The Rugby Magazine - Fantasy Rugby

[El Tigre]

Maybe that would have gone better if I'd actually put out a full 15! Instead I appear to have gone with only an openside and no blindside flanker.

This is what happens when you go on holiday. Never again!

[Scrumhead]

It's week one. I made a couple of mistakes with my captain and going for Takulua starting with Robson on the bench, but overall I'm comfortable with my squad. Almost everyone I have played this round (whether or not they were in my 23 or not) so I'll take it week by week.

Here's the table as it stands:

1. Toby Who? - 633pts
2. Bracher FC - 597pts
3. Dr Foster's Gloucesters - 595pts
4. Bitts 15 - 567pts
5. Neanderthals - 566pts
6. Daft Serious RFC - 529pts
7. London Platypodes - 511pts
8. The Pujover Tries - 505pts
9. Royal Oak Wanderers - 502pts
10. Scrum of the Earth - 493pts
11. Olde Hulmetonians 3rd XV - 482pts
12. Moorey's Mauling Marauders - 478pts
13. Guwuffle's Galumphers - 463pts
14. Dirty Eskimos - 455pts
15. Sad Ken the 3 Legged Wonderhorse - 442pts
16. Switches Selection - 429pts
17. The Bolted Horse - 426pts
18. Team Bradford - 414pts
19. Black and Gold - 406pts
20. Cable Street Particulars - 379pts
21. El Tigres - 373pts
22. The Mean 15 - 355pts
23. Roos - 324pts
24. Banahan's Bananamen - 302pts

Team of the round was:

1. Koch
2. Brits
3. Waller
4. Thrush
5. Isiekwe
6. Simmonds
7. Wood
8. Faletau
9. Robson
10. Care
11. Maitland
12. Lozowski
13. Woodburn
14. Yarde
15. Bell

[Stom]

Happy enough with the start, but would have got more without screwing up my sub lock. 12 points isn't exactly going to change much, though...

I'm 18k off being able to afford Koch, though...Should have had 1 less player and kept cash in the bank.

[Digby]

How does that team actually tally with how people thought players went in reality?

Brits, Koch and Thrush were all stand out, Robson too bar the messed up kick. The rest wouldn't have obviously stood out for me.

[Puja]

Huh. I appear to have leapt up the table. I wasn't there last night! Must've been some recalculating when the final Opta scores came in.

Puja

[Scrumhead]

How does that team actually tally with how people thought players went in reality?

Brits, Koch and Thrush were all stand out, Robson too bar the messed up kick. The rest wouldn't have obviously stood out for me.

Aside from those you've mentioned, Simmonds and Wood are no surprise after two tries each.

There are others I am surprised by though. It's interesting that May outscored Yarde by 2 tries to 1 but is still behind him on overall points. It suggests that Yarde did a lot more around the pitch to overhaul the value of that second try.

Some of it is a little bit of creative license on positions. Woodburn didn't play at centre yet makes the team at 13. I suspect there will be quite a lot of that for players that can play in multiple positions.

If you do it more strictly by the position the players actually played and filter by points, you get:

1. Waller
2. Brits
3. Koch
4. Thrush
5. Isiekwe
6. Wood
7. Ludlow
8. Simmonds
9. Robson
10. Ford
11. Maitland
12. Clark
13. Marchant
14. Yarde
15. Bell

That feels a bit more representative to me.

[Puja]

I'm actually surprised that May's not higher - I thought he'd beaten quite a lot of players, but they only have him down at 4. I think that's rather mean from having watched the game myself.

Yarde apparently benefitted from two turnovers won and an interception.

Puja

[Scrumhead]

May was 5th in the list of players who actually played on the wing this round.

Yarde - 42pts
Maitland - 42pts
Wade - 40pts
Woodburn - 39pts
May - 38pts

Using the same principle as I did above (actual positions played) the next best XV is very interesting. I've included the 'total selected by percentages' which is quite revealing on some players ...

1. E. Waller (3%)
2. Cooper (2%)
3. Vickers (4%)
4. Lawes (34%)
5. Green (3%)
6. Armand (21%)
7. O'Connor (6%)
8. Faletau (21%)
9. Care (24%)
10. Lozowski (14%)
11. Woodburn (12%)
12. Barritt (6%)
13. Symons (0%)
14. Wade (46%)
15. Adams (5%)

Over half of that team were selected by 6% of people or less. It makes me feel a little more confident that the unglamorous players I have in my squad will pick up points to complement the obvious stars like Wade.

[Digby]

Aside from those you've mentioned, Simmonds and Wood are no surprise after two tries each.

But did they actually play that well? They did lose to Glaws

[Peej]

But played well in a losing performance, whereas other players (like Roko) didn't do too well despite being on the winning side. I actually quite like that.

The value of the players is funny. Does it fluctuate based on how popular they are, I wonder, or just performance? My squad is worth about £150k more than it was at Friday lunchtime.

[Stom]

But played well in a losing performance, whereas other players (like Roko) didn't do too well despite being on the winning side. I actually quite like that.

The value of the players is funny. Does it fluctuate based on how popular they are, I wonder, or just performance? My squad is worth about £150k more than it was at Friday lunchtime.

Even players who did not play have gone up in price...

[Scrumhead]

Exactly. To Peej's point, the way the game works, players who play well individually in poor team performances will still be rewarded.

Some players' values have jumped by £10k, but most by £1-5k. I assume the intention is to make it more costly for people who have selected poorly initially.

[Scrumhead]

I think I'm going to dump Mitch Eadie. Saints look weak and have Tigers up next. I have 3 potentially cheaper players lined-up to replace him and will make that decision based upon this week's selections. Sorry Mitch ...

[Puja]

But played well in a losing performance, whereas other players (like Roko) didn't do too well despite being on the winning side. I actually quite like that.

The value of the players is funny. Does it fluctuate based on how popular they are, I wonder, or just performance? My squad is worth about £150k more than it was at Friday lunchtime.

Even players who did not play have gone up in price...

I suspect the algorithm's gone a bit doolally. No doubt it'll be tweaked.

Either that, or it's deliberately punishing those who chose to keep cash spare by use of inflation!

Puja

[Digby]

But played well in a losing performance, whereas other players (like Roko) didn't do too well despite being on the winning side. I actually quite like that.

The value of the players is funny. Does it fluctuate based on how popular they are, I wonder, or just performance? My squad is worth about £150k more than it was at Friday lunchtime.

Even players who did not play have gone up in price...

I suspect the algorithm's gone a bit doolally. No doubt it'll be tweaked.

Either that, or it's deliberately punishing those who chose to keep cash spare by use of inflation!

Puja

Ah, the designer is a fan of Aristotle

[Timbo]

So I can only release 1 player, but sign as many as my remaining cap will allow?

[Puja]

So I can only release 1 player, but sign as many as my remaining cap will allow?

That's my understanding.

Puja

[Stom]

What's happened to the squad announcements, btw? They used to be announced by Thursday, now it's the middle of the morning on Friday and they're not out yet!

[Peej]

Isn't it always midday on the Friday they come out?

[Raggs]

Bloody Wasps, not selecting Wade! I'd just spent my remaining funds on other players, not entirely needed, only to find I'm having to used bench players and maybe people not even selected!

Not selected it is .

EDIT - Hamstring injury for Wade.

[Digby]

I'm running out of options in a number of positions

[Puja]

Not displeased with where I stand for week 2. Have got a full XXIII out of starters and only one transfer - Kruis for Itoje.

Have also put out a sensible backline this week - last week my three-quarters were Wade, May, Rokoduguni, Solomona, and Veainu at 15. Rapid, but probably not that practical in a real game.

Puja

[Peej]

Have actually made very few changes this week. One transfer, moving Rapava Ruskin on as it freed up more cash for later down the line. Others mostly just moving the odd player round positionally. Again, lets see if the versatility works in my favour.

[Mellsblue]

Blimey. You boys are taking it seriously. I can't wait until the business end of the season when you all start getting bitchy.

[Gloskarlos]

Kinda glad I didn't get round to entering now. My blood pressure would never stand up to it.