Fantasy Super Rugby Round 11 in Review; Jordie Barrett looked like he was glitching the matrix because he was untouchable on Saturday night, Sevu Reece continues his insane form with his 4th score over 100 points in as many starts & old mate Mr reliable Anton Lienert-Brown the only real fantasy positive from a Chiefs team that is missing Damian McKenzie so bad they are forgetting how to catch and pass.

PLAYERS IN FOCUS

Boy did Jordie Barrett look back at home in the full back jersey after having been asked to play on the wing to 1) give exciting youngster Chase Tiatia a crack and 2) the All Black’s wanted him to have more time in the saddle at wing in order to be a utility player filling in both at full back and the wing. Jordie set off like Forest Gump in this one and well pretty much just kept running the entire night. When you’ve got an absolute weapon of a ball carrier, Ngani Laumape to throw a dummy to, even the most seasoned of defenders will bite! Jordie’s 116 points came from 13 carries for 196m, 4 line breaks (20 points), 10 tackle busts (30 points), 3 offloads, scored two tries and had two try assists.

Sevu Reece has been touted as an All Blacks bolter (particularly with Waisake Naholo injured and otherwise out of form in 2019) and that hype is only going to grow further if he keeps delivering these insane (100 point) performances. He was the fantasy top scorer in rounds 8 and 9, had a bye in round 10 and it took the top score of the year from Jordie Barrett to dethrone him in round 11. Reece scored 105 fantasy points by way of 13 carries for 86m, 4 line breaks, 10 tackle busts, 2 offloads, scored 2 tries, had a try assist and probably should have got bonus points for sending Kwagga Smith into space! His average from the 4 games he has started is now 104.5 points!!!!

Anton Lienert-Brown is a class act all round and with key pivot Damian McKenzie out for the season, ALB has had to make like Samu Kerevi for the Reds and become the entire back line!! He was into absolutely everything this week and scored 86 points from 19 carries for 85m, 2 line breaks, 8 tackle busts, 5 offloads, 9 tackles and a turnover won.

SUPER RUGBY TEAM FANTASY SCORES

See how your fantasy team compared against the Super Rugby teams themselves.

TEAM	STARTING XV	FULL TEAM (23)
Blues	BYE	BYE
Chiefs	563	606
Crusaders	485	572
Highlanders	717	838
Hurricanes	636	705
Brumbies	402	486
Rebels	BYE	BYE
Reds	BYE	BYE
Waratahs	485	580
Sunwolves	203	275
Bulls	446	548
Lions	368	457
Sharks	442	544
Stormers	518	594
Jaguares	403	464

ROUND 11 FIXTURES

BYES: Blues, Reds, Rebels

Crusaders 36 V 10 Lions – Tries 5-1

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Returning: George Bridge (hamstring/ knee – scored 2 tries), Codie Taylor (calf)
Injuries: Warren Whiteley (knee pre game), Ryan Crotty & Aphiwe Dyanti (Concussion), Sylvian Mahuza (knee)

The Lions looked in the match for 35 minutes but really they were just holding on – the Crusaders just looked better than them in every facet of the game despite the Lions best efforts. They away side really missed the leadership and composure of their captain Warren Whiteley who was out again this week. There is certainly a pattern emerging in Crusaders games this season; the opposing team throws everything into it in the first 40 mins before the width and intensity the crusaders play with create opportunities all over the paddock. Opportunities they capitalize on 90% of the time. Their backs are just all world class finishers and support players!

Team Stats:
Possession: 57% – 43%
Time in opp half: 59% – 41%
Metres 587 – 225
Carries 148 – 96
Clean Breaks 15 – 8
Turnovers conceded 26 – 14 (interestingly Crusaders conceding almost double the turnovers)
Tackles 118/132 (14 missed) – 185/210 (25 missed)
Set piece both losing 1 lineout (13 /14 – 12/13)
Scrums Crusaders 100%, Lions losing 2/9 scrums

Player Stats:
FMOM: Sevu Reeve (105pts) – 13C for 86m, 4LB, 10TB, 2O, 2 tries & 1 try assist
CRUSADERS: Braydon Ennor (59pts – 10 carries for over 110m, 3 line breaks), George Bridge (58pts – 8 carries for over 90m, 3 line breaks, 2 tries), Kieran Read (45pts)
LIONS: Top Lions player was Sithembiso Sithole w/ 41pts (16 tackles for 32 points!!)

Sunwolves 0 V 52 Highlanders – Tries 0-8

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Returning: Rob Thompson (family reasons), Shota Horie & Yu Tamura (re-joined the Sunwolves from the Wolfpack), Grant Hattingh (missed last week)
Injuries: Bryn Gatland (foot injury – gone for the season)

Wowza! 33-0 half time, 52-0 full time. Sunwolves coach Tony Brown said they “were lucky to get 0!” Incredible result considering the possession, territory and carries stats were pretty much even. The Sunwolves got destroyed at set piece and otherwise just couldn’t execute with the ball and gave away 27 turnovers! Takeaways from this one:

1. Order in the universe restored as Semisi Masirewa back to an pretty ordinary level of performance.
2. Tevita Li showed what we can do with some possession and space. Certainly some sub par defense out wide though.
3. Highlanders halves pairing ripping it up, Josh Ioane nailing cross field kicks into space all game (definitely part of the game plan).
4. Sio Tomkinson had a belter on the wing for the Highlanders and speaking of belting, he absolutely destroyed Yamanaka in a bone rattling tackle with his steel shoulders.

Team Stats: (Surprising)
Pretty even possession 47% – 53% and territory 44% – 56%
Metres 450 – 611 & Carries 117 – 125
Even penalty count 10 – 9
It’s what the highlanders did with the ball:
Defenders beaten 22 – 42
Clean Breaks 10 – 25
Offloads 4 – 18
&
Turnovers Conceded 27 – 17
Missed Tackles 42 – 22
Set Piece – Both Teams took 2 lineouts off each other
Sunwolves lost 2/9 scrums (Highlanders 100% 11/11)

Sunwolves collectively scored half a Sevu Reece (203 fantasy points…) – I’m fairly sure the worst Super Rugby team fantasy score of the season.

Player Stats:
FMOM: Tevita Li (84pts) – 13C for 126m, 4LB, 5TB, 3O & 2 tries
HIGHLANDERS: Tom Franklin (80pts – 4 LB, 5 TB), Jackson Hemopo (78pts – 2LB, 4 TB), Sio Tomkinson (67pts – 4 LB, 3 O), Liam Coltman (67 pts), Josh Ioane (62pts), Aaron Smith (57pts)
SUNWOLVES: Mark Abbott (35pts)

Hurricanes 47 V 19 Chiefs

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Returning: Nathan Harris (knee), Solomon Alaimalo (hammy), Barrett Brothers & Ardie Savea (after being rested)
Injuries: Brad Weber (pregame shoulder), Sean Wainui (pregame hip)

Absolutely insane pace and width of game, it was 28-12 half time, 4 tries to 2, A point a minute! Both teams had emptied the tanks 35 minutes in and were walking around with hands above heads!! Half time couldn’t come fast enough!! In the second 40 the heavens opened up, huge wind and rain slowing the game down a bit. Essentially the Chiefs had more possession and territory but just couldn’t seem to execute! Lots of dropped ball (Solomon Alaimalo I’m looking at you!) and just let the Hurricanes off the hook after building up pressure. Takeaways;

1. Jordie Barrett glitching the matrix, no one could seem to lay a hand on him!! He started the game with two solo tries and most of his 200 run metres in the first 20 minutes!!
2. Ataata Moekiola looked really hard to put down and certainly one to keep an eye on! He goes looking for the physical contest more like a number 8, he ran across and then directly at Ardie Savea. We’ll don him the Amanaki Mafi on the backs.
3. First time we can remember the Hurricanes looking so good without Ngani Laumape doing all the work in the backline. Although does it count if he was still drawing all the defenders every time someone threw a dummy to him??
4. Asafo Aumua was pretty good around the park in his first start of 2019 however his line out throwing was atrocious, winning just 2/7! Still, I think he’ll be topping the fantasy log for hookers in a few year if he sticks around in Super Rugby.

Team Stats:
Possession 39% – 61%
Territory 37% – 63%
Metres 545 – 528
Carries 96 – 151
26 Defenders beaten & 15 line breaks each
7 – 17 offloads
11 – 18 turnovers conceded
Set piece:
Both 100% scrums (13/13 – 9/9)
Line outs Hurricanes awful 2/7 – Chiefs 5/7

Player Stats:
FMOM: Jordie Barrett (116pts) -13C for 196m, 4LB, 10TB, 3O, 2 tries and 2 try assists
HURRICANES: Ardie Savea (74pts – 2 line breaks, 5 TB, 17 tackles and a try), TJ Perenara (61pts – 4 carries, 3 line breaks, 10 tackles and a try ), Asafo Aumua (50pts – 16 tackles), Wes Goosen (49pts) & Beauden Barrett (48pts)
CHIEFS: Anton Lienert-Brown (86pts – 19 carries, 2 line breaks, 8 tackle busts, 5 offloads), Lachlan Boshier (70pts – 10 carries, 2 line breaks, 3 TB 2 offloads, 11 tackles and a try)

Waratahs 15 V 23 Sharks

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Returning: Tolu Latu and Akker van den Merwe (red cards), Makazole Mapimpi & Lukhanyo Am (rested)
Injuries: Jed Holloway (red card) – 3 week ban, Jack Dempsey (back), Tolu Latu (calf), Rory O’Connor (rib)

This match was out in the literally brand new Western Sydney stadium (BankWest Stadium, Parramatta) and like the crowds, the Tahs didn’t show up for this one! This match essentially boiled down to two things, the Waratahs terrible kicking game and the bigger Sharks pack were just dominant. The NSW gameplan was to run their bigger opposition of their feet until some some gaps opened up due to fatigues. Well it was pretty hard to do that with 14 men after Jed Holloway received a red card (we were pretty unhappy with Thomas ‘the Tank Engine’ Du Toit for milking it as much as he did) and then 13 men at one stage after a yellow to Jack Dempsey for a dumping tackle on Sbu Nkosi. Takeaways:

1. Cameron Clarke’s massive hit on Makazole Mapimpi (it was a NFL blindside type of hit). Not sure its the hit of 2019 but was a ripper for sure! (See video below)
2. Battle of form props, youngster Harry Johnson-Holmes and old bull Tendai ‘The Beast’ Mtwarira geting through mountains of work. 
3. Curwin Bosch had his first start at 10 and looked alright, it really was a forwards game though so he didn’t have many opportunities to light it up as he has in previous weeks from full back.
4. Bernard ‘Iceman’ Foley missing yet another easy kick that would have grabbed the tahs a losing bonus point.

Team Stats:
Possession: 57% – 43%
Territory: 61% – 39%
Metres 445 – 438
Carries 170 – 124
Offloads 19 – 9
Missed tackles 20 – 24
Turnovers won 3 – 7

Set Piece:
Lineouts 13/16 – 12/15 (Both lost 3)
Scrums 4/5 – 6/7 (Both lost 1)

Player Stats:
FMOM: Kurtley Beale & Harry Johnson-Holmes (61pts)
Kurtley Beale – 21 carries for 96m, 2 TB, 6 O
Harry Johnson-Holmes – 13 carries, 1 TB, 1 O & 12 tackles (24pts)
WARATAHS: Jake Gordon (50pts – 4 carries, 2 line breaks and a try )
SHARKS: Tendai ‘The Beast’ Mtwarira (57pts – 12 carries (24 points) & 13 tackles (26 points)), Dan du Preez (55pts – 10 carries, 2 line breaks, 11 tackles and a try)

Stormers 24 V 23 Bulls

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Returning: Damian de Allende & Duane Vermuelen (rested), Eben Etzebeth (Calf)
Injuries: Ruhan Nel (ankle pregame)m Pieter-Steph du Toit (shoulder), Jade Stighling (concussion), Burger Odendaal (gone to hospital with blood in his eye after a blow) & Jesse Kriel (going for scans on ankle)

This was probably the best South African derby of the year! It was a frenetic but error-riddled derby. Both teams traded momentum in the classic game of two halves, the Stormers with 75% possession and territory in the first 25 minutes but the bulls keeping in touch with Handre Pollard’s laser guided boot (he kicked 14 points). The Bulls started the second 40 on fire but couldn’t keep it up and it was the home team that won in the end. Takeaways;

1. Herschel Jantjies has proved an absolute god send for the Stormers, he’s being talked about for higher honours. He made yet another big line break and went close to scoring again this week. 3 round average of 47 & 5 round average of 39.6!
2. Dilyn Leyds starting to show some more consistent fantasy form, he was a gun in 2017! 3 round average of 55.3 & 5 round average of 49.8.
3. Last play, Stormers up by 8, stupidly tried to attack from their own line to score a bonus point try, instead turned it over and the Bulls scored to get their own bonus point.

Team Stats:
42/58% Possession
37/63% Territory
597 – 441 run metres
16 – 8 LB
67% (4/6) to 100% (6/6) scrums
(7/8) to (11/12) lineouts

Player Stats:
FMOM: Dillyn Leyds (64pts) – 13C for 104m, 4LB, 5TB, 2O & 1 try assist
STORMERS: Hershel Jantjies (53pts – 3 carries, 2 line breaks), Cobus Wiese (51pts – 8 carries, 1 line break, 5 tackle busts, 3 offloads and 12 tackles)
BULLS: Lizo Gqboka (50pts), Handre Pollard (47pts), Manie Libbok (46pts – off the bench!)

Jaguares 20 V 15 Brumbies

Returning: Nil
Injuries: Joaquin Tuculet (pulled mid week as knee swelled up, apparently it’s the one he had operated on last year.), Toni Pulu

The game started at break-neck speed with both sides scoring tries inside the opening seven minutes. The Brumbies probably had the better of the first twenty while the Jaguares the second. There five tries scored by the half time whistle and there would be no more scored throughout the match. A frustrating and error-riddle second half eventually saw a yellow card to Marcos Kremer in the 65th minute (who has been disappointing in fantasy 2019) and yet despite this, the Brumbies were unable to capitalize. This was certainly a very defense oriented game as we knew it would be and whilst the Brumbies set piece was dominant, the Jaguares largely controlled the possession and field position. The Brumbies just seemed to turn the ball over whenever they would get into the Jaguares half.

Team Stats:
51/49% possession
51/49% territory
LB: 2 – 11
TB:14 – 20
Run metres: 335 – 425
Penalties: 6 – 12
96% (of 73) to 100% (of 94) ruck success
Turnovers won: 3 to 9
Set Piece:
Lineout 17/18 to 7/10
Scrums 11/11 to 4/5

Player Stats:
FMOM: Folau Fainga’a (67pts) – 10 carries, 13/14 line out throws won, 11 tackles (22 points) & a try.
JAGUARES: Sebastian Cancelliere (61pts – 6 carries, 3 line breaks, 6 tackle busts & a try ), Tomas Cubelli (49pts – 5 carries, 2 line breaks & 3 try assists!)
BRUMBIES: Thomas Banks (52pts – 12 carries for over 100m, 2 line breaks, 3 tackle busts & a try), Allan Alaalatoa (47 points – 9 carries (18 pts), 11 tackles (22 points) & a try assist)

PROP:
Harry Johnson-Holmes (Waratahs) – 61 points
Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira (Sharks) – 57 points

HOOKER:
Liam Coltman (Highlanders) & Folau Fainga’a (Brumbies) – 67 points

LOCK:
Tom Franklin (Highlanders) – 80 points
Jackson Hemopo (Highlanders) – 78 points

BACK ROW:
Ardie Savea (Hurricanes) – 74 points
Lachlan Boshier (Chiefs) – 70 points
Daniel Du Preez (Sharks) – 55 points

SCRUMHALF:
TJ Perenara (Hurricanes) – 61 points

FLYHALF:
Josh Ioane (Highlanders) – 62 points

CENTRES:
Anton Lienert-Brown (Chiefs) – 86 points
Sio Tomkinson (Highlanders) – 67 points

OUTSIDE BACKS:
Jordie Barrett (Hurricanes) – 116 points (TOP SCORE FOR 2019)
Sevu Reece (Crusaders) – 105 points
Tevita Li (Highlanders) – 84 points