Fantasy Aviva Premiership Season 4 homepage

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Teams

Bath RFC	InTheFastLane
Exeter Chiefs	Driver - RIP 606
Gloucester	Anonmattyt
Harlequins	Steven_Sharks
Leicester Tigers	LukeLovesLuka
London Irish	stnick88
London Wasps	Arry
Newcastle Falcons	Sgt_Pooly
Northampton Saints	Dammit_Chris
Sale Sharks	SirJohnnyEnglish
Saracens	LDCPete
Worcester Warriors	prop_lyd

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Waiting List
1. Sam
2. pullthestrings
3. Bathite

I'm really interested to see how Tonga'uiha goes this season to be honest. I felt that towards the back end of last season teams had worked out a little bit that in the scrum he is all strength and power with little in the way of technique and had worked out ways of combatting him to a certain extent. The amount of rugby he played also caught up with him a bit at the end and he will need to be better managed by Saints this term if they are to challenge for honours again.

Sgt_Pooly wrote:until England beat the AB's in the final a month later

Going to be waiting a bit longer than a few months pooly

Cullen, Cowan and Mortlock be available only for eq players in a swap.

saints dominated pretty much every scrum they faced all season! agree he was a bit tired towards the end though, but he pretty much played every game.

I disagree stnick. The last 6-8 weeks of the season they dominate scrums for about 30 minutes and then their opponents started to get on top as the Saints front rows legs started to go. Tonga'uiha is a beast, but in all seriousness he has pretty much zero scrummaging technique and solely dominates through power. Once the legs start to go a good technician can get at him, much as Mike Ross did in the Heino final. Just interested to see if his technique improves at all and how Saints manage him bettr this year, because they overused him, Hartley and Mujati last season and in the end it came back to haunt them in their final 2 games of the season.

saints were stupid at the end of last season, their squad was to small and they should have either chosen to go all out for the Heineken Cup or the Premiership. As they drew Leicester away they should have put out a 'B' squad pack, as they would have beaten Leinster if their pack was fresh.

Felt bad for them as they deserved one of those titles given how well they played during the season!

Thats a fair point Pete. Im also quite interested in how Mujati will get on during the world cup period. Think Hartley and Tonga were massive parts of that scrum so be interesting to see how he gets on without them. He most certainly wasnt a world beater before going to Saints. I just wonder how much good of Saints scrum is actually due to him. Will be interesting to see who wins the battle between PDJ and Mujati for that TH shirt this year

Chris there wasnt a side in Europe who could of beat Leinster in that 2nd half. They completly nullified the scrum and the likes of SOB, Heaslip and Sexton put in world class performances that none of the Saints lads would have been able to match

SJE - Leinster played well, wont deny that but as well as they played it was helped by Saints tiring drastically, they didnt have anything left in them, they were physically spent. A fit Saints team would not have let that lead go. The pack wouldnt have gone backwards like they did either.

Look at the difference in the halves, it wasnt just Leinster playing amazing rugby - it was a combination of both that let them back into the game.

Leinster came out and scored 2 trys in about the first 10 mins of the 2nd half (if i remember right). Tore Saints apart in those first 10 minutes. How do you tire in a period of 10 mins after just having a half time break and after being on top for the entire 1st half?

Yes the Saints lads were knackered come the last 10 minutes but they certainly wernt coming out at the start of the half which was when Leinster were at their best. Think people saying Saints were tied seriously detracts from the quality of Leinsters rugby. For those 1st 10-15 minutes (after Saints having a break!) Leinster played the best rugby in Europe which no side could live with

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that fatigue killed Saints in that final. Adrenalin got them through the end of the first half as there pack was clearly tiring.

That and Shane Jennings. Jennings was a man possessed second half.

Leinster were incredible second half, didn't think Jennings had that much of an impact myself but def gave them more balance.

Difference for me was gaining parity in the scrum in the scrum, this instantly put Heaslip/SOB on the front foot. That very first scrum, Heaslip broke, fed SOB who tore through the middle of Saints and it kind of set the tone for that half. SOB was incredible that second half as was Heaslip & Sexton.

Saints are a very good side but once they're scrum is nulified they don't have much else to offer as Foden/Ashton are tryng to create magic often from their own half.

One of the best finals I've ever seen as a neutral, SOB showed why he's the easily the best flanker in the NH, think I might have to DL it and watch it again!!

How in any way is SOB easily the best flanker in the NH??

He might be the best in your view but there is no way he is miles ahead of the others if he is at all. I'd have him at 6 or 7 behind Dusatoir, Croft, Moody, Warburton, Barclay and maybe a few others.

SOB is a beast of a ball carrier who finished the season strongly, but I think saying he is easily the best flanker in the Nh is stretching things a bit far Pooly.

It's obviously my view as I posted it....SOB carried Leinsters pack at times last season and hardly had a off game all season. Possibly the form flanker in the NH may have been a better statement. He's street ahead of Warburton and offers more than Barclay and Croft, I'd take him for England over anybody else.

You obviously find me thinking SOB is the best flanker in the NH as absurd as you thinking Cooper is the best fly half in the world(I'd also have numerous players over him)

guys looking for a no9 for WC, and some back three players - anyone got anyone decent available?

SOB was the form flanker of the NH, but he still has aspects to improve on. wouldnt say he's streets ahead of warbs. different players, warbs is great on the deck and a good link player.

i dont think steve rates cooper above carter, surely not?!

leinster upper their game massively whereas saints dropped massively. a combo of the two decided on the result IMO. saints missed wood and i think there back row still lacks a big carrier.

Their back row definitely lacks a big carrier and despite being a potentially very good player Lawes isn't the best of carriers either which puts a lot of work on the front row and we know how that ended up last season.

every team needs a chris hala'ufia!

Hala'ufia would be alright if he wasn't so reckless and didn't spend so much of the season sitting on the sidelines!

knew that was coming from someone!
when he's on form the mans a beast. so hard to stop.

"i dont think steve rates cooper above carter, surely not?!"

He does......

Its hard to say whether I rate Cooper more than Carter. I enjoy watching Cooper far more than Carter and I think Carter is talked up to a level far past where his ability actually ends. This S15 season there is no doubt in my mind that Cooper has been streets ahead of Dan Carter.

I think along with Steyn they are far and away the 3 best fly halfs in the world.

reckon Warburton has a better all round game than SOB. I see Warburton as the better defender, Breakdown player and has a better work rate. SOB is a far better carrier but I don't think his all round game is at Warburton's level.

SOB had the 2nd highest amount of tackles throughout the HC behind worsley. Carter is streets and streets ahead of Cooper, I can't even judge them on a similar level. I'd have numerous above him because his doesn't do the basics, great to watch though, as was Spencer.

Morne Steyn has been pretty poor this year to be honest.

Well we'll have to agree to disagree. I need to see Dan Carter play behind a weak pack to truly believe all the hype. He tends to have an armchair ride at club and country level apart from the odd game. Wilkinson of 03 looked like a world beater to everyone, then England's pack wasn't quite as impressive and nowadays he doesn't look as good.

I also find Carter tens to really rip apart tiring teams. Scores a lot of his wonder tries later on in games.

We'll find a lot out about Quade Cooper in this world cup. I expect him to shine.

Anyone able to watch NZ v Fiji tomorrow? I'm looking forward to it.

Yea me too Steve, really looking forward to seeing the fringe NZ players and Nalaga!!

I haven't seen the Fiji side yet. Hoping Sale's new signing Lavea is playing

He isn't playing. Maybe he's Samoan or Tongan

Lol....Fiji side is announced somewhere, Qera and Nalaga starting from our league.

Just found it. Not looking to strong. Manu and Campese Maafu should give a bit of a run out for the NZ props

Yea Ben Franks isn't the strongest TH, better at LH so should be a contest. Crockett had been awsome though

Crockett has been unreal. Reckon he'll start come the WC. Still not heard whether Tony Woodcock will be fit enough to play

Crockett used to be an awful scrummager, Castro made him cry last year. He's really worked on his game, Crusaders smashed every S15 scrum

Guys anybody seen InTheFastLane?
Just waiting on a Bath side to open predictions...

He has been around I thought.

NZ Fiji is just a game going through the motions. NZ not doing enough to impress but Fiji not doing enough to test them

Not been a great game, but the AB's have been comfortable throughout.

How's Slade getting on?

Slade had a good game, but it was an easy game for them they dominated upfront so was an arm chair ride for all the backs.

Looking for an emergency lock as cover for the w.c please guys

You hear anything back on the job interview driver mate?

They said they would ring me back yesterday afternoon and they didn't so I'm going to assume iv missed out

Sorry to hear mate

Chaps where do you see Ashley johnsons best position. Last week I played him 8 everyone said he was a 7 played him 7 this week and everyone says he is an 8.

For someone who allegedly can't play 7 he made super 15 team
Of the year at 7

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,15992_7031031,00.html

7 all day long for me. not an 8.

Planet rugby have shown a serious lack of knowledge in where they selected him Mat. Yes he wore 7 on a number of occasions for the Cheetahs this season, meaning he played blindside so everywhere else in the world would have been playing with 6 on his back, yet they have selected him at openside, which he never is.

Blindside or number 8 all day long mate.

As Pete, def not a 7 in the traditional sense. 6/8 I think he's at his best behind a dominant pack prob at 8.

Planet rugby are often wrong but with cheetahs he played left and right quite a bit.

Lots of teams playing without traditional 7s. Want to make sure I get it right when I do.

I think planet rugby have just slotted in the what in there opinion were the three best backrow. Personally would not have had AJ in it and would have had burger instead. Thanks all

Totally agree Matt, was an odd choice. Burger was fantastic all season. I like a traditional 7, think it gives a good balance to the backrow and a different threat. Depends how good the other backrowers are on the deck though I guess.