It. Is. Good. To. Be. Back.
It was back in March, over 150 days ago, when we last had a bit of top level rugby up here in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s been truly missed. All in context it’s not a big deal, all the troubles around the world in 2020 have shown what is truly important. I want to take the opportunity to send all the readers of FRG all of my best wishes and hope you are staying healthy and safe. Through such times, it is a clear reminder that sport truly is the ultimate distraction, the opportunity to lose yourself in the drama of sport for 80 minutes is one of life’s great pleasures. While it has been great to get stuck into the brilliant action in Super Rugby Aotearoa and Super Rugby AU after such a long period out, it is hugely exciting to see Rugby making its return up North too (and also a bit of Fantasy Rugby!). And what a few months lie ahead! We have the culmination of the 6 Nations, the knockout stages of the Champions Cup, the new Autumn Internationals tournament and the conclusion of the Pro14 and Premiership, swiftly followed by the start of the new Pro14 and Premiership seasons. An absolute feast of action lies ahead!
So onto the subject of the Premiership; you may have noticed this tweet appear this week…
🔥It’s almost time…
R-A-D-R…. oh you know the rest#weback https://t.co/OrNmJMznOO — Fantasy Rugby Draft 🏉 (@FantasyRugDraft) August 3, 2020
…that’s right, hold onto your hats, Fantasy Rugby Draft is on it’s way back.
But when it does re-open the gates, where to start? What state will your team be in? What do you need to know about the Premiership format post restart? Who has left the Premiership? Who has joined the Premiership? Who’s playing for who? And most, importantly, who shall I pick up from free agency (of course, after whoever has #1 Waiver Priority in your league has picked up Radradra…). This article aims to answer some of those questions.
Firstly some key points. When the Premiership restarts on Friday 14th August, the floodgates open and the matches come thick and fast. With this, will inevitably come rotation and resting, as very few players, if any, will be an ever-present starter during such an onslaught of matches.
Also some key points on FRD…
As of now the game is not yet live, but when it does, we will then know when the waivers are run (a reminder on what Waivers is. A player is on waivers after being dropped by another team OR when they are added into the game as a new player. When on waivers, the waiver order of the interested teams determines which roster he joins. Should the player clear waivers (that is, no manager labels him as worth their spot in the waiver line), he is added to the free-agency pool and, thus, available for the first team that wants his services.). When you know this time slot for the waivers run, make sure that you have made your proposed trades made, so you don’t miss out on some of the gems coming into the game.
Secondly, given the unexpected format of the season, understandably this has caused some issues when it comes to the logic behind the FRD database and software. As a result, FRD are unable to run the game for Monday matches, or the midweek rounds. Okay, so now onto who you should be looking to bring in and who you should be looking to drop…
New Signings coming into the Premiership
- Ratu Naulago (Bristol from Hull FC (Rugby League)) – Try machine in rugby league into a hugely offensive Bristol backline. Should be fun.
- Josh Hodge (Exeter from Newcastle Falcons) – Will pick up plenty of metres and defenders beaten and can also kick
- Matt Scott (Leicester from Edinburgh) – A consistently high scoring Midfielder in the Pro14 and previously in the Prem. An excellent under the radar pickup.
- MatĂas Moroni (Leicester from Jaguares) – Another free scoring centre coming into Leicester’s midfield. A strong attacking threat.
- Kini Murimurivalu (Leicester from La Rochelle) – Great attacking talent that should quickly find his feet at Tigers
- Jonny Gray (Exeter from Glasgow Warriors) – Lineout and Tackle Machine
- Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Exeter from Lyon) – An attacking sniping threat, may well slot into the starting lineup after Nic White’s departure
- Facundo Cordero (Exeter from Ceibos) – A Cordero at Exeter, why not…
- Zack Henry (Liecester from Nevers) – A solid fly half back up to George Ford should get some game time
- Cyle Brink (Leicester from Lions) – Versatile back rower, could be a good LF pickup
- Ross Neal (London Irish from Seattle Seawolves) – Proven fantasy points machine, back in the Prem on a short term dealÂ
- Harry Potter (Leicester from Melbourne Rebels) – Never had much of an opportunity in SR but prolific in Australian club rugby. Could work his magic in the Prem (Sorry…)
A few names you may have forgotten about…
While there are many new names to consider, there are also a number of great players who you may find knocking about in free agency, having been injured or otherwise absent when lockdown began.Â
Joe Marchant (Harlequins) has now returned from his short stay at the Blues, and while he played less than was initially planned due to the lockdown, he impressed greatly and should be fit to hit the groud running on his return. Henry Slade (Exeter) had only played 2 matches this season but is back to fitness and should be challenging for a starting spot as Exeter look to challenge for the title again. Having suffered a horrific knee injury at the end of the 18/19 season, Nathan Earle (Harlequins) was set to miss the entire 19/20 season, and is now back training. He will add further depth to a fascinating Quins backline that also includes Chris Ashton (Harlequins), who signed just before lockdown and should be available as a free agent in many leagues.
Two other players who returned just before lockdown are Lood De Jager (Sale Sharks) and Sean O’Brien (London Irish). Both are outstanding performers in their respective positions and should be worthwhile pickups. Finally down in Bath, two players who have missed huge swathes of the season, but should both be nearing fitness are Joe Cokanasiga (Bath) and Anthony Watson (Bath).
Switching allegiances…
In addition to the new arrivals into the league from outside of the Premiership. There have been a number of internal moves, and while not all of these players will be available as free agents in your league, it is well worth checking in on their status. Here are some of the most fantasy-relevant transfers…Â
- Manu Tuilagi (Sale from Leicester Tigers)
- Jonny May (Gloucester from Leicester Tigers)
- Ben Earl (Bristol from Saracens)
- Kyle Sinckler (Bristol from Harlequins)
- Max Malins (Bristol from Saracens)
- Ben Spencer (Bath from Saracens)
- Tom Homer (London Irish from Bath)
- Jack Singleton (Gloucester from Saracens)
- Nick Isiekwe (Northampton from Saracens)
- Sam Hill (Sale from Exeter Chiefs)
- Ryan Mills (Wasps from Worcester Warriors)
- Billy Searle (Worcester Warriors from Wasps)
- Matt Kvesic (Worcester from Exeter Chiefs)
Finally, who has exited the Premiership?
With so many new faces to consider, who do you drop from your teams to make space? Well a good starting point would be to look at the below and transfer any of these players out of your side as they will no longer be plying their trade in the Premiership this season. This is not a full list, but only players who have featured heavily in fantasy teams this season…Â
- Rhys Webb (to Ospreys)
- Freddie Burns (to Toyota Industries Shuttles)
- Francois Louw (Retired)
- Aled Brew (Released)
- Jackson Willison (to Soyaux AngoulĂŞme)
- Ian Madigan (to Ulster)
- Luke Hamilton (to Oyonnax)
- Nic White (to Brumbies)
- Franco Marais (to NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes)
- Tom Marshall (to NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes)
- Owen Williams (to NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes)
- Franco Mostert (to Honda Heat)
- Gerbrandt Grobler (to Stade Français)
- Francis Saili (to Biarritz)
- Travis Ismaiel (to Bulls)
- Semi Kunatani (to Castres)
- Vereniki Goneva (to Mont-de-Marsan)
- Gabriel Ibitoye (to Agen)
- Tatafu Polota-Nau (Released)
- Jonah Holmes (to Dragons)
- Guy Thompson (to Ealing Trailfinders)
- Kyle Eastmond (Released)
- Telusa Veainu (to Stade Français)
- Sione Kalamafoni (to Scarlets)
- Stephen Myler (to Ospreys)
- Cobus Reinach (to Montpellier)
- Mark Wilson (returned to Newcastle Falcons)
- Bryn Evans (Released)
- Nizaam Carr (to Bulls)
- Ashley Johnson (to Birmingham Moseley)
- Joe Taufeteʻe (to Lyon)
- Matt Gallagher (to Munster)
- George Kruis (to Panasonic Wild Knights)
- Alex Lozowski (to Montpellier)
- Will Skelton (to La Rochelle)
- Nick Tompkins (to Dragons)
So there you have it, hopefully you now have the insights you need to ensure that when the season gets back up and running, you’ll be one step ahead of the rivals in your league! Did I mention it was good to be back??
The FRG Book Club
As well as being a Fantasy Rugby Geek, I am also an unapologetic book geek. I’ve got through a scary amount of books during lockdown and one rugby book in particular hit the spot that I want to share with you all.
Fringes by Ben Mercer by description alone should not be an exceptional read. Telling the story of a journeyman professional on one of the lower rungs of the French league pyramid hardly sounds like an inspiring read, yet it has over the last year consistently outsold autobiographies by the likes of Eddie Jones, Sam Warburton, Warren Gatland, Rory Best and Richie McCaw. It has been featured in The Guardian, BBC and Rugby Pass, and has lodged itself to the top of the Rugby book charts on Amazon for the last few months.
And for good reason. This is an exceptionally well written and insightful tale, unflinching in it’s honesty. At times downright brutal and other times eyewateringly hilarious. There are few more comprehesive overviews of what it is like in the modern game for the vast majority of professionals outside of the elite echelons of the pro game.
Ben Mercer is a former professional rugby player who after becoming disillusioned and uninspired plying his trade in the English Second Division, accepted an offer out of the blue to go to France and do something different – help an amateur team turn professional.
Fringes is a first hand account of what life is like in the lower reaches of professional sport – where your employment status is as precarious as your health and barely anyone will know your name. It’s about how it feels to live year to year, with teammates constantly on the move. It’s about how professionalism irreversibly changes the French club Stade Rouennais as they move up the divisions, about the tension between progress and identity in a rugby team. It’s also about how it feels to actually be out there on the field, how it feels to occasionally do something extraordinary and how it feels when this is no longer enough for you to make the sacrifices that you need to make to keep playing.
If you’ve wanted to know what life is really like as a professional athlete, on the Fringes, away from the glitz and glamour of the international game then look no further.
Fringes is available here on Amazon and in most online booksellers.
Don’t miss out, insights on the game don’t come much more incisive and raw.
I will periodically share any other Rugby Books that I feel worth sharing with you all, but in the meantime if you would like to check out some of my other favourite Rugby Books, please check out my Top 5 Rugby Books here (which was published before I read Fringes!).
Looking for more Fantasy Rugby news, tips and advice? Follow @frugbygeek on Twitter, Like us on Facebook or sign up to the newsletter below to get fantasy rugby news delivered straight to you!
SUBSCRIBE HERE FOR FANTASY RUGBY NEWS STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX
Buy me a Coffee!
If you’ve been enjoying the FRG tips over the years, please consider supporting the blog and donating a coffee, all donators will receive a name drop on the next weekly tips, and your donations will help with the running of the blog (and keeping me fuelled to do so!) >>> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/FRugbyGeek 
Buy me a coffee
Looking for more Fantasy Rugby insight and Resources?
New for the 2019/20 season, we are proud to present the The Fantasy Rugby Handbook. An exhaustive collection of wisdom and experience gained from over a decade of fantasy rugby playing. Primarily aimed at less experienced players but with enough nuggets of wisdom and insight for even the most grizzled fantasy rugby veteran. There is something here for all players. The eBook is available to download now for just £3.99 on Gumroad as a PDF and on Amazon in Kindle format (Free on Kindle Unlimited) – check it out!
Â