The last in a series of game overviews to give you the ins and outs of the available games in place for this season’s Super Rugby. If any new games pop up, please let us know at fantasyrugbygeek@gmail.com or @frugbygeek on Twitter. Next under the microscope is a well known and popular game that has become a staple of a lot of Super Rugby fantasy fans, Fox Sports’ Super Rugby Fantasy Game, check it out here.
THE PREMISE
A salary cap style game allowing the player to build the best possible squad of players within the constraints of a budget.
You have a budget of $6m to build a squad of a minimum of 23 players, with 15 scoring starters and a bench of 8 non-scoring players (although they will replace any of your starting XV who don’t play. Given the amount of bye weeks that occur other the course of the Super Rugby season, it crucial that you use your limited transfers (3-4 a week based on the amount of teams on a bye) and bench wisely. It is worth noting that the players’ value increases and decreases over the course of the season, so as the season goes on you can build your team’s value.
There is no limit on the amount of kickers that you have in your side, however, the game makers realise the importance of a solid goal kicker, so expect to pay a significant chunk of your budget to bring these players in (D-Mak ain’t going to be cheap!).
As common in some salary cap games, you get to choose a captain that scores you double points, so choose him wisely. You also get to select your vice-captain in case for some reason, your captain isn’t playing.
Given the spread out nature of the Super Rugby gameweeks, the rolling lockout is a valuable feature of the game. It is in place for Trades and Substitutions and means that you can Trade and Substitute players, and change Interchange and Reserves selections right through each round, up until the time of the start of their Team’s actual match. Players are locked into your Team only at the time that their actual Super Rugby match has started.
THE KEY POINTS
- Squad Size: 23
- Team size: 15 – 8 on your bench
- Double scoring captain?: Yes
- Designated Kicker?: No
- Transfers: Maximum of three Trades per week. During the weeks where 4 or more teams have a bye, users will be allocated four trades during that round
- Max players from one club: No limit
THE EDGE
Use your budget well
It seems the most crucial observation is that you must use your budget wisely, it is critical that you have a starting XV of players who should always be involved, so you will get hurt if you use all your budget on a handful of stars and the remainder of your squad being bench fodder. Balance is key.
Out of position players are worth their weight in gold
Players who are categorised in certain positions, but mostly play in others can be great value. Outside backs who generally have a high probability of scoring tries, beating players, breaking the line and carrying for metres are traditionally the highest scorers, so if you can find an Outside Back categorised as a Centre, then load up! Last year the Fox Sports game had Reiko Ioane categorised as a Centre, which guaranteed points from the midfield. Likewise this works well if you can find a Loose Forward categorised as a lock.
Players who like to run with the ball have the potential to score big
You will be well rewarded with players who run the ball in from deep and can take on and beat players, so load your team up with fullbacks and wings who like to run with the ball. The likes of Damien McKenzie and Izzy Folau are obvious choices here, but the likes of Dillyn Leyds, Courtnall Skosan, George Bridge and David Havili also scored highly in this area last season.
Other attributes that score well include players with the ability to regularly offload and dominant front rows in the scrum
Try-scoring Front Rowers are gold
With 15 points available to any front rower who dots down, a try-scoring front rower is crucial. Look to the likes of Dane Coles, Augustin Creevy and Malcolm Marx.
Keep a close eye on the fixture calendar and plan ahead
Keep an eye on the fixture list when making your transfers to ensure that you get the best bang for your buck. If a certain team has a good run of games coming up bring them in. Conversely a side could have an attractive fixture that week but follows up with some tough games against the top dogs, it could be worth reconsidering!
In addition to this, you should also consider how much travelling each team has when looking at some of their players, the Bulls for example face a tough stretch in 2018 when travel to NZ to face the Chiefs and Crusaders, then an away fixture against in Argentina against the Jaguares, followed by a trip to Singapore to play the Sunwolves.
Finally, in every week of the regular season at least one team will be on a bye, so ensure a good even spread of representatives from each team so that you don’t get stung if several teams are on a bye. Below is a full list of 2018 byes.
Bye weeks…
Round 1 – All NZ sides, All AUS Sides, Sunwolves and Bulls
Round 2 – Sharks
Round 3 – Highlanders
Round 4 – Chiefs
Round 5 – Hurricanes
Round 6 – Brumbies, Waratahs, Blues
Round 7 – Sunwolves, Jaguares, Reds
Round 8 – Blues, Rebels, Highlanders
Round 9 – Stormers, Lions, Crusaders
Round 10 – Hurricanes
Round 11 – Sharks, Waratahs, Chiefs
Round 12 – Sunwolves, Brumbies, Reds
Round 13 – Jaguares
Round 14 – Rebels
Round 15 – Blues
Round 16 – All SA Sides and Jaguares
Round 17 – Crusaders
Round 18 – Lions
Round 19 – Stormers
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