Fantasy World Cup Rugby

[screenexile]

Ah lads relax it's a marathon not a sprint. I'm happy enough with my lads work although there will be a few changes for the next round of games!

[ONeill]

AFTER FIRST ROUND OF GAMES:

Hoof Hearted   134
All Cacks   127
The Intimidators    111
Screen's Exiles 109
Cill Dara RFC   104
The Hard Stations   98
MAIGHEO 95
Doylers Destroyers   94
The Scrummies   86
O'Neill 78
Fermanagh Harlequinns   74
The Up & Unders   60
Shortso On Tour   55
blood n guts   43

A great start for the Hoofs. He was the only man with double figures for tries scored, notching a dozen in the process. Habana (4) Collins, McCaw and Sivivatu (all 2) did the damage with Carter adding 19 in kicks. Most importantly, all his players played. Not full of wind in week 1. Close on his heels are the wonderfully titled All Cacks. Habana again, McCaw and Latham top scored with Carter adding the finishing touches. All players played. He top scored with 10 assists, six players in total contributing to this column. Cack they certainly aren't and his all-round team are perhaps the one to watch. The Intimidators are 23 off the lead, and will regret playing Rokocoko who failed to play. What might have been. Just behind is Screen, again one player short with Nyanga of France letting him down. Rather thoughtless of the French man and certainly will not be a welcome visitor to Draperstown this autumn. Dinny Breen is 30 off the lead with the non-appearance of Pienaar hurting his tally. Perhaps if he spent less time attending his horses and copter pad, Dinny would be challenging at this early stage. Hard Station was just a couple short of a ton, having 2 duds. His inclusion of Elsom was a masterstroke for a man short on confidence. Maigh Eo had a full panel of players on duty but missed out on top try scorers, but his tally of assists was second highest. More of a giver this man. Doyle also had a full turn-out and will not lose hope of catching Hoof although Hickie may take an enforced sickie next time out. The Scrummies had all 15 playing but were let down by an absence of quality try scorers. His saving grace was the immaculate kicking and two tries of SA's Montgomery (32). Inspired. I had two non-starters and made an error of judgement by going with O'Gara who only tallied 8 points. I longingly thought of Eric Elwood. Fermanagh lost out on Rokocoko with Williams of Wales his top try scorer. The Up and Unders were also let down by the now-annoying Rokocoko and only managed one try in his line up. Less of the Garryowens next time I suspect. Shortso were 2 short and could only get one 5-pointer through Argentina. Late-comer blood n guts did remarkably well considering he had nine non-starters. Still managed 3 tries. Dangerous man.

TRANSFER REMINDERS:

Round 1: Between 20:00 BST on Friday 7th September and Tuesday 18th September (inclusive)
MAX 10 TRANSFERS IN THIS PERIOD
Kicker changes can only be made between 00:00 BST on Monday and the first scheduled kick-off time each week (usually Tuesday evening). That last one is probably just for me!!!

[Homer]

Close on his heels are the wonderfully titled All Cacks. Habana again, McCaw and Latham top scored with Carter adding the finishing touches. All players played. He top scored with 10 assists, six players in total contributing to this column. Cack they certainly aren't and his all-round team are perhaps the one to watch.

Cheers for the kind words ONeill and for the report as a whole.

Very happy so far with the lads, although being patriotic in my selection was my downfall over the weekend with D'Arcy and O'Connell only clocking up 5 between them, of course O'Driscoll did bag me 10. Probably give D'Arcy another go but O'Connell may fall victim of the axe. Treason I tells ya  .

[ONeill]

Probably shouldn't be advising this given my poor first round, but I'm not sure if Carter will play this weekend. I was reading where NZ management talked of not humiliating Portugal and may play second string. May that is.

[ONeill]

Was just thinking you weren't doing yourself any favours by sticking to your guns a la Dinny Cahill.

Same change as me...but your boy Burger ain't playing.

[ONeill]

Serious:

England: Robinson; Sackey, Noon, Farrell, Lewsey; Catt, Perry; Sheridan, Regan, Stevens, Shaw, Kay, Corry (capt), Rees, Easter.
Replacements: Chuter, Freshwater, Borthwick, Moody, Gomarsall, Richards, Tait.

South Africa: Montgomery; Pietersen, Fourie, Steyn, Habana; James, Du Preez; Du Randt, Smit (capt), Br Botha, Ba Botha, Matfield, Van Heerden, Smith, Rossouw.
Replacements: Du Plessis, Van der Linde, Muller, Skinstad, Pienaar, Pretorius, Olivier.

Does that make him a chicken Burger?

[Homer]

Knew Burger was suspended and still forgot to switch him  . I might have gone for Pieterson too.

Having an awful game too with Botcha and Habana coming off.

Hoof is really stretching the lead with Montgomery.

(EDIT) not that I'm not thoroughly enjoying the whole affair  .

[Homer]

Heads up lads

Please note that kicker changes for the coming week must be made by 20:00 BST on Tuesday, although the quota of 10 transfers for Game Round 2 will not become available until 00:00 BST on Wednesday.

[ONeill]

Will do a week 2 summary when I get the chance.

[Hoof Hearted]

Heads up lads

Please note that kicker changes for the coming week must be made by 20:00 BST on Tuesday, although the quota of 10 transfers for Game Round 2 will not become available until 00:00 BST on Wednesday.

I wish i had of listened to this info last week when O'Neill posted it. I left my transfers until thursday and was left with Dan Carter as my kicker and he was stuck in the stands ! the same could happen this week as NZ havent selected yet and im relying on him to play.Thats why your leading Homer !

[ONeill]

The big 2 continue to set the pace and although we're only half way through the tournament, it'd be a relatively short priced winner now in Hoof Hearted or the All Cacks.

All Cacks - 221 - edged ahead recently even though his Contepomi gamble didn't pay the dividends he'd hoped. Latham, Heymans, Giteau and Collins kept his tally ticking over. Cacks has kept faith with Contepomi when they take on Namibia. Hot on his heels is Hoof Hearted - 116 - the top try scorer in the league. This is despite his amnesia moment when he failed to replace the displaced Carter. Those kicking points probably cost him the lead. Carter should regain his position v Scotland though. Hoof managed to keep in touch though through tries from Collins, Chabal, Rokocoko and Mortlock. Hanging on to their coat-tails is The Scrummies on 199. He has recently made a bold move with the introduction of kicker Jones of Wales. Bold man on the verge of naughty. Maigheo makes up the big 4 on 193. Rokocoko scored highly for the Westerner and he has also gambled on Carter for the game against Scotland.

Those top 4 seem to have created their own mini-league with the second tier up leadership for grabs. Only 9 points separates Screen Exile (169),  Doyler (168), The Intimidators (165), Fermanagh (160) and Hard Station (160). Screen has gone with Kiwi Williams as kicker - a massive gamble. Doyler has the reliable Carter on the teamsheet and will be hoping to replace Hickie for Friday's game. Impressively, The Intimidators has yet to make a change to his original team, with high scores from Habana, Giteau and Rokocoko keeping him in a respectable position. Is he still alive though? Fermanagh is hanging in there with some unique scoring successes in Jack and du Preez. Hard Station is a bit of a chopper and changer but with plenty of joy in his top scorer Elsom and a clever pick in try-scorer Elissalde of France. He'll have 5 togging out in Friday night's match as it stands.

The also-rans are spear-headed by my good self on 146. Tragically I kept faith with O'Gara for the second week and he done me up a kipper again. My hands were tied this week and have him again v France. On 134 comes the Up and Unders with no substitutions used as of yet. Same with Dinny on 132. We can only think the cute Lily hoor has something up his sleeve. Shortso (103) and Blood n guts (77) seem to be playing for pride at this stage with Kelleher crippling the latter.   

Most will be hoping to keep around 8-10 transfers handy for the knock-out phase.

[ziggysego]

Where the frick you going?

[ziggysego]

Who are hoopsaaa and I going to torture now? 

[ziggysego]

Oh but you are.

Here, becareful when flying. If you're anything like me, you'll be sitting next to a huge eating machine.

[ziggysego]

Aye, tell her Ziggy says hi!

Here, if you're flying easyJet, ask for Mike Finton. If he's working, the drinks are free