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Bathite has Smith and I have JD2

Kuridrani has impressed me for Oz.. Engelbrecht? Tough one

Bosch?

I was thinking kuri or Bosch. Will sleep on it I think and see what I decide. Can AAC play 13 too?!

13 is AAC's best position IMO, though others may disagree

AAC definitely plays 13, did against the Lions

AAC world class at 13, I'm not convinced by kudrani at all. AAC only playing FB because Beale, JOC, Barnes, Mitchell not available for oz

Bosch also an awesome option. Fourie not a bad punt either. But I'd rate Saili highly at 13, think he's got a big AB future ahead of him

Yours sincerely, batgirl

Genia
Cooper
JOC
Barnes
AAC
Ioane
Beale

Still my favourite backline of the 00s. Outrageous when those boys were on form for those two years about 18m ago

Whatever happened to Speight as an option for Australia? And if they don't cap him, why don't Fiji?

Still think there's red tape there. He was supposed to be able to be capped through the lions series bit they didn't want to chuck him in then. That or they can't until next year I've also seen.

They are all still young enough to get back, which is scary, and Speight and Godwin both look like they'd slot in nicely too, just need a 9 to back up Genia

Anyone watch Rugby Tonight. Jacques Burger just tweeted that if he was picking a world back row on form it would be 6. Alberts 7. Warburton 8. Read.

#likingthat #twooutofthreeaintbad

 

Even pros like Burger can be miles out, and as it happens he is miles out practically gigametres out

I think he may know a bit about back row play  

No way warburton ahead of Louw in last 12 months, not a chance

He got Read right, Alberts certainly up there, probably edges it. Warbs, not in my top 3, maybe not top 5

Ducalcon and Mujati available if anyone wants a quality NH or SH tighthead. Could leave for £15m on the cheap

What are the rules on tactics? Can't see them on the rule page

BS/OS - Antoine Battut
BS/OS - Bernard Le Roux

Both available for 10 - 15m each

One paragraph and 5 bullet points points maximum was what Fluxy said for tactics.

Are mine ok? I can cut a line if need be

World 15 going on form?

1.Healy
2.Du Plessie
3.Franks
4.Etzbeth
5.Retallic
6.O'Brian
7.Hooper (Thought he had a better AIs than McCaw)
8.Read

9.Smith
10.Cruden
11.North
12.Nonu
13.Davies
14.Sevea
15.Le Roux

Actually Ben Smith at 13.

Ben Smith is a winger or full back for me. can do a job at 13, but certainly not best in the world there.

Think we did this last week?

How recent form? I think Hooper has done some good things for Audtralia in terms of flair but has actually achieved relatively little, not sure he'd be my 7, nor Smith my 13.

Probs say

Folau
Savea
Fourie
Nonu/JDV (hard call)
Smith (if his stint on the wing is too long ago, Le Roux)
Cruden
FDP
Read
Luow
Alberts
Etzebeth
Whitelock
Mas
BDP
Healy

Bench- Ayerza, Hartley?!, Franks, Retallic, SOB, Parra/Smith, Cooper, Le Roux/Halfpenny

He changes the whole dynamics of the Australian pack , He's ability to carry the ball keeps the Aussies in most games.

I respectfully disagree, I think they'd win a lot more games with Gill at 7

Going solely over the AI's, so most recent form, I would say

15. Folau
14. Cummins
13. Fourie
12. De Villiers
11. Savea
10. Steyn
9. du Preez

1. Healy
2. du Plessis
3. **Struggling to think of a standout performer**
4. Retallick
5. Lawes
6. Alberts
7. Louw
8. Read

ChequeredJersey wrote:I respectfully disagree, I think they'd win a lot more games with Gill at 7

I don't think Gill does as much as Hooper. Gill for me is a 1 trick pony. Granted he's very good at that trick but he might not even be Red's 7 come the end of Super Rugby 14. Curtis Browning will push him all the way.

I think we will see once again on Saturday that Aus really suffer at the breakdown. This is not just Hooper's fault but I think Hooper is a luxury and Aus are not good enough right now to afford him. He works very hard, but his carrying is all in the loose, he makes little impact at the rucks he hits and appears easy to move off the ball, and he tries to make many tackles and misses a few through this. He is the icing on the cake as a backrower, but given a choice between icing or flour, you need flour first

Breakdown is collective effort, not just the preserve of the 7. Aus are struggling there because players like Slipper and Simmons have very little impact in terms of clearing out. If you look at NZ and SA, McCaw and Louw are able to get hard over the ball because players like Retallick, Franks, Bismarck and Etzebeth to name just a few, are there smashing opponents out of the way. Aus do not have th eplayers to do this consistently at present, and as a result, in terms of the breakdown it matters little who they have wearing 7, Hooper or Gill.

Think Pete's hit the nail on the head there.

Hooper should do enough in my Toulouse pack

I completely agree that the breakdown is a combined effort, my main point is that Hooper appears to be trying to do a lot on the field, which is great, but actually achieving little. I noticed this after one of Scott Allen's stats sessions pointed out that despite getting MotM awards in the RC, Hooper hasn't actually had much positive impact on detailing viewing. And I kind of agree

It's kind of how I feel about Croft, too to be fair. Read does just as much in the loose, but pretty much every contribution I see him make in every area has a positive impact

I think you can get away without playing with a turnover specialist. Ireland , France and England all seem to do it. I think stats are a terrible thing in some ways as you can sway an argument either way with them. I'd say mentally he has huge role to play for Aus. His break against Argintina over 70 metres would have motivated any front 5 forward seeing your 7 do that.

Agree about Croft CJ.  
 
At the top level it is about small margins, and stats alone are misleading.  During the Lions, I think it was the 2nd test where Parling made more tackles than any other player in the side and was lauded for it.  I rewatched the game, pausing it and slowing it on his tackles (yes I know I am sad).  I did a detailed statistical analysis, which showed that in almost all tackles that he made the ball carrier got across the the gainline, and he got knocked back but held on and brought them down.  We had 0 turnovers on tackles that he made and on most occasions Aus got quick ball as the carrier had all the momentum.  
 
Loads of tackles, but zero effectiveness in terms of having a positive impact on the game.

Yeah, and what Allen looked at was the specific impact of his contribution- I.e whether every ruck he hit was successful, whether he made gainline success in carries and tackles. That was where he was found lacking. I'll look for the article.

Really interested to see in the predictions this week how people are rating others squads/teams. Looking through the squads I have in my own head who looks strongest/weakest.

Ah but the strongest squad can change very quickly with form in real life and injuries on the game

How much are we counting home and away? Because in real life ASM's home record is something like unbeaten in 67 matches now!

ChequeredJersey wrote:Ah but the strongest squad can change very quickly with form in real life and injuries on the game

Absolutely, that's why am intrigued to see how people predict this weekend. On the other game, there are managers who have been in for the whole 6 seasons, so I know what they look for and can almost predict their predictions after all that time. Interested to see how people see things on here.

Home advantage will play a part for me in my predos, how much will depend on who is playing and where.

Very interested to see which way predos go. Just to clarify, i've said it before, but I rate home advantage highly and this is exagerrated further if conditions are poor and/or a pack has a noticeable advantage

I take the balance of a team and how it relates to there tactics quite highly when predicting. Home advantage is key along with real world form.

I apologise to Hooper, he's having a good impact so far

Just read your comments on Hooper CJ, totally agree.

He's a fancy player, great pace etc but is massively underpowered for a loose forward. I think he just runs around like a headless chicken. People tend to like him because he's got blistering pace in space but makes little ground in tight exchanges.

He's a wannabe 13, I'd play Gill over him personally

Phillips is a massive bell end

Agreed bambam!'

Just got free tickets to Falcons!


against Calvinaso.....

Could someone please do the results once they are all in, I don't know how to do them...