Season 7 Homepage IV

First topic message reminder :

Breaking News: Exciting weekend of rugby with two thrilling 24 all draws while Saints unbeaten run came to an end at the Allianz
 

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Welcome to Season 7 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 (SJE) 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 1992. 

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 National League 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.
  
  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.
  
  The window will open from the 9th of June but only to those sides that finish 8th and below at first. They will have a week to make one signing each before the window is open to all.     
  

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 National League 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 European Rugby Champions Cup, European Rugby 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. Failure to meet these deadlines is punishable by the addition of three match points to the oppositions final score, unless both sides fail to do so. Both teams must provide tactics by midnight on Thursday. Predictions will be open from 00:01 hours on Friday and remain open until 15:00 hours on Sunday. 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. 

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:-

For domestic competition at least 8 England qualified players in your match day 23, and at least 4 of those must be in your starting XV.

For European competition at least 8 England qualified players in your match day 23, and at least 6 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 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.

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 upto a maximum of £5m per fine.

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 (SJE) will step in and players from within your squad will be released for the relevant financial compensation (foreign transfer value) in order to bring your budget back above minus £10 million.

Pollard, BdP & Hougaard dropped the big news.

15 Willie le Roux 22 caps, 35 points
14 JP Pietersen 57 caps, 90 points
13 Jan Serfontein 17 caps, 5 points
12 Jean de Villiers (captain, 103 caps, 135 points
11 Bryan Habana 104 caps, 280 points
10 Pat Lambie 37 caps, 81 points
9 Cobus Reinach 3 caps, 0 points

8 Duane Vermeulen 26 caps, 10 points
7 Schalk Burger 74 caps, 65 points
6 Marcell Coetzee 23 caps, 30 points
5 Victor Matfield (vice-captain, 118 caps, 35 points
4 Eben Etzebeth 30 caps, 0 points
3 Jannie du Plessis 61 caps, 5 points
2 Adriaan Strauss 41 caps, 25 points
1 Tendai Mtawarira 62 caps, 10 points

Replacements:
16 Bismarck du Plessis 67 caps, 45 points
17 Trevor Nyakane 10 caps, 5 points
18 Coenie Oosthuizen 18 caps, 10 points
19 Bakkies Botha 84 caps, 35 points
20 Teboho “Oupa” Mohoje 4 caps, 0 points
21 Francois Hougaard 33 caps, 25 points
22 Handré Pollard 7 caps, 61 points
23 Cornal Hendricks 10 caps, 25 poi

After last weekend, I think that is an even bigger area for us to target and slow them down. Our back should equal theirs, like Ireland did. And hopefully nullify them.

Decent enough world player of the year shortlist. Either verm or Savea for me.

Johnnie Sexton, Julian Savea, Brodie Retallick, Le Roux and Duane Vermeulen

Good list, not sure on WLR (although he's played well). Has to be Retallick doesn't it?

Retallick, Vermeulen or Savea. All would be worthy winners.

Sgt_Pooly wrote:Pollard, BdP & Hougaard dropped the big news.

15 Willie le Roux 22 caps, 35 points
14 JP Pietersen 57 caps, 90 points
13 Jan Serfontein 17 caps, 5 points
12 Jean de Villiers (captain, 103 caps, 135 points
11 Bryan Habana 104 caps, 280 points
10 Pat Lambie 37 caps, 81 points
9 Cobus Reinach 3 caps, 0 points

8 Duane Vermeulen 26 caps, 10 points
7 Schalk Burger 74 caps, 65 points
6 Marcell Coetzee 23 caps, 30 points
5 Victor Matfield (vice-captain, 118 caps, 35 points
4 Eben Etzebeth 30 caps, 0 points
3 Jannie du Plessis 61 caps, 5 points
2 Adriaan Strauss 41 caps, 25 points
1 Tendai Mtawarira 62 caps, 10 points

Replacements:
16 Bismarck du Plessis 67 caps, 45 points
17 Trevor Nyakane 10 caps, 5 points
18 Coenie Oosthuizen 18 caps, 10 points
19 Bakkies Botha 84 caps, 35 points
20 Teboho “Oupa” Mohoje 4 caps, 0 points
21 Francois Hougaard 33 caps, 25 points
22 Handré Pollard 7 caps, 61 points
23 Cornal Hendricks 10 caps, 25 poi

To be fair I don't think any of those players are dropped as the sensationalist headlines says. He is not a reactionary coach and has said that he would experiment during the AI's and that reinach and Lambie will get game time.

With BDP he believes him and Strauss are of a similar level so rotates them. I thought he would experiment more against a lesser team to be fair.

Would expect pollard to be In and out due to his age and how they develop him until RWC. They did the same in the RC where he came back for the last 2 games.

Got to be Savea! No bias there at all...

Are SA the only team SL has yet to beat while coaching England? Team announced tomorrow I assume.

You could say that or you could say they were the worst performers and deserved to drop out.....I go with the latter.

Strauss is a fair way off BdP level, even off form.

Sgt_Pooly wrote: You could say that or you could say they were the worst performers and deserved to drop out.....I go with the latter.

Strauss is a fair way off BdP level, even off form.

You could go either way but as everyone knows you don't chop and change based on one performance. That never gets a team anywhere as proven throughout history. 


The fact that the mohoje and Hendricks are gone also Hints at trying those that are breathing down the necks of the incumbents.

Dan carter back starting for NZ. Cruden dropped 

I'd agree with that, Cruden wasn't great last week.

Yeah but you don't drop someone on one performance. If England did that we would have no care Farrell wood or billy this week.

England cricket used to chop based on game by game performance and were awful. Minute they adhered to consistent selection and identified a core and stuck with it they prospered. Helped that they had good players more though !!

Harsh on Care

Cares kicking was woeful.

I disagree. When you have a competitive squad and players aren't cutting the mustard you take them out and bring somebody in who will.

Pollard for example was poor and Lambie has been playing well, it's a no brainer. Meyer wants to win these games.

I don't think Care and Billy were that bad, not deserving of being dropped imo. I'd be tempted to drop Farrell to the bench as he's looked unfit and rusty, also Wood stepping out would be more tactical for me.

Who uses Care to kick? The rest of his game was good and he had a good first half, he just shouldn't box kick. Basically nobody should ever, IMO, you if you are you need to be competing in the air

Good piece on Planet Rugby website by Nick Evans, essentially saying England coaches are getting our players to play the wrong sort of game and sending the players out with the wrong approach - saying Care is made to play a structured game, but where he excels for Quins is when he attacks the fringes and snipes, but isn't asked to do this for England when it is his best attribute.

When they brought Ford on and moved Farrell to no12 they didn't start trying to kick for the corners, which again must come from management instructions as both do this for their clubs all the time.

Care was very poor Saturday.kicking from 9 is crucial to it rugby. Ben youngs is poor at this aspect and it is something care excels at.

Dropping players on ome performance is weird and any coach at any level would agree.

You need a balance but players need to feel that they can make a mistake yet know that 3 or 4 bad games means the axe.

If you can lose your place on one game people come In and play conservatively for fear of mistakes .

Pollard tried stuff and was poor. He tried stuff knowing he has backing. He was not helped by as bad a 9 performance as you will ever see. Hougaard and pollard were the key to victory vs nz so they have credit.

Here Meyer explains his views http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/oct/29/south-africa-heyneke-meyer-autumn-tests-world-cup

Any coach at any level, yet they all do it.....

If Pollard had have played well against Ireland, he would have started against England.

Sgt_Pooly wrote:Any coach at any level, yet they all do it.....

If Pollard had have played well against Ireland, he would have started against England.

Not in good teams ,

No rugby Aussie cricket german football England Rwc side etc

What time is England side named tomorrow.

anonmattyt wrote:

Sgt_Pooly wrote:Any coach at any level, yet they all do it.....

If Pollard had have played well against Ireland, he would have started against England.

Not in good teams ,

No rugby Aussie cricket german football England Rwc side etc

Of course it does, all sides do it.

Carter coming in this weekend, Smith coming in for Jane, Smith starting over Dagg a few months back, Luata dropping out etc etc

Phipps coming in for White, Foley in for Cooper etc.

All sides tweak their line up, especially if somebody is off their game. Its generally only the world class performers who get let off with a few bad performances.

It's quite clear Meyer has picked what he thinks is his strongest side this weekend, as will any coach facing a top team this close to the WC.

Tweak is not making 5 changes. That is a 3rd
Of the lineup. He is experimenting.

How would Meyer know reinach who is uncapped is his best 9 for this game if he has never played int rugby and he has consistently over looked him previously? I like reinach but he is not first choice. Admittedly SA down to 3rd and 4th choice 9s with pienaar and FDP injured.

As Meyer said he wants to look at his whole squad in pressure games. I think it's clever by Meyer. He is managing pollard well and has bought him in and out at key times. He is young and needs managing.

Also it gives reinach a more experienced 10 instead of 2 newbies at halfback. also like
The way Meyer has kept most of the pack that is settled. Easier to integrate new played a
And assess
Them if they are playing in a side that is settled. Too often teams put out a completely different 15 and asses players
On that performance when they have never performed together.

Woodward
Always used to blood the odd player in this way and always said it was the easiest way to build depth.

Your NZ Aus exampls
Are one player being changed due to from after a run of games not one game which strengthens my point. 

Nick white was tried had several games and was not int standard. Phipps comes in takes his chance.

As I said players need to believe they have a few gems secure before
The axe. The balance though is that if out of form for a while you can't hold on to them for too long.

Pretty sure Ireland are a top team.

I may be wrong but Lambie hasn't started many games that I've watched for SA. I don't think he is there obvious first choice.

Personally I think SA are the biggest challengers to England at WC/ think England conditions will suit them.

Also they are remarkably settled. Can name their best side almost 1-15 without much debate. Need a few back like Fdp and Alberts though

NZ are favorites by a country mile. Anything else at this stage an outside bet

Steven_Sharks wrote:Pretty sure Ireland are a top team.

I may be wrong but Lambie hasn't started many games that I've watched for SA. I don't think he is there obvious first choice.

Exactly Steve.

He has made pollard first choice and  Lambie the back up who will see a lot of game time. He needs 2 fly halves but knows that in the modern game you have to score tries so can't have steyn despite how good a player he has been.

Lambie needs
Game time as does pollard who is a pup. Although a freakishly talented one. 

Pollard and lambie is a great pair. Goosen is in squad
As 3rd fly half and FB replacement .

SA need prop depth and centre depth and that's it. Thomas du toit looks a star as back up loosehead come wc but no TH coming through and as Meyer does not like de Jongh they have no depth at 12 or 13.

De Jongh would walk the England squad and many other as a 12/13 cannot understand why Meyer does
Not rate him.

Steven_Sharks wrote:NZ are favorites by a country mile. Anything else at this stage an outside bet

They are always favourites and on paper best team but for me in English conditions I fancy SA to emerge from their side of the draw

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/england/11225078/Are-we-at-the-stage-where-England-are-in-danger-of-not-even-making-it-out-of-their-Rugby-World-Cup-pool.html

By a welsh man obviously

Meyer basically says what I have been saying 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/southafrica/11225681/England-v-South-Africa-Pat-Lambie-and-Cobus-Reinach-replace-Handre-Pollard-and-Francois-Hougaard.html

That's a staggeringly bias article. Oz have been in a pretty low place and Wales looked like a school boy side in defence at times!

It certainly makes the group stage interesting. I'd happily put some money on England and Oz getting through. Wales will need to put in some good performances.

Also, as an England fan, I'm pleased that houghard and pollard are on the best.

Steven_Sharks wrote:That's a staggeringly bias article. Oz have been in a pretty low place and Wales looked like a school boy side in defence at times!

It certainly makes the group stage interesting. I'd happily put some money on England and Oz getting through. Wales will need to put in some good performances.

I know the author Steve he is welsh and played for England 1 test as a cricketer and played for lydney at rugby. Always been a mad welsh fan

To the earlier thread Savea world player of year closely by Vermaulen. Two great players with 2 great seasons.

James' article is a joke, I've commented on it a few times

ChequeredJersey wrote:James' article is a joke, I've commented on it a few times

I went
To his first
England cricket match as he sorted
Tickets for all people from rugby.
He played for our mortal enemies lydney but knew all of my brothers and rest of lads known him
For years As he was big player on local rugby scene.

Rugby was amateur
When he was playing and he was offered league.
Great FB when he played.

Was never as welsh biased before but always was very welsh. Cardiff fan ( nearest club after Newport )

He must have heard Stephen jones is leaving his writers post as
He was never a writer like this until
The last year.

Telegraph and times best coverage generally but if Steve James becomes
Like jones
I will not read it

New Zealand team: Joe Moody, James Parsons, Charlie Faumuina, Jeremy Thrush, Dominic Bird, Richie McCaw (C), Sam Cane, Victor Vito, TJ Perenara, Daniel Carter, Charles Piutau, Ryan Crotty, Malakai Fekitoa, Colin Slade, Ben Smith.

Replacements: Dane Coles, Wyatt Crockett, Ben Franks, Luke Romano, Liam Messam, Augustine Pulu, Sonny Bill Williams, Julian Savea

That's a pretty weak NZ pack, they could be in for a shock. That engine room is very dodgy.

Dominic bird back in squad now fit

Kieran read Aaron smith etc dropped 

All jokes aside that is a pretty bold choice in picking a side that has never played together. Weak front row

Is that slade on the wing?

Watson is the only change to the team - hopefully it will stay dry as having him and May on the wing give us some serious gas, must be the quickest wings we've put out in years.

They probably a yard or two behind Cueto and Banahan.

Haha, just a yard?

While we're at it, bring back Andy Goode to get some spark into our backline!

Get Barritt and Noon in the centres. Shaun Perry at 9

That's a scary backline, so much pace - I'd even be tempted to move Noon to no12 and bring in Joel Tomkins at 13. Fullback a little trickier to find a gem.

dammit_chris wrote:Haha, just a yard?

While we're at it, bring back Andy Goode to get some spark into our backline!

He is probably quicker than Alex Goode to be fair

anonmattyt wrote:

dammit_chris wrote:Haha, just a yard?

While we're at it, bring back Andy Goode to get some spark into our backline!

He is probably quicker than Alex Goode to be fair

And probably better at scrummaging than what Figallo is at the minute

Mark van Gisbergen could have the no15 shirt...took me a while to find a fb!

Forgot all about him, how did he get a cap???

MVG great AP player. In the Walder and Waters territory.

He was brilliant for Wasps, pretty much won us a European Cup with his kicking one season - way too small for international rugby. Post 2003 WC you don't realise how many fairly average players got capped by us.