Season 7 Homepage VII

First topic message reminder :

Breaking News: Famous win for Wasps at Franklins Garden sees Saints fall off top spot for the first time this season while the battle for Champions Cup qualification intensifies with important wins for Saracens, Bath & Falcons
 

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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.

Sinoti is absolutley brilliant, cutting Tigers to shreds when he gets the ball.

Swap him for Andy Goode?

Amazing offloading game from the Falcons, ripping Tigers to bits. Another try for Sinoti, he's ruining Goneva.

Isn't sinoti Wing and Goneva centre ??

Anyone read the times and the article about dropping Robshaw?? It will not happen but makes some great points.

Sinoti played right wing and Goneva 13, he kept coming inside targeting Goneva, tortured him first half.

Another game we shouldn't really have lost but can't turn territory into points.

anonmattyt wrote:Isn't sinoti Wing and Goneva centre ??

Anyone read the times and the article about dropping Robshaw?? It will not happen but makes some great points.

No and the times has a pay wall so can't check? What were the good points that I am inherently skeptical of?

Ah, I see it's Barnes, Times' village idiot number 2. Says enough, really

Robshaw has always picked up a load of criticism and seems to be one of those that always will - he's the best that we have in that position.

The real issue we have is that we don't seem to have any really physically imposing players at the breakdown, the teams we lose against always smash us to pieces there - Ireland, NZ and SA - when we get parity we win games against all the other teams.

Wood aside, I'm not sure if we have any players that can change that - maybe Calum Clark, but I'm not sure if he's quick enough at international level. When we lose any of Cole, Lawes or Launchbury we really come unstuck.

I think the points in several articles today across the broadsheets about Robshaw being a poor captain are right. He does not make the right decisions. Kicking for touch when toner stole it was dire.
Points were needed.

I also agree he went missing in Dublin. I agree with Barnes jones and Ryan that we will not win a wc with him. An admirable man and warrior but short of the class required. He has missed launchbury who is world class and also missed Wilson. However as I have always said he is a Phil de Granville or borthwick type. Great men but not proper int leaders.

Would have a better chance at 6 but even then i still would not have him.

A work horse and not one other nations fear

Think the points raised by journalists re when you compare Robshaw to Mccaw, Louw, hooper, Warburton, SOB etc are valid.

as stated we have kvesic and Armitage who are better at breakdown and breakdown is so important and where
We get outgunned.

Most nations back up 7s would have more effect there. Look at Cane, Pocock ( exceptional player and may end up 6). Ireland bring on Tommy o donnel etc.

I think Haskell would have more impact there than Robshaw. Not sure who I would make captain but think he has made too many poor decisions to carry on in role.

I do however agree that we have too many average players and who would you say are world class ??

Lancaster has had years and unlimited resource so
No excuses.
The telegraph lays all the blame at Farrells feet saying we are trying to play a league version of Union.

My overall opinion is we are not good enough and that is due to our coaching set up. We are too inhibited and scared of failure and have no idea of how we want to play. If we want to play a limited game which I think we should then we should set out to do it.
We fall between 2 stalls.

I think as a counter argument Matt, Robshaw perhaps doesn't have the best support mechanism within the playing personnel to help him lead. Apart from Wood and perhaps Haskell, he is the most senior head on the field in most situations, and it is probably a small reason why Easter has been included in the squad. 

You compare him to other 7's and captains, and most of them have senior players at a similar level. I would say that Robshaw has done an excellent job with what he has, and has shown what he has had to deal with the likes of Faz disagreeing with him in the AI's a few years back. You're damned if you and damned if you don't. 
Nevertheless unless a clear candidate arises, I have no wavering of the support for him.

At same time Robshaw has outplayed Hooper in last two games versus Australia - he struggles when it becomes far more attritional at the breakdown, but then so do all our players. Wouldn't have Kvesvic or Armitage over him though. Only one I'd consider instead of him is Wood, think he;s by far our best flanker.

Do agree with your comments re Lancaster though - don't think he's the right guy to take us forward and coaching team isn't good enough (apart from Rowntree) - kind of hope they will be bold and put Tuilagi in at no12 come WC and take a chance like Gatland did when he moved Roberts to that position during the Lions.

I just wrote a long reply that my phone deleted, but basically, as usual considering he has no merit whatsoever, Barnes is talking utter Love sacks, the article I have now read is vacuous Poopie, Robshaw has out played Nearly every 7 in te world, was being praised everywhere two weeks ago and now one game changes everything, Armitage isn't available, Kvesic isn't and won't be international class, Haskell has been poor since Wales, Cole just explained that the lineout decision was a premeditated plan based on prematch analysis that went wrong. Essentially, I respect your opinion Matt but in this case I think yhis is BS, utterly false and inexplicable on every point.

Fluxy wrote:I think as a counter argument Matt, Robshaw perhaps doesn't have the best support mechanism within the playing personnel to help him lead. Apart from Wood and perhaps Haskell, he is the most senior head on the field in most situations, and it is probably a small reason why Easter has been included in the squad. 

You compare him to other 7's and captains, and most of them have senior players at a similar level. I would say that Robshaw has done an excellent job with what he has, and has shown what he has had to deal with the likes of Faz disagreeing with him in the AI's a few years back. You're damned if you and damned if you don't. 
Nevertheless unless a clear candidate arises, I have no wavering of the support for him.

Could not disagree with you their flux.

However i do think as a captain he has made so many poor decisions and for
Me is not a great leader.

He is often our best player but In an attritional manner. His work rate is amazing but he does not have any outstanding attributes and is not great at breakdown.

As it stands we will probably get to QF or Semi of WC but can you see us winning with Robshaw??

Lots of the articles were aimed
At Armitage coming in who
I do not rate.
My view is our balance is wrong and we have an alm to play great rugby but not the set up.

We have launch lawes Wilson to come back
Who will make is better.

Robshaw has outplayed hooper but due to us killing them
In the front 5.

Robshaw went missing against Ireland and our best winning streak under lamcaster is 5games which is not good enough to win
A wc.

Ireland are 10 or 11
In a row.

ChequeredJersey wrote:I just wrote a long reply that my phone deleted, but basically, as usual considering he has no merit whatsoever, Barnes is talking utter Love sacks, the article I have now read is vacuous Poopie, Robshaw has out played Nearly every 7 in te world, was being praised everywhere two weeks ago and now one game changes everything, Armitage isn't available, Kvesic isn't and won't be international class, Haskell has been poor since Wales, Cole just explained that the lineout decision was a premeditated plan based on prematch analysis that went wrong. Essentially, I respect your opinion Matt but in this case I think yhis is BS, utterly false and inexplicable on every point.

CJ I have no love for Barnes as
A glos fan. Since day one I have thought Robshaw and lamcaster were the wrong people
And that has not changed.

I respect Robshaw but do think he is average. I think Steffan is not fit enough. Kvesic is better over the ball and in good form but was awful last year.

Haskell I agree is not a 7 but I would argue his breakdown work is better. We slowed no ball vs Ireland and that is robshaws job. In key games Robshaw decision making not good enough.

Lamcaster is the main problem but our backrow balance is wrong.

Media pick on Robshaw as a scapegoat in my opinion - an easy target, whilst he is clearly not an out and out no7 in the mould of a McCaw, Hooper etc he brings a lot of other good attributes to the team. Robshaw didn't show up against Ireland, but Cole and Vunipola aside the same can be said for another 5 forwards.

England do lack a quality breakdown specialist in the backrow, think it is clear to everyone but the team can work if Cole, Launch and Lawes are there to help in that area.

My issue is that in all the time Lancaster has had with England he hasn't established a style we should be playing at all and we've had to rely on moments of brilliance for Joseph this tournament to hide two and a half games of average play from us.

dammit_chris wrote:Media pick on Robshaw as a scapegoat in my opinion - an easy target, whilst he is clearly not an out and out no7 in the mould of a McCaw, Hooper etc he brings a lot of other good attributes to the team. Robshaw didn't show up against Ireland, but Cole and Vunipola aside the same can be said for another 5 forwards.

England do lack a quality breakdown specialist in the backrow, think it is clear to everyone but the team can work if Cole, Launch and Lawes are there to help in that area.

My issue is that in all the time Lancaster has had with England he hasn't established a style we should be playing at all and we've had to rely on moments of brilliance for Joseph this tournament to hide two and a half games of average play from us.

Agree entirely with that. No style and he has had more
Time with players
And resource.

His record is the same as johnsons yet he has a 6 year extension ?

Robshaw often England's best player but I know we will
Never win with him as captain/

He is not a good captain and is not a 7.

CJ didn't realise that it was a pre-planned call for the lineout in Ireland - think that is another area that we struggle, in that everything England do is pre-planned/pre-meditated and the players don't seem to be allowed to stray from that in any way at all. You can see the way May plays for us, it is like he is caught in two minds whether to take a risk or play safe. Just hamper creativity - another example is when they brought on Twelvetrees for Joseph, instead of taking a risk and bringing on Cipriani who could have made a difference when chasing a game.

Mat thing with Haskell is that he isn't what you would call the smartest bloke on a rugby field, he gives a lot of penalties away at the breakdown. Personally would like to see Clark given a go, just to see if he can step up. Not sure who else we have, I'm not a fan of Armitage, not convinced with Kvesic and guys like Fraser, Wallace just haven't come through.

Wouldn't be surprised if Haskell was dropped for Wood this weekend.

Haskell is dim.

Lawes needs to come
In for either second row.

Apparently croft will start but for me
Balance would not work.

Twelve trees was awful
Vs Ireland and is not up
To it.

Simpson after wiggles has best kick game so should come in

Missed glos game yesterday as on a fam holiday in Devon.


Glos lost a 17 point lead but saints quality.

Laidlaw kvesic may sharples and mccoll went well. Wilson
And manoa very good. Wilson is impressing.

Glos need 4 out of 5 to get heino

Have sharks and quins as away games which will be tough

Irish and falcons at home will be tbp. Final game bath away will be bad

Wasps sarries a cracker. Daly try superb and wiggles kick for wyles sublime

Ashton yellow embarrassing

Great article about reds and horwill as a penalty machine

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2015/mar/05/super-rugby-reds-waratahs-preview


Croft out for season after Falcons game. Was due to be in England starting line up.

He has had awful run. Was just looking good again

Was their a red
In Falcons game
? Went to kitchen came Back and red card symbol against Leicester. Google result and no
Mention of red

Pooly you said pollard was not great despite 29 points. The opposition coach disagrees


"Handre has done really well and he is definitely one of our key players," said Ludeke.

"He kicks really well at goal and has such good decision making capabilities that gets us on the front foot. He is also very good at creating space around him

"That makes it easier for the players around him to do their thing."

Pollard scored 29 points on the day.

Ludeke was also happy with the way his charges performed as a unit.

"We knew it was going to be difficult against the Cheetahs," he added.

"We played well in the first half and put them under pressure.

"We let them back a little in the second half, but we kept our cool and closed out the game."

Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske, on the other hand, was not happy with his side's performance, particularly after his team managed two consecutive victories over the last couple of weeks.

He admitted Pollard played a big role in their demise.

"We didn't play well in the first half and the Bulls managed to put us under immense pressure," explained Drotske.

"To be that far behind at half-time wasn't nearly what we wanted and that made it difficult in the second half.

"Combine that with the type of game that Handre Pollard had and it was nearly impossible to come back."

Despite the loss, the Cheetahs still find themselves in third place in the South African conference and in eighth place in the overall standings.

"We need to be better and this coming week we will definitely work on that," said Drotske.

You can just post a link you know..........

Pointless article anyway, again. His own coach said he's been going "very well". That's his own coach remember hardly going over the top. The opp coach never puts any description on how he played.

I'll say it again......I watched it, he was ok. He scored plenty with the boot but general play wasn't anything special, he was just ok.

As I said, easily his best game as he's been generally poor this season.

You obviously haven't seen the game or you wouldn't be posting pointless articles on it. I care little for what an article says, it's my opinion of a game I watched. It's opinion, it's neither right or wrong end of the day.

No surprise with Croft, he's too injury prone for modern rugby.

He was never going to start for England and hasn't been looking good imo, he was outmuscled by our backrow yesterday.

Are you considering starting pollard this week Matt lol

LukeLovesLuka wrote:Are you considering starting pollard this week Matt lol

No I will release him

Any spare teams? #bored

Budgets and tables up to date. Your first on my hit list Driver if anything comes up

Getting close at the top there!!!

Best of luck to our semi finalists: https://www.606v2.com/t58067-anglo-welsh-cup-semi-finals

dammit_chris wrote:Getting close at the top there!!!

Been top 2 since week 2 or 3

I'm just glad I dont lose any more players to the 6Nations in the AP - was very lucky this year that some of my England players were injured.

SirJohnnyEnglish wrote:Budgets and tables up to date. Your first on my hit list Driver if anything comes up

Cheers SJE.

Falcons charging up the table

The dreaded injuries will be making an appearance soon

Can't we all have a vote on not having injuries please

Favourite part of the game...

Really close league a win can catapult you up there. 2 more
6 nations games to
Come

These injuries come in play from the next league game (Round 18). Anglo Welsh games over the next two weeks are not affected.

https://www.606v2.com/t55473-injuries

Glad I rotated this week.

Pocock, Croft and Etzebeth all injured again, it's just like real life!

Not bad at all other than Hayman

Phew, got off relatively lightly there! Always good to avoid injuries to EQ players!

You have about 35 EQ Chris so that's quite impressive

Think I'm around the 25 mark there, have been stocking up on EQ over the years...

SirJohnnyEnglish wrote:These injuries come in play from the next league game (Round 18). Anglo Welsh games over the next two weeks are not affected.

https://www.606v2.com/t55473-injuries

Could have been a lot worse on the injury front!

Just seen the table. Going to be seriously nip and tuck for bagging a home semi final this year!!!

Not too bad for injuries for me.

Just seen Owens been called into Wales squad.....that's another gone for me! Although good to see Tomas Francis called in too, been doing well for Chiefs.

Francis has been great but he's English the little bugger, that's messed up my EQ!