Rugby SuperCoach 2015: Five key points to prepare your fantasy Super Rugby team for victory
TRIAL MATCHES
This weekend’s final round of trial fixtures presents one last opportunity to read into the minds of the coaches as they finalise their preparations for the season ahead.
With various players at different stages of their pre-season preparations, be sure to keep an eye on our Fox Sports Rugby homepage. over the weekend to know who is in, who is out, who played well and who struggled for their sides.
Some major selection talking points heading into this weekend trials are:
— Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder has named All Blacks great Dan Carter at flyhalf and utility Colin Slade at fullback for Friday night’s trial against the Reds. However, Slade is listed as a flyhalf in SuperCoach, meaning coaches will be unable to use both players in 2015 regardless of the Crusaders’ success. Both are available for $350,100, comparatively cheap for top class back line buys. Pay close attention to this weekend’s fixture.
— James O’Connor is the man experts believe will wear the number 10 jersey for the Reds in round one, but due to sickness the man himself is yet to play a minute in pre-season for his new side. With Quade Cooper injured and Duncan Paia’aua unconvincing against the Rebels, Karmichael Hunt has been given his chance to stake a claim for the role. While the smart money is on O’Connor to assume the role, will he be undercooked in round one?
— Some savvy recruitment has breathed new life into the Melbourne Rebels, who have recorded back to back trial wins. The Rebels completed their pre-season on Thursday night with a come-from-behind victory over the Highlanders. Rookie Sefania Naivalu looked to have acclimatised well to his new surroundings at the Rebels, while fellow recruit Mike Harris was ultra-impressive at flyhalf. Harris appears to be the Rebels’ preferred goal kicker and is available as a centre in SuperCoach for $289,600, but that price could soar if he cements a starting spot.
STUDY THE INJURY/ABSENTEE LIST
We’ve all done it — splashed out on some high profile stars, filled in our side with rookies and assumed the rest would take care of itself.
And then along comes round one, and the only time your big buy gets on camera is sitting in his suit next to the coaching staff.
He’s done his ACL or broken a collarbone or snapped an Achilles, and he’s got another ten rounds on the sidelines.
And then there are those on sabbatical or who have taken leave for other reasons. All cause SuperCoach chaos in the early rounds.
Don’t fall in to that trap. Know who is in the casualty ward. Here are some of the big names who won’t be on the field in round one:
— Quade Cooper (Reds, flyhalf, $429,100, return round 7-10)
— Nick Cummins (Force, winger, $270,300, return round 3)
— Eben Etzebeth (Stormers, lock, $310,100, return round 3)
— Matt Hodgson (Force, back row, $480,100, return round 9)
— Greg Holmes (Reds, prop, $130,000, return round 7)
— Frans Malherbe (Stormers, prop, $238,900, return unconfirmed)
— Nemani Nadolo (Crusaders, winger, $440,100, return round)
— Ma’a Nonu (Hurricanes, centre, $363,500, return round 2)
— Adriaan Strauss (Bulls, hooker, $410,200, in doubt round 1)
STUDY THE DRAW
One of the most overlooked factors in SuperCoach selection is the draw. There are three key components to analysing the Super Rugby fixture list: Home and away games, the opposition and the long hauls to and from South Africa.
— Home and away games: Many Super Rugby teams struggle to win away from home, but are able to turn their own patch into somewhat of a fortress. For instance, the Bulls begin with three straight home games, followed by a winnable away fixture at the Cheetahs and then have a bye in round five. In contrast, the Hurricanes begin their campaign in South Africa against the Lions and Bulls, before taking on the force in Perth. Their first home game is in round five.
— The opposition: Savvy Supercoach players can take full advantage of mismatches in the draw but studying who is playing who. While form lines will become clearer after a few rounds, some early fixtures that can potentially be capitalised on include the Sharks v Cheetahs (round 1), Sharks v Lions (round 2), Stormers v Sharks (round 4) — notice a theme?
-The South Africa trip: Travelling to and from South Africa presents many challenges for even the most polished Super Rugby outfits. Two Kiwi teams make early trips to South Africa — the Hurricanes (rounds 1-3) and Blues (rounds 2 & 3). The Hurricanes are rewarded with a bye for their troubles in round 4, but the Blues will be expected to face up against the Lions at home that weekend. The draw is particularly cruel to the Lions, who face tough home fixtures in rounds 1-3 before facing the Blues in round 4.
KNOW YOUR BUDGET
Six million dollars is a lot of money — but where will you spend it on your SuperCoach outfit?
When allocating your budget, target key positions that are likely to earn you the most points and increase the value of your players. Some tips:
— Props and halfbacks earn the least points across the board and this is reflected in the pricing of these players. Look for value in these positions — maybe a team has two injured props and a cheapie is guaranteed a starting spot? Or maybe a player is returning to the competition and appears comparatively underpriced? Jimmy Cowan at halfback is a good example.
— Go large across your back line. A number of standout players can be selected to wear numbers 10-15, but the best formula is to pick a few gun marquees and mix them with a rookie or two. Back your gun players, such as Israel Folau and Julian Savea, to play every week and rack up the points and fill your bench with basement price cheapies.
— Select three gun back rowers. A good formula to follow is your three back rowers combined should nearly outscore, if not completely outscore your tight five.
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENTS
The last most obvious requirement is to monitor the team announcements for round one as they roll out next Thursday. After you’ve pulled together the nucleus of your team by considering the above factors, Thursday’s team announcements provide you with the final pieces to your puzzle. There will be some surprise selections, but with a thorough analysis of every team sheet, nothing should surprise a seasoned Super Coach.
