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.

Good win for France but very nearly gave it away there in the last 5 minutes. Lopez was brilliant really coming along this season

Do agree Pete, personally believe Lancaster is far far too conservative in his attacking game and plays it safe. Think he's curbed our players attacking instinct in the backline and Catt doesn't deserve to be an England coach, Rowntree is a world class forwards coach and it's clear we need someone of his calibre for our backs.

We've got to start Ford next week, we will beat Samoa but would hate to see our only attack being the rolling maul again!

My view on the game is that the only person I think geniunely played well was Mike Brown.

I was shouting at the TV due to how poor we were at the ruck area. We didn't seem to get people to our own rucks for a couple of seconds after they'd hit the deck. It was horrific!

Back row was rotten. Wood beign criticised rightly by a few of you but I'm not quite sure how Robshaw and Vunipola are getting away with it. Billy got better as the game went on but he wasn't great and nor was Robshaw. Back row all as bad as each other. Wood becoming a scape goat on here I feel.

Front 5 did ok. Hartley is our best hooker by a long shot and calls to drop him are daft and ill-considered. Our line out worked pretty well with no 'genuine' line out forward whilst he was on the pitch. It was never a yellow card for my money and if it was then they will be two or three a game going forward in wet conditions. I didn't see anything malicious in the stamp.

Farrell was extremely poor and agree with Pete doesn't look fully fit. Everything was televised and his kicking out of hand below average. Play Ford against Samoa is now in my view a formality.

May and Watson didn't have any good ball to attack with. When they got the ball they did ok. Watson dropped one tough kick but was sound I thought. Anyone who judges their ability as an international winger on today's evidence should be shot Opposing them you had two world class wingers who did no better or worse than them.

Should beat Samoa next week but Australia is a massive game. From the players fit (fully fit I might add in Farrell's case) Lancaster has to pick his side to start the World Cup.

One interesting stat is under Martin Johnson Ashton scored 15 tries in 18 games, while 3 in 19 under Stuart Lancaster - i don't think that is just down to Ashton being off form but a change in style and under using our wingers.

Agree with you there Steve.

Pooly - Johnson's win percentage was 55% after today's game Lancaster is at 56% - very little in it now.

dammit_chris wrote:Agree with you there Steve.

Pooly - Johnson's win percentage was 55% after today's game Lancaster is at 56% - very little in it now.

Yes I know, I was responding to this comment:

"Martin Johnson's win % must be far superior to Lancasters"

It isn't "far superior" or even superior. SL has a better win ratio than MJ did.

Steven_Sharks wrote:My view on the game is that the only person I think geniunely played well was Mike Brown.

I was shouting at the TV due to how poor we were at the ruck area. We didn't seem to get people to our own rucks for a couple of seconds after they'd hit the deck. It was horrific!

Back row was rotten. Wood beign criticised rightly by a few of you but I'm not quite sure how Robshaw and Vunipola are getting away with it. Billy got better as the game went on but he wasn't great and nor was Robshaw. Back row all as bad as each other. Wood becoming a scape goat on here I feel.

Front 5 did ok. Hartley is our best hooker by a long shot and calls to drop him are daft and ill-considered. Our line out worked pretty well with no 'genuine' line out forward whilst he was on the pitch. It was never a yellow card for my money and if it was then they will be two or three a game going forward in wet conditions. I didn't see anything malicious in the stamp.

Farrell was extremely poor and agree with Pete doesn't look fully fit. Everything was televised and his kicking out of hand below average. Play Ford against Samoa is now in my view a formality.

May and Watson didn't have any good ball to attack with. When they got the ball they did ok. Watson dropped one tough kick but was sound I thought. Anyone who judges their ability as an international winger on today's evidence should be shot  Opposing them you had two world class wingers who did no better or worse than them.

Should beat Samoa next week but Australia is a massive game. From the players fit (fully fit I might add in Farrell's case) Lancaster has to pick his side to start the World Cup.

Could not agree more Steve.
Hartley is world class and anyone saying may and Watson were poor today should be shot as you say!

Billy is having a hard time and Morgan should come in. 

Wood not great but I agree seems to be the scape goat for the entire backrow performance.

Vermaulen burger and Coetzee were prominent today which shows our whole backrow was outplayed

Wood was thew worst performer in the backrow for me. Robshaw & Billy weren't great but Wood was bad for the 2nd week in a row.

May & Watson were poor imo, Watson more so, he had a mare under the high ball. Only his first test so can be excused a little. I wouldn't fancy him at FB after that performance though.

Just listened to some of Lancasters post match press conference. Was wittering on about believing in what they're doing an not deviating the course. He better fecking pray that we beat Samoa next weekend, because if we lose that one, I suspect that the media might turn and he may start getting some serious questions asked of him.

But if a winger isn't put into space, or given a chance to run with the ball I don't see how you can judge them as poor. I wonder if someone tore out the pages in Lancasters coaching manual that discusses 'expansive rugby'.

Chris Ashton had a good article a few weeks ago, saying that Lancaster expects his wings to stay on the wing and not come looking for the ball. Ashton's game was looking for the ball off his wing. For Gloucester May turns up as a first receiver off the back of mauls and scrums, but I've never seen that for England.

We almost seem to play a style that stops the other team from scoring, as opposed to using players to score more points than our opponents.

Exactly Chris. May popped up on the other wing to make that great pass for the try as he was getting no ball.

Watson had the ball once and made a lovely break using footwork. They were starved of ball which is not their fault.

Every paper and pundit seems to agree
With our view on this. Not seen one who has disagreed

They were both poor for me, as was the whole backline bar Brown.

My thoughts on yesterdays games boil down to the old clice that forwards win matchs backs decide by how much.

Our forwards failed to generate any real momentum besides during the South Africa binning , for me our best forward was Ben Morgan when he came on. I think he's our starting number 8 going forward , Vunipola needs a kick to get back to his best. Tom Wood hit a lot more rucks than any other forward and he isn't renowned for being a deamon in the loose so i'm not sure why this critism of him has come about especially when we've been saying his our best player for getting through the hard graft. Robshaw was very white bread yesterday. I thought Joe Marler had a cracking game at loosehead , he's turning into our number 1 in that position.

You've also got to remember that Serfontains try would never have happened if Farrell was a bit closer to the ruck and made Care's pass a easier. Eastmond is closer by the game to nailing our 12 shirt , looks a serious ball player but needs some led in his boot to help Faz out. Barritt was great in defence and hit some good ball up.

Watson shown two things yesterday , how good Lambie and South Africa's kick and chase game is , give the ball plenty of air time and Habana gives a great chase. He's also got a good step and can beat his man , if Attwood had give the ball he'd also have 1 international try to his list.

Jonny May didnt see enough ball to have a impact but that pass to put Barritt over was quality , exactly the same as Willie Le Roux where he drew Billy and Brown. We're just a lot more critical of our own players.

Brown was ok and played his normal sort of game.

Hopefully we'll see a bit of shake up next week, I'd go with:

9. Youngs
10. Ford
11. May
12. Burrell
13. Joseph
14. Yarde
15. Brown

Anybody fancy a bit of dealing?

All available....Cole, SBW, Lambie, Parra, Fekitoa, Mowen would take big deals.

I'm around and fancy something!

If Lancaster doesn't know his own first team he needs to have a look at other players. If he does then they need all the time on the pitch they can get together and shouldn' t make loads of changes.

To be honest, I think we will see our first team play most of the of the Six Nations, barring injury and bad form. That will be five games where Lancaster can build the morale and blending of the side.

The main issues vs SA for me were a) poor handling in the backs. We squandered several try scoring chances with knock ons again. B) Farrell was utterly abysmal c) our support running is abysmal both in providing options to pass and providing support at the ruck d) a against my predictions and to my dismay, we lost the breakdown

I think our kicking is our biggest worry. We kick the ball away aimlessly. I'm a big believer that the kick is as good as the chase, however we kicked away too often, just because it seemed the easy option at times. There seemed on a few occasions it was just an invitation for Le Roux to practice his ability under the high ball and let them come back at us.

9-14 were really awful, they didn't look like backline that had ever played together

Given they were without BdP, Louw and Alberts the fact we lost the breakdown battle is a worrying sign. More concerning though is lack of a settled side at this stage - most top sides you could basically name their strongest side, whereas we've chopped and changed so much the backs in last 12 months no one has a clue.

Coetzee, Burger and Strauss just as good as those you've mentioned at the breakdown.

SA have a superb group of breakdown players.

Strauss is not at BdP's level at the breakdown, nowhere near. BdP is an outstanding fetcher.

Coetzee is their standout option but can be brushed off as he's not the most physical, i think Louw is a step up.

Without Cole & Launchbury in the team we really lack an impact at the breakdown, nobody seems to step up. I'd say it was a English maybe NH issue rather than SL's though.

Coetzee is very physical. A good substitute to Louw.

I think it's not necessarily the same backs playing week in week out, because Oz and ABs have interchanged as much, or even more than us. There were points that we just passed sideways waiting for someone to do something. Off the top of my head only Eastmond, Watson, Robshaw and Wood challenged and took the ball on from quick(ish) possession.

Sgt_Pooly wrote:Strauss is not at BdP's level at the breakdown, nowhere near. BdP is an outstanding fetcher.

Coetzee is their standout option but can be brushed off as he's not the most physical, i think Louw is a step up.

Without Cole & Launchbury in the team we really lack an impact at the breakdown, nobody seems to step up. I'd say it was a English maybe NH issue rather than SL's though.

Breakdown is more than stealing the ball. Bdp is not really a fetcher  but is great at stealing the ball at the breakdown. He comes out with some outrageous steals based on his super human strength 
Strauss is a lot more mobile than BDP and is tremendous at leading the tackle and getting to his feet quickly. Strauss slows a lot more ball than Bdp. Bdp however makes a lot more steals.

It's why Meyer finds it impossible to split the 2 of them.
Both world class.

With SA trying to play a more open game and the importance of lineout you could argue Strauss suits there game more. Meyer has said it will be very much a horses for courses selection between the 2 of
Them.

Huge fan of both of them. 

CoetZee was probably the best flanker in s15 and is a great starter or replacement. He is hugely physical. Alberts burger louw Coetzee not much between them. Great depth.
With Arno Botha to come back in who Is
Seen as bok captain in waiting you have some serious depth

BdP is a real step above Strauss.

I was talking about getting turnovers rather than breakdown. Being strong at the breakdown is a rather wide ranging skill set.

Budgets & table updated.
This weeks match thread: https://www.606v2.com/t56472-aviva-premiership-round-eight

The following players are all available for deals if anyone is up for some dealing. Anyone outside of this list would require a huge offer.

Deon Fourie
Scott Sio
Paul James
Ben Alexander
Frans Malherbe
Alun-Wyn Jones
Romain Millo-Chluski
Sebastien Vahaamahina
Matt Symons
Ruan Botha
Rynhardt Elstadt
Fulgence Ouredraogo
Steffon Armitage
Luke Narraway
Sebastien Tillouse-Borde
Gareth Anscombe
Ma'a Nonu
Berrick Barnes
Guy Armitage
JJ Engelbrecht
Bryan Habana
Henry Speight
Digby Ioane
Paul Willemse

Very little between Strauss and BDP at the moment for me with BDP struggling little for his top form when I've seen him.

This article sums up England's issues very succinctly


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/england/11234996/Five-areas-where-England-must-improve-against-Samoa.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/11235162/Autumn-international-Team-of-the-week.html?frame=3108625

Ford suggesting again that Burgess will be played in the forwards....

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/30083118

Mat I read that article earlier today - how much of that is due to coaching or wrong tactics used.

We've been unlucky with injuries to three key players in Cole,
Launch and Tuilagi, been lucky that Wilson has stepped up v well to replace Cole but that backline has stagnated and gone backwards - the Georgian backs do more moves than our boys!

We have to recall Burrell this weekend - not sure whether to keep Eastmond, beginning to like him but seems to be doing as many good things and bad. Is Roko back fit? If so...

9. Youngs
10. Ford
11. May
12. Barritt
13. Burrell
14. Roko
15. Brown

V harsh on Eastmond as hasn't really done anything wrong but need Burrells running game.

I hope for the sake of English rugby's 12 jersey he plays there and is quality.

Has Eastmond done anything right?

Has he done anything wrong? Making his tackles and the only back showing any creativity so far this autumn. Growing into the shirt for me.

For me he's the one back that has looked consistently dangerous

I'd agree with SJE and Fluxy , Eastmond has been the one who i'v been impressed with out of the backs.

I would like to see Eastmond have Burrell outside him, as Burrell does have an underrated kicking game. However I think Burrell's best position is 12. 

Manu would present our best attacking option. But would mean playing Faz.

I'd like to see for the Samoa game

1.Mullen
2.Hartley
3.Brookes
4.Attwood
5.Kruis
6.Wood (c)
7.Haskell
8.Vunipola

9.Youngs
10.Ford
11.May
12.Eastmond
13.Burrell
14.Yarde
15.Watson

Them last two tests will have taken it out of the lads who played in them and if i was SL i'd want my big guns fresh for the Australia game

I think that the form of Mullen , Brookes , Kruis and Haskell for they're clubs sums up that they deserve a go and only Haskell hasn't been involved in the last two tests so it won't upset the rythem that much.

Youngs has looked a bit sharper than Danny Care when e's been on.  

Eastmonds little slip passes could cause devestation with Burrell outside hitting the gaps.

There is the chance to make some changes but not too many. 

1. Marler -needs the game time imo and will benefit from a tough game
2. Webber - deserves his opportunity as he has looked good coming off the bench
3. Wilson - one of the few i'm 50/50 over, but I'd give Wilson the chance to work with Webber and Marler in a game situation. 
4. Attwood - has been one of our best forwards and deserves to keep his starting place
5. Lawes - I would rest him, but I don't want to chuck Kruis in here, his impact off the bench will be best at the moment.
6. Haskell - hopefully bring his physicality, and his breakdown game to the fight. Has a genuine chance to put pressure on Wood with a good game 
7. Robshaw - much like Marler extra game time will help confidence and i think as captain now until the RWC, needs to lead as much as possible
8. Morgan - Billy needs a rest and to work on his variation of his game. Morgan much like Webber deserves a run and the chance to claim the start against oz

Forwards for the moment!

I think Brookes needs a start to be fair , He's a cannonball in the loose which we need at the moment as Wilson isn't having a big impact around the park.

He was the one I struggled with. I would like to see him have a run out, as he has been brilliant since returning up north. Maybe he would be the one exception to my forwards atm

Marler
Webber
Wilson (Brookes to have a full half though)
Attwood 
Lawes
Haskell
Robshaw
Morgan
Youngs (though what I expect will happen is he will play well vs Samoa then be as insipid as Danny vs Aus)
Ford
Watson
Eastmond
Barritt
Rocko if fit, May if not
Brown

I'd have picked a whole bunch of different players not in the squad but the squads what we have...

Subs- Mullan, Hartley, Brookes, Kitchener, Clarke (Wood and Billy could do with the rest on recent performances, benching is not resting), Care (tempted to start Wiggles actually but Care can hopefully spark off the bench and being dropped), Farrell (no other real options in the squad), May

Last time we started Marler, Webber and Wilson, they scored 2 penalties tries vs Argentina didn't they?

I wouldn't pick our genuine first choices si that's Marler, Hartley, Lawes, Robshaw, Care, Farrell or Brown. I'd have Wood in there as well but he could do with a game although I think its more likely I start at against Oz than Tom Wood isn't England's blinside flanker throughout the 6N and WC.

1. Mullan
2. Webber
3. Wilson
4. Attwood
5. Kruis
6. Wood (c)
7. Haskell
8. Morgan
9. Youngs
10. Ford
11. May
12. Eastmond
13. Barrit
14. Roko
15. Brown

Although I also see a strong argument for playing a full XV and getting an 80 mins together against a side outside the top 2 in the world opponent for the first time in 5 tests.