Week 16

Teams and Tactics by Friday midnight, Predos by next Monday 9am in theory. Someone else may have to restart the thread to update depending on whether I can get WiFi in my stop over in Dubai

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Racing Metro 92 vs Natal Sharks

Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir

16 degrees, sunny spells, 2mph winds

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Toulouse vs Stormers

Stade Ernest-Wallon

22 degrees, overcast, 8mph winds

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Leicester Tigers vs Crusaders

Welford Road

13 degrees, overcast, 12mph winds

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ASM Clermont Auvergne  vs Toulon

Parc des Sports Marcel Michelin

28 degrees, alternating sun and fog!!!, 9mph winds

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ASMClermontAuvergne


Manager
= ChequeredJersey

01.  Thomas Domingo	09.  Morgan Parra (k)
02. Benjamin Kayser	10.    Nick Evans
03. Ben Tameifuina
04.  Samu Manoa	11. Sitiveni Sivivatu
05.  Julien Pierre	12. Ma'a Nonu
06. Ed Slater	13.   Aurelian Rougerie
07. Jacques Burger	14.  Napolioni Nalaga
08. JMF Lobbe	15. Willie Le Roux

16. Joe Marler 17. Corey Flynn 18. Clement Ric  19.   Jamie Cudmore 20. Sam Cane 21.Ludovic Radosavljevic 22.Kyle Godwin  .  23. Jared Payne

Tactics-

Back row work as a team at the breakdown, with Burger specifically working to turnover and spoil ball with the other 2 chipping in to win quick ball. Other forwards clear out but don't overcommit to yhe rucks unless a turnover is on

Attack- we will look to play running rugby, occasionally changing it up by testing their back 3 in the misty conditions with a chased high kick from our halfbacks. Slow ball to be worked into fast ball with carrying and mauling in the pack, or kicked as above. Fast ball to spun to Evans with Nonu as an option for both the crash (sucking in defenders so we can change the focus of attack) or as a runner distributor, with Riugerie and the back 3 running support lines and coming into the line. Look for inside balls to Le Roux and forwards like Big Ben and Manoa

Defence- blitz led by Rougerie, Parra cover tackling, hooker sweeping. Burger to look to harry Smith when free borderline legally like dragging him into rucks to stop Wilko getting good ball and force the attack narrow

Scrum- go hard knowing we have good subs

Lineout- mix up our options with lots of jumpers, Pierre to call. Challenge every opposition throw

Subs- go all out in pack with great subs and utility in the backs


Overall- we are at home. Focus on disruptive work at the breakdown and relentless attack and tempo and do everything to integrate Evans and take pressure off him eg Parra's kicking and the likes of Le Roux at 1st receiver

The Sharks
DoR: Ozzy3213

01. Cian Healy	09. Freddie Michalak
02. Stephen Moore (c)	10. Quade Cooper
03. Jannie du Plessis
04. Pieter-Steph du Toit	11. George North
05. Courtney Lawes	12. Francois Steyn
06. Marcell Coetzee	13. Paul Jordaan
07. Willem Alberts	14. JP Pietersen
08. Billy Vunipola	15. Mike Brown

16. Bismarck du Plessis 17. Tendai Mtawarira 18. Lourens Adriaanse 19. Joe Launchbury 20. Sergio Parisse 21. Charl McLeod 22. Patric Lambie 23. Marland Yarde

TACTICS

We will play a traditional South African gameplan in the forwards, being ultra physical and looking to dominate the collisions in attack and defence.  We are aiming to control possession by running the ball in great conditions, using the pack and big backs off first phase ball, with support runners on the ball carriers shoulder for the offloads in or just prior to contact.  We will be looking to play our game at a high tempo. Cooper will play flat with the outside backs coming from positions of depth to gain momentum.  In defence we will employ the blitz and look to hit the ball carrier before he hits the gainline to stop Crusaders getting any momentum.  Danny Care will act as a sweeper behind the defensive line.

• Breakdown.  In attack we will put numbers in rucking past the ball to free it up quickly to go again.  If on Michalak will snipe to keep us going forwards.  In defence we will be selective.  If it is on to clear out and turn ball over we will throw numbers in to do so, otherwise we will keep a strong defensive line.
  
• Spaces not faces.  Our runners will target the gaps in the defensive line rather than defenders and look to breach the gainline regularly.  
  
• Wingers. North and Pietersen to track the play off their wings looking for the offloads to go through gaps in midfield, with North often used either on the inside crash ball or as decoy.
  
• First receiver. Steyn to give the left/right option of two outside halfs to keep the Metro defence guessing which way we are going..
  
• Possession. We want to keep the ball and play through the phases.  We will kick if we have to but, but first option will always be to run the ball.
  
• Bench Huge impact players on the bench to bring on in the final quarter to either see the game out or get us back into it.
  

Could someone put my team in for me? Same as last week but Debaty/Franks starting instead of Ayerza/Vili, Gorgodze at 8 with Read benched and Burrell back from injury at 12 with Williams at 23.

Can do tactics on my phone but can't do the team!

There you go Bambam!
BamBam

01. Vincent Debaty	09. Jonathan Pelissie
02. Dylan Hartley	10. Beauden Barrett(k)
03. Owen Franks
04. Luke Romano	11. Rene Ranger
05. Sam Whitelock	12. Luther Burrell
06. Chris Robshaw	13. Jonathan Davies
07. Richie McCaw (c)	14. Zac Guildford
08. Mamuka Gorgodze	15. Charles Piutau

16. Ben Funnell 17. Marcos Ayerza 18. Davit Zirakashvili 19. Dominic Bird 20. Kieran Read 21. Andrew Ellis 22. Tom Taylor 23. Scott Williams

Set piece - we think we have the edge at the scrum, and will look to use Franks and Vili to really pile the pressure on Vunipola/Jenkins, neither of who have looked strong under the new rules. Ayerza and Hartley to focus on their opposite numbers, allowing tighthead to get under the weak link at LH. At lineout, use Whitelock to mark Bonnaire and force the erratic Hibbard to throw to his other jumpers.

Breakdown - flankers to work as a combo, if Tips gets to ball first, first man in to clear him out and second to secure the ball. Bonnaire and Masoe not as good around the park as they were, Read to play it as he sees it, turnover If possible, if not look to carry and defend. Front 5 to focus on strong clearing out and beating their opposite numbers.

Attack - Use Robshaw as a link man when possible, shift the ball out one to avoid running straight headlong into their big pack. Use the boots to get them going backwards, play territory and look to turn them over deep if we can't make headway through the forwards. Barrett to run whenever he is against a front 5 forward, Ranger to come off his wing and look for the ball on Barrett's shoulder. Try and get Ranger 1 on 1 with Gilroy. Counter with Barrett/Piutau off loose kicks

Defence - Strong defensive line, use the strength of the back row at breakdown to avoid putting too many men in and weaken the line. Pelissie to sweep in behind

Bench - international forwards off the bench, Gorgodze on to carry at tiring defenders, Taylor to offer a distribution option if we need to go wider

01. Mako Vunipola 09. Aaron Smith
02. Richard Hibbard 10. Johnny Wilkinson(k)
03. Carl Hayman
04. Jocelina Suta 11. Bryan Habana
05. Alun Wyn-Jones (c) 12. Matt Giteau
06. Julien Bonnaire 13. Adam Ashley-Cooper
07. Justin Tipuric 14. Craig Gilroy
08. Chris Masoe 15.Drew Mitchell

16. Kyle Cooper 17.Gethin Jenkins18. Dan Cole 19. Ali Williams 20. Juan Smith 21. Sebastian Tillous-Borde 22. Butch James 23. Maxime Mermoz
Tactics
We will play a running game today and have selected a big pack to win us ball and a fast backrow to get around the park. Wilko will stand short and play heads up rugby, the pack will carry a lot as will our centres for quick ball. Strong front row with immense power to come on and a 2nd row who are used to driving players back come scrum time. We have selected a centre partnership who will make good breaks and look for quick recycling of the ball to keep them on the back foot and under constant pressure. Forwards will look to carry a lot in first 20 punching the holes before moving to running off of 12-13. We will be looking to target Slater off the back of the scrum as he is playing out of position.


*9-10 combo-we have Smith to Wilko who will then look to play a counter attacking game especially from turnover ball and using tight runners off 2nd phase ball.
*Bench-Our bench is full of impact and will look to dominate the end of the game.
*Defence-we have strong defensive leaders in Wilko and AAC and will look to slow down/turnover a lot of ball.
*Set Piece-power is key today at scrum time and in the lineouts using AWJ and Bonnaire's leading skills to get good ball.
*Breakdown-look to here and use our abrasive pack to do this with heavy carrying and tactical breakdown slowing.

Crusaders tactics based on the Tigers team for Week 15

Set piece - Debaty and Hartley to get after Castro, put maximum pressure on his side and give Franks the chance to take on Robinson with minimal support. At the lineout, defend the maul primarily, let them take the safe ball at the front and have Whitelock disrupting the middle and back. On our ball use all options but play safe if they start to get on top

Breakdown - target Matera, rest of back 5 not quite as good so look to hit him with next man in securing ball. Flankers and front 5 to focus on breakdown, clean ball is what we want so Barrett can start running.

Attack - Carry tight to the ruck, their pack lacks physicality and we want to take advantage. Then get Barrett running the show, he is free to take on the defence whenever he wants, Burrell/Davies to run their excellent lines off him with Ranger coming off his wing at Flood on the inside ball. Gorgodze to carry all day long, go straight up the middle

Bench - Taylor on early in second half as a second creator, as we go for the try bonus. Read and Williams on as our impact guys

Argh,got to Dubai late, do I have time to input brief tactics?

Yep it's 10.48 here and I doubt it will be too punctual!

Oh, yeah, 3 hours behind... Won't be long

Stormers

01. Ben Franks	09. Will Genia
02. Schalk Brits (c)	10. Owen Farrell (k)
03. Nicolas Mas
04. Eben Etzebeth	11. Julian Savea
05. James Horwill	12. Juan De Jongh
06. Tom Wood	13. Mathieu Basteraud
07. Sean O'Brien	14. Christian Wade
08. Damien Chouly	15. Stuart Hogg

16. Deon Fourie 17. Alex Corbisiero 18. Brok Harris 19. Nathan Hines 20. Rynhardt Elstadt 21. Dewaldt Duvenage 22. Elton Jantjies 23. Jaco Taute

Look to play a simple game based around the strong set piece game to secure possession. The pack is full of heavy carriers to get over the gain line consistently and capable of clearing out the rucks quickly and efficiently to create quick ball when possible. Look to create quick ball off pods outside the fringe defences of the ruck. Genia and Faz to run the game. Genia will look to keep the defences honest and punish any lapse in fringe defence by sniping any holes. Looking for any quick ball for Genia to orchestrate the attacking movements of the backs, and to keep the opponents guessing. Faz to play flat in attack to bring in the centres who can play simple and direct rugby or get it wide to our dangerous back three.

Set-piece - strong and efficient, put pressure on in certain situations on opposition ball. Eg clearing kicks from scrums and line outs in their 22
Breakdown - Collectively look to clear ball and smash opposing players out of the way. Opposing slow down legally by flooding the breakdown and creating turnover ball
Channels - target carries down Ford and Fickou's channels as these two aren't renowned for the tackling in defence.  
Playing the %'s - Faz will keep the board ticking over and pegging the back.
Working on Players - Target Youngs' throwing at the lineout, get Wade and Savea running angles at the shoulders of fickou shoulder. 

Can someone copy and update this page? Sorry I haven't been able to do it, travelling

I'll try and get it done soon