Season 6 Homepage

by **Ozzy3213** Fri 7 Jun 2013 - 21:02

First topic message reminder :

Breaking News: Leicester Tigers win Aviva Premiership final after a penalty shoot out against Harlequins

Season 6 Homepage - Page 20 Aviva-Premiership-Trophy-e1306508139154

2012/2013 – Leicester Tigers
2011/2012 – Newcastle Falcons
2010/2011 - Newcastle Falcons
2009/2010 – Saracens
2008/2009 - London Irish

POS	Aviva Premiership	PLAYED	WON	DREW	LOST	P F	P A	P D	T F	T A	TBP	LBP	POINTS
1	Bath Rugby	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2	Exeter Chiefs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Gloucester	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Harlequins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
5	Leicester Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
6	London Irish	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
7	London Welsh	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
8	Newcastle Falcons	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
9	Northampton Saints	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
10	Sale Sharks	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
11	Saracens	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
12	Worcester Warriors	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Links

Fixture List
Released/Championship/National League/Academy Bidding
Foreign Transfers
European Homepage
Game History Page

Welcome to Season 6 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 (Ozzy3213) 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 (me) 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 1991.

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 Domestic Transfer 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.

Structured Window

No cash will be used and each team will get effectively free transfers by way of a draft, which will run 12th, 11th, 10th …… 1st, 12th, 11th,10th… 1st place side. This will run from 10th June 2013 until all teams have had their two picks.

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.

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 Domestic Transfer 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 Heineken Cup, Amlin 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. Both teams must provide tactics by midnight on Thursday. Predictions will be open from 00:01 hours on Friday and remain open until 20:00 hours on Saturday. 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. If you are not providing a descriptive prediction you will be restricted to predicting a 1 point win either way.

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:-

At least 10 England qualified players in your match day 23, and at least 4 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 forfeiting the match and 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 for a first offence, two for a second offence and so on.

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.

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 (ozzy3213) will step in and players from within your squad will be released for the relevant financial compensation in order to bring your budget back above minus £10 million.

by Fluxy Sat 29 Jun 2013 - 16:29

Parling did his best, I just don't think him partnering AWJ was helping him in his play, he would need Evans or Gray next to him

by **Ozzy3213** Sat 29 Jun 2013 - 16:33

Parling is selected primarily to run the lineout, and our lineout was poor. There is a conversation going on about his tackle count on the rugby board, and tomorrow I shall rewatch the game and do what I did in the 6 Nations and count how many of his tackles are made behind the gainline after he has been knocked back in the contact meaning the opposition end up with quick ball.

Good club player, but not physical enough at the very top level.

by Fluxy Sat 29 Jun 2013 - 16:38

Thanks for putting down one of my better players btw

by **Ozzy3213** Sat 29 Jun 2013 - 16:39

Mate, my opinion of Parling hasn't really changed over the past couple of years. Solid player for Tigers, and decent for England without standing out. We need better if we are going to challenge at RWC 2015.

Also I didn't realise he was yours, I thought that he was at Falcons in this game, not that it has any bearing on how I view him.

by Sgt_Pooly Sat 29 Jun 2013 - 17:00

Ozzy3213 wrote:nick, no drama with him being considered poor, but in comparison to all others in a Lions jersey, was he the worst player on the field? I would seriously dispute that.

I don't think he was the worst player Pete but I thought he was poor, along with a few others. I like an 8 to show up a bit more and look for carrying work. Heaslip hasn't really done that in the tests, just my opinion.

He was very good in the build up games but hasn't stepped up in the tests, it's perhaps the balance of the backrow but I honestly think he's been poor(not picking on Matts players).

Glad Nick agrees, thought I was going mad.

by **Ozzy3213** Sat 29 Jun 2013 - 17:06

Pooly, I agree about wanting to see my 8 with his hands on the ball making yards, but he has to be given the opportunity to do that. We kicked so much ball away today I would be surprised if anyone made more than 20 yards in a red jersey in the whole game. I don't think you can fault him for not carrying if he's not given the opportunity to.

You say you don't think he was the worst player, but you gave him the joint lowest mark.

by stnick88 Sat 29 Jun 2013 - 17:08

It was just an all round poor performance. Id expect faletau, tuilagi and maybe grey to be involved next week

by Sgt_Pooly Sat 29 Jun 2013 - 17:13

"You say you don't think he was the worst player, but you gave him the joint lowest mark."

He was one of the worst players, there were plenty around the 5/6 mark I thought. He had ample opportunity to impress I thought, he looked poor off the base.

Just an opinion, I'd look to get Faletau in who much more busier and more of a go to type player. I think we lacked that today.

by stnick88 Sat 29 Jun 2013 - 17:15

Agree. We need a bit more explosive power

by Sgt_Pooly Sat 29 Jun 2013 - 17:18

Finally got a bit of middle ground lol, Gray would be a good shout too.

by Sgt_Pooly Sat 29 Jun 2013 - 17:20

We have to win next week, this is the worst Aus side Ive seen in a long time.

by Steven_Sharks Sat 29 Jun 2013 - 17:42

Only players I thought were anything like there best were Adam Jones and Dan Lydiate and that isn't saying that I thought Lydiate played particularly well I just don't rate him as a great flanker even at his best.

I also think something has to be said for Jonny Sexton's performance. I don't think he is offering enough in terms of creating space for others.

Have to say I'd be much more confident in our pack for next week if it could include Nathan Hines.

by Sgt_Pooly Sat 29 Jun 2013 - 17:51

"Only players I thought were anything like there best were Adam Jones and Dan Lydiate and that isn't saying that I thought Lydiate played particularly well I just don't rate him as a great flanker even at his best."

100% agree there Steve, no idea how Lydiate gets a start tbh.

by LukeLovesLuka Sat 29 Jun 2013 - 19:38

Lions Opta stats -

Top tacklers - Vunipola 15- Parling & O'Driscoll 14- AWJones & Lydiate 11
Top carries- Vunipola 7- Sexton 6- North 5
Not 1 break.

by SirJohnnyEnglish Sat 29 Jun 2013 - 19:59

For me Lydiate would want to be topping the tackle charts to justify his selection since he does nothing else!

by Sgt_Pooly Sat 29 Jun 2013 - 20:15

No he does Luke, he guards the fringe apparently....just him though Rolling Eyes

by prop_lyd Sun 30 Jun 2013 - 0:36

Right....time for my take, and Welsh take on the game.
Jones did the job as did awj. Jd2 and bod don't work, both need a big player by then like jr or tuilagi. North was quiet but got little/no ball like bowe. 1/2p did the job needed.

This game I did notice how sexton didn't do a lot, he needs a big runner to bring him into the game.

Vunipola did ok but grant/corbs need to start to get on top of the scrum. Also youngs carried well but hibbard the better scrummager and good impact. Cole Has been my let down this tour, thought he'd push jones.

Parling did well but with awj we need grunt.

Now onto the debated back row. I put earlier how lydiate helps warburton get onto and turnover good ball. People call him a tackler and that is his job. To play warb and lydiate you need a carrier at 8 and heaslip went awol today, sob or faletau would bring the carrying option.

by Guest Sun 30 Jun 2013 - 7:33

Just for pooly

I thought heaslip had a great game and tidied up dreadful ball on So many occasions. Thought both youngs were poor and mako also/

Tom youngs and Mako is powder puff scrummaging Hibbard sorted the scrum
None of our hookers can throw to the back which is criminal

http://m.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/jun/29/australia-lions-second-test-player-rating

by Guest Sun 30 Jun 2013 - 8:31

For me the player of the series so far has been Ben mowen he has been superb and a great lineout option.

Rewatching the game and my opinion on parling has not wavered. Lacks any physicality at the top level. A good club player and no more. Never thougt he has been great for England and is just a stop gap.

Mako was so out of his depth at scrum time but excellent work rate

by Sgt_Pooly Sun 30 Jun 2013 - 9:10

Nick also though Heaslip was poor Matt.

He was so far from great it's untrue, you surely can't think that?!?!

by Guest Sun 30 Jun 2013 - 9:29

He had an very good game. Steve thought he did also. I watched it in a rugby club yesterday and whilst warburton was for us man of the match the general consensus was that the entire Backrow played well.

Heaslip and lydiate tidied up so much and did fantastic work. We were so underpowered in the front 5 and that lost us the match. Murray made a difference when he came on and him or Phillips should start next week. Backrow kept Genia quiet.
Gray needs to come in and grant of Corbs and Hibbard to start

by Steven_Sharks Sun 30 Jun 2013 - 9:35

Heaslip was certainly very good for me. Only watched the game once but watching it at home so didn't have the distractions of a club around me.

He was certainly closer to playing well than JOC. If Cooper had made as many mistakes and had put in two such poor performances as JOC has then you'd have ripped him to shreds and you know it Wink

by Guest Sun 30 Jun 2013 - 9:43

JOC is possibly the worst ten i have seen for Australia. They surely can't play him there next week. Stick him on the wing

by Guest Sun 30 Jun 2013 - 9:47

In the times it says JD missed 4 out of 8 tackles which is surprising

by Sgt_Pooly Sun 30 Jun 2013 - 9:58

I just don't see it, I thought Heaslip was poor and one of our worst players.

He's had an awful 2 tests

by Steven_Sharks Sun 30 Jun 2013 - 10:08

Only rankings I've seen gave him a 7, the same as Jones and BOD (weirdly)

by Guest Sun 30 Jun 2013 - 10:11

Sgt_Pooly wrote:I just don't see it, I thought Heaslip was poor and one of our worst players.

He's had an awful 2 tests

You have a strange vendetta against him.

Every person I know and every pundit I respect think he has had a good series. You obviously watch a different game

by Guest Sun 30 Jun 2013 - 10:13

Re watched the game this morning without being smashed and our Backrow were really good.

That was Warburton back to world class form. He was everywhere

by Sgt_Pooly Sun 30 Jun 2013 - 10:19

You don't need ratings man, just watch the game.

Happy to disagree, we can't all have the same opinion and you'll always have bias to your player in some way.

by Guest Sun 30 Jun 2013 - 10:20

http://www.planetrugby.co.uk/story/0,25883,16024_8799102,00.htm explains his form this year

by Sgt_Pooly Sun 30 Jun 2013 - 10:21

No Vendetta, I thought Mako & JD were equally as poor. Lydiate, Parling etc only slightly better.

Only opinions, no need to get arsy.

by Guest Sun 30 Jun 2013 - 10:26

Not arsy just pointing out that you have a different view to most of the world.

Anyone see the crusaders game? Apparently carter scored 25 points and nonu red carded.

Unsurprisingly Ben smith and gear scored for the highlanders. The only players to turn up for them this year

by Sgt_Pooly Sun 30 Jun 2013 - 10:34

"You obviously watch a different game"

Is arsy.

Nick thought the same and loads on main board, just because you find a few articles doesn't make you right.

It's an opinions forum, I have one, sorry if that annoys you.

by stnick88 Sun 30 Jun 2013 - 10:46

It is opinions and about what u want from your 8. I didnt see anything much from heaslip yday that i like my 8 to do.

by Guest Sun 30 Jun 2013 - 10:52

It is a about opinions I thought his work at the base of the scrum was fantastic made hard yards and work rate never dropped.

Thought It was a good Backrow unit

Just need some front 5 grunt

by Guest Sun 30 Jun 2013 - 10:55

7s World Cup in Russia has the lowest attendance I have seen at a rugby event

by Sgt_Pooly Sun 30 Jun 2013 - 11:52

We need somebody in the backrow to carry, ideally our 8. Heaslip shys away from this and just goes missing most of the game.

by dammit_chris Sun 30 Jun 2013 - 12:05

anonmattyt wrote:Just for pooly

I thought heaslip had a great game and tidied up dreadful ball on So many occasions. Thought both youngs were poor and mako also/

Tom youngs and Mako is powder puff scrummaging Hibbard sorted the scrum
None of our hookers can throw to the back which is criminal

http://m.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/jun/29/australia-lions-second-test-player-rating

Agree with them having Lydiate as the best player.

6 Dan Lydiate 8/10 Massive tackle count, as always, but he didn't leave it at that. Took the ball in his hands as well, and clearly enjoyed being reunited with his mate on the other flank. To think he only played on Tuesday.

by LukeLovesLuka Sun 30 Jun 2013 - 12:11

I'd maintain we need grunt in the pack. Would still add Evans, SOB and Faletau. Back row played fine last week, with Warbs the stabdout, but we have to rectify the problem of no one to make yards.

by dammit_chris Sun 30 Jun 2013 - 12:15

It is bizarre how ratings for rugby can differ so much, one of the papers gave Bowe an 8, while another gave him a 5. Have seen Sexton get between an 8 and a 6. All depends on what people expect from a position.

You can see our backrow did well to keep the score as low as it was when you read the stats - Aussies made 127 carries to our 60, made 418 metres to our 148 metres. We got absolutely dominated - stats halfway through the report below:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/britishandirishlionsrugby/10150038/Lions-15-Australia-16-match-report.html

Good news is that Corbs and Roberts back in full training. We've got to sort out our front 5 though, just had no platform and nothing that got us over the gainline in midfield.

by LukeLovesLuka Sun 30 Jun 2013 - 12:24

"You can see our backrow did well to keep the score as low as it was when you read the stats - Aussies made 127 carries to our 60, made 418 metres to our 148 metres. We got absolutely dominated"

Think you're reading that in the wrong way. The tackles made stats suggest our back row werent doing it. Mako, BOD, and both locks were all higher than 6,7,8. Out back row didn't carry or tackle....that's what the stats say.

by Sgt_Pooly Sun 30 Jun 2013 - 12:50

"Agree with them having Lydiate as the best player."

Lydiate as our best player??? I find that completely baffling

by stnick88 Sun 30 Jun 2013 - 12:51

Lydiate didnt have a massive tackle count at all. Mako made more as did 2 or 3 others.

by dammit_chris Sun 30 Jun 2013 - 12:58

Our backrow were at every breakdown Luke, they did a great job and not just about number of tackles you make but stopping attacks - if you watch the game again and see the workrate of Warburton at every tackle, the guy is just world class, stops attacks dead and 50/50 whether he then gets a turnover. People also don't make a yard when Lydiate tackles, so no chance of getting front foot ball and he often pushes them back so allows our pack to get over and get the momentum.

If a team is conceding that much possession, territory and we only lose by a point and hardly concede any kickable penalties then backrow has done a great job defensively.

They didn't carry at all because they weren't given a platform to, our front five had a bit of a mare, and Heaslip did well quite a few times at the base of some really poor scrums. Gatland shouldnt have started Youngs and Mako together, they are too inexperienced.

by SirJohnnyEnglish Sun 30 Jun 2013 - 13:01

LukeLovesLuka wrote:Lions Opta stats -

Top tacklers - Vunipola 15- Parling & O'Driscoll 14- AWJones & Lydiate 11
Top carries- Vunipola 7- Sexton 6- North 5
Not 1 break.

Theres the tackle stats thanks to Luke yesterday. Like I said last night Lydiate would want to be topping the tackle charts to justify his selection for me. Not getting into the Heaslip debate too much as that has been running for a few months on here now Wink

He wasn't great but wasn't bad either. Far from the worst player on the field. I'd go 6. SOB 7. Warbs and 8. Heaslip for the last test. Tipuric in at 7 if Warbs doesn't make it

by Sgt_Pooly Sun 30 Jun 2013 - 13:06

"not just about number of tackles you make but stopping attacks"

What's the other way of stopping attacks apart from tackling?

by dammit_chris Sun 30 Jun 2013 - 13:21

Pooly Lydiate was brought in to the game to stop the threat of Genia. He stopped the threat of Genia. We gave a team that with someone of Genia's abilities well over 60% possession and territory you expect him to cause a lot of issues. Lydiate marshalled him very well all game and stopped his threat.

Aussies would then put the ball out of the channels where Lydiate was defending and send runners at other people like Mako and BOD - but not really surprising either as Aussies didnt have any real big carriers and their strength was always to push the ball out a little bit wider.

Lydiate is someone that will never grab the headlines but his contribution yesterday was very good - just finished rewatching the game and would say that Warburton edged him to motm and no coincidence that the Aussies came on stronger when we lost him to injury.

by Steven_Sharks Sun 30 Jun 2013 - 13:30

My thinking on Lydiate is that Tom Wood does what Lydiate does and much more.

Lydiate perhaps a little more physical but I can't fathom why he was picked of Wood.

by dammit_chris Sun 30 Jun 2013 - 13:37

He shouldn't have been Steve, for me Wood is best no6 in Europe and should be England captain. Lydiate is best defensive no6, but offers very little else, apart from some small carrying around the fringes. Wood pretty much the complete player.

by Driver Sun 30 Jun 2013 - 13:44

I'm with Matt in saying Mowen has been the best player over both tests.

Sexton was off yesterday kicked a lot of ball down Beales throat.

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