one other. Wouldn't like to guess who though.

Conditions and european opposition up for this weeks games   

James Slipper
Luke Romano
James Haskell
Maxime Machenaud
Matthieu Basteraund
Nopolini Nalaga
Could all be sold

SJE I am in Monaco this weekend so will not be predicting

Flip Van Der Merwe banned for 3 weeks.

There was a few more citings I think this week

Benji Marshall has left union:

http://www.sportinglife.com/rugby-league/news/article/480/9279286/-

http://www.espn.co.uk/wales/rugby/story/222617.html

Can't believe the Welsh fly half production couldn't prevent this.

Struggling to get on at minute, phone is goosed

No worries Pooly I'll note for predictions.
Hurricanes playing some lovely rugby

I will never fail to be surprised by the mediocrity of the pick and drive defence in so many super rugby games.

It's Honey Badger time!!!

Not in my house , It's Saturday morning kitchen time #NeedOwnHouse

Is CJ Stander going to play for Ireland? Just skimmed an article about it and seems like the Irish are doing a lot of recruitment with guys like Bindi Aki to get them over and get them on residency grounds. Not sure its a good thing.

Bundee Aki wasn't signed to played for Ireland. Hes been brought in to feel a gap at Connacht. Be very surprised if he ever gets anywhere near the squad in three years time. Strander coming on a bit this year but along way down the pecking order at BS. Needs to improve his breakdown work if he wants to be involved with Ireland

He's on a development contract so i think he is.

Neither the IRFU or Connacht have commented on his deal being a development contract. Its only Aki who has commented on playing for Ireland

Agree with you about Stander and his breakdown work SJE, he seems to be one of those players who thrives in open, expansive games but maybe isnt quite physical enough. Although the game he played against TOulouse when he came on as a sub (think it was Toulouse) I thought he was fantastic.

Aki has looked pretty good when I've caught him - you'd think he must be on the Irish radar as bringing in a relatively young player who takes up an opportunity for an Irish player is pretty bold - can understand it if you have a top class foreign player who will help others improve around him but Aki isn't that type of player.

Connacht haven't the players Chris and have special dispensation to sign foreigners from the IRFU. There's a lot of New Zealanders there at the moment. They've lost both inside centres so needed to bring one in to be competitive next year.

I don't think he'll be any better than Luke Marshall , Marshall has class about him at 12.

Stander is pretty average, especially when you think of all the options Ireland have there.

I imagine the IRFU have something to do with Aki, Lam has loads of contacts obviously and it's not if centre is an area of strength right now.

Great try by Saracens! Ashton looking back to his best!

Nigel Owens taking no crap!

Sarries getting the calls, finishing everything they're offered.

Burger & Brits have been fantastic, as has Ashton.

Goode and Burger immense. 

Goode has made 2 of Saracens trys.

Burger deserved MOTM, Brits great.

Ashton was absolutely fantastic, he must get in the England set up after that showing. 2 tries and 2 assists.

Sarries have looked very impressive

Caught the sarries game on French TV and so impressed by burger and their line speed. Bosch has been the best defensive 13 in the world for a while and so when paired with Barritt they make some wall.


Sarries completely dominated every area of the game. All these calls for Ashton to be back in the England set up are premature for me. He was dropped due to his defending and also his poor attitude. His attacking skills not in doubt but attitude and defence still are
. Clermont had barely any good ball so he was not really tested in defence.


I have tickets for heino final so happy an English club are through. Hoping for Toulon win as I hate Munster and want to see Jonnys swan song

I'm going to the Heino final as well.  Torn as to whether I want Toulon or Munster to beat Saracens there.

Clermont had something like 65% possession, they had plenty of good ball but Sarries defence was outstanding.

To suggest Ashton wasn't part of this defensive effort is mis-guided. Ashton's hit on Nalaga forcing him out of touch and when he took down Debaty when he was clean through on about 70mins were not something Ashton would have done last season.

Also.....Ashton will be in the England set-up, I don't really think that's in question. He's the form wing in Europe, the question is will he be starting.

End of season dealing?

HK Tiaan Liebenberg (South Africa)
PR Max Lahiff (England)
PR Jannie Du Plessis (South Africa)
PR Clement Ric (France)
LK Julian Pierre (France)
LK Victor Matfield (South Africa)
LK Tim Swinson (Scotland)
LK Rob Simmons (Australia)
LK Louis Deacon (England)
FL Carl Fearns (England)
FL Chris Henry (Ireland)
FL George Smith (Austrailia)
FL Sione Kalamafoni (Tonga)
N8 Chris Masoe (New Zealand)
SH Luke Burgess (Austrailia)
SH Chris Cook (England)
FH Gareth Steenson (England)
FH Tom Taylor (New Zealand)
CE Luther Burrell (England)
CE George Lowe (England)
CE Ryan Crotty (New Zealand)
WG Julien Malzieu (France)
WG Adam Thompstone (England)
FB Lee Byrne (Wales)
FB Luke Fitzgerald (Ireland)

Habana is popping up all over the place and Munster are really struggling to keep him quiet.

Budgets up to date.   
Congratulations to our European finalists!

Anyone see Eastmond swear at the ref in the Wasps game at the weekend, any news on whether he is going to get disciplined? He seems like he has a really bad attitude at times.

Some lineup on the vote for young player of the year

Jamie Elliott - Northampton Saints
George Ford - Bath Rugby
Elliott Stooke - Gloucester Rugby
Billy Vunipola - Saracens
Anthony Watson - Bath Rugby
Owen Williams - Leicester Tigers

Ford or Billy V by some distance. Stooke stands out a bit as a filler

All 6 have been great. 1,Ford, 2. Billy v and then 3.stooke based on ap performance.

Ford, billy v and stooke been pretty ever present and consistently good for club. All in the England system with stooke being a Saxon and tipped to tour to NZ in the summer

If based on since Xmas then Owen Williams has been superb

Bristol and glos are in talks with James Hook. Bristol have someone going out there tomorrow to meet with him.

Would love him at glos

Not seen one of these posted for a while:

15 Andre Taylor (Hurricanes) - The Taylor of 2012 is back and we just love it. Memories of the 'Canes full-back cutting lines a couple of years ago seemed a distant memory in 2013 as he struggled to back up that form in a disappointing season. This year though he has recaptured his best and the Reds found that out the hard way on Saturday. Mention for Ben Smith as he, as usual, did his thing at fifteen in the Highlanders jersey.

14 Cory Jane (Hurricanes) - From one Hurricane to another, Jane stole the show at Westpac Stadium as he crossed for a hat-trick against the Reds. Granted a lot of the hard work and creativity was done by the likes of Dane Coles, Taylor and others, but he took his chances and reassured All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen that he is still his potent self as the Rugby Championship fast approaches. Mention for Brumby Joe Tomane.

13 Malakai Fekitoa (Highlanders) - Firstly a mention for Brumbies outside centre Tevita Kuridrani, who grabbed a double against the Chiefs on Friday. However, this prospect is refusing to ease off this season as Fekitoa again stole the show, scoring an unbelievable try which secured his side the bonus-point in Durban. 55 metres out, he shrugged off several attempted Sharks tacklers, put his foot to the floor and raced over for the try.

12 Ma'a Nonu (Blues) - The All Black inside centre has rarely looked himself in a Blues jersey this season, appearing disinterested throughout his side's stuttering start to Super Rugby 2014. But that changed on Friday against the Waratahs at Eden Park - Nonu was still far from his best, but caught the eye as he finished with an assist, a clean break, and two beaten defenders. The Blues need more from him. Mentions for Ryno Benjamin who hit some great lines for the Cheetahs in their basement battle with the Stormers, but his defence let him down, and the consistently excellent Alapati Leiua for the Hurricanes.

11 Willie le Roux (Cheetahs) - While many South African players and teams are struggling to unlock defences, Le Roux continues to do just that with ease. The Springbok scored one try and laid on another against the Stormers, whose youngster Devon Williams went well.

10 Matt Toomua (Brumbies) - If the Wallabies were picked tomorrow, then surely the half-backs would be Nic White and Toomua after this round's action. Toomua has all the tools to be an international for years to come and the question is where will he settle in the gold jersey. His performance against the Chiefs was faultless as he crossed the line twice and defended resolutely. A mention must go to Highlanders number ten Lima Sopoaga.

9 TJ Perenara (Hurricanes) - Tries in back-to-back weekends from Perenara as his combination with Beauden Barrett is becoming one of the best in the competition. Perenara sniffs out chances and his try against the Reds was just that. Aaron Smith came close.

8 Victor Vito (Hurricanes) - Beau Robinson can attest to the thumping hits wrought in Wellington by the 'Canes number eight. He was similarly powerful with ball in hand, racking up 30 metres including one clean break. Nasi Manu also turned in a physical display.

7 Jack Lam (Hurricanes) - In tandem with Vito, flanker Lam was a real presence for the Hurricanes, with 43 metres from eight carries and beating a noteworthy five defenders. A mention for the Highlanders' Shane Christie who dotted down against the Sharks.

6 Jerome Kaino (Blues) - A fantastic all-action effort from the All Blacks blindside, who is back with a bang in Super Rugby. 65 metres made, five defenders beaten, 12 tackles made and none missed as Kaino stood out in a big way in the familiar surroundings of Eden Park.

5 Rob Simmons (Reds) - On a weekend where few second-rows stood out, Simmons was a pillar of strength in yet another decidedly shaky Reds performance. The Australian cap made 25 metres from four carries, won all his lineout ball, and chipped in with an impressive fourteen tackles. While up in Pretoria, Victor Matfield continues to roll back the years and Joe Wheeler impressed as the Highlanders romped past the Sharks.

4 Patrick Tuipulotu (Blues) - Still just 21 years of age, Tuipulotu has justified his inclusion in the Blues' Super Rugby squad this season. On Friday, he matched Simmons' 25 metres, made a clean break and beat a couple defenders. He's a hard man to bring to ground.

3 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen (Hurricanes) - We have mentioned him a few times already this season but that illustrates just how well Toomaga-Allen is playing. Four defenders beaten against the Reds while he was solid at the set-piece against what is a strong pack.

2 Dane Coles (Hurricanes) - Another man from Wellington going strongly this season is Coles, who is nailing down the All Blacks starting jersey thanks to recent Super Rugby showings. Like his tight five team-mates, Coles is comfortable with ball in hand and showed just that when setting up Jane with a nice inside ball. A mention for ever-reliable Brumby Stephen Moore, who continues to clock up the minutes without his form dipping.

1 Scott Sio (Brumbies) - Further enhanced his reputation against the Chiefs on Saturday as he continues to learn off Ben Alexander and Moore. Opposition prop Pauliasi Manu also went well while Blues veteran Tony Woodcock got through key work in victory over the 'Tahs.

Must be a worry for Read http://www.planetrugbycom/story/0,25883,16024_9290575,00.html

Concussion a serious issue theses days now the dangers are known. That NFL payout is forcing clubs and insurers to make more sensible decisions.

Brian Moore hosted an excellent radio show on it the other night. Player welfare officer Proposing that each concussion is a minimum 7 week lay off and that if a 2nd one occurs then it's season over

Always listen to talk sport Sunday night, good show. Can't see that been enforced, concision is common place these days, just need to manage it

Due to
This being tipped to rise to 1 billion they will
Have to act http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/playoffs/2014/04/27/joe-delamielleure-nfl-concussion-lawsuit/8316755/.

The dangers of concussion been known for decades yet nothing has been done. The rfu has a duty of care and you will see ex players taking legal action.

NHL players have a similar lawsuit pending. It's also why you are seeing more rugby players retiring due
To it.
As they are professional and have playing insurance they are being told by the insurance company to quit after several concussions in a row.

Insurance is all about mitigating risk so an insurance company will offer a payout and say that If they decide to carry on then they will not insure that player anymore and that the player is waiving his right to a settlement. The economics of that dictate that the player takes the payment.

This is going to get bigger and bigger

They're is some serious rumble that Scott Wilson is going on the New Zealand tour.

My ploy to finish 8th so i get a extra transfer has failed me. Drats.

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,9818_9289378,00.html

Has been a great player for SA over the years

I do quite enjoy GEs wumming on the main rugby board