OG League 2020 - Round 2

Apart from a few outliers and certainly compared to last week, round 2 was not a week to excite fantasy managers with generally low points performances across the board. This week saw no managers secure an attacking bonus point (>450 points) however one manager will be able to slightly alleviate the heartache that comes with a close loss with a losing bonus point (<25 points). Read on to find out who!

Round 2 Fixtures:

Nsync (7) vs Cargie (5)
Nelson (8) vs Newbung (1)
Nabung (3) vs Harry (2)
AJ (6) vs Wylie (4)

Not Straussed About this 338 vs 389 shAKIRA shAKIRA
Nsync (7) vs Cargie (5)

Strauss levels must be rising over at Nsync's team headquarters when things didn't go to plan this week, particularly being let down by his trade night pickups Hoskins Sotutu (86 pts round 1 but only 8 pts in round 2) and Andrew Kellaway (53 pts round 1 but only 2 pts in round 2) resulting in a second loss to start the season. The positives however were in the form of the scintillating Tyrone Green getting all cylinders firing, scoring 2 tries and 70 fantasy points, Sam Cane with a captains knock 43 pts at number 8 in a colossal Chiefs vs Crusaders clash and both the pillar up front and of consistency, Allan Alaalatoa with 35 points.

shAKIRA shAKIRA bagged their first win of the 2020 season by only 51 points (1 point more than last years losing bonus point requirement but in 2020 we changed it to losing by under 25 points). Highlights did not include the namesake Akira Ioane making a pretty lacklustre appearance for the last 11 minutes off the bench (4 pts) but rather came by way of DHP realising he's going to have to do it all himself for the Rebels in 2020 (72 points), Sevu Reece (53 points) back starting and familiarly finding his way over the tryline (twice), pivotal trade night pickup Domingo Miotti (43 points) and Braydon Ennor 37 points. Round 2 disappointments came in the form of Taniela Tupou (1 point) after copping a yellow card and Tyler Ardron (2 points).

Goosen we have a problem 229 vs 308 That’s Wright, Your Petti Schatz
Nelson (8) vs Newbung (1)

All was going to plan for Nelson & Goosen we have a problem, he threw round 1 playing down several men and was set to storm into round 2 with a full team, his Highlanders (bye in round 1) at the ready and armed with first pick at trade night to grab the smokies we weren't yet aware of in the 2020 draft. Or was it? Nelson passed his first two trades already too attached to his current crop of players before picking up a prop, another highlander Siate Tokolahi - but it would all be ok because he was all in on the Highlanders (a third of his fantasy team) under the roof in Dunedin and they were set to walk all over the Sharks right? Well as you by now know the Sharks sent the landers packing 42-20 and just about the only highlander that scored any fantasy points (who Nelson could have picked up) was Jona Nareki, scoring 62 pts. Nels did ensure to field a full 15 starters and unfortunately not one of them turned up this week, his top scorers were one of two trade night pickups, Lions prospect Len Massyn (32 pts) and his first draft pick Folau Fainga'a (30 pts). Lastly adding insult to injury, Nels had great difficulty deciding who to bench of his 4 starting outside backs and unfortunately for old mate he left Aphelele Fassi (just 90 odd points and the 2nd highest score in round 2) on the pine and this one decision alone could have won him this weeks fixture!!! Huuuge.

Alright enough heaping on Nels (he just makes it too easy), we should be talking about the new kid on the block and competition leader going in to round 2, Newbung beating Nelson out by the biggest margin of the week, 79 points. The namesakes delivered with Tom Wright top scoring for his team (52 pts) and like Newbung one to watch in 2020 and also Guido Petti delivering a rock solid performance with 48 pts. Apart from that it was pretty average across the park, alot of big names less with less than appealing scores. Particularly disappointing and to make Nelson feel a little better, Newbungs' highlanders Shannon Frizell only managed a 6 point cameo off the bench and trade night pickup Tima Fainga'anuku proved a fantasy flop with 9 pts.

Rieking Havoc 416 vs 429 D.Mac & Cheese
Nabung (3) vs Harry (2)

Talk about heartbreak. Nabung 's squads have been no stranger to injuries over the years but after such an exciting performance from Rieko Ioane last week, nabung lost both him to injury for probably around 6 weeks (Check out the Casualty Ward for comprehensive injury news and updates) and arguably also lost his fixture in round 2 as a result going down by an agonisingly close 13 points. As mentioned he can take some solace in the losing bonus point but it will still be a difficult pill to swallow even this early in the season, losing the weeks fixture with the 3rd highest fantasy score. Let's first look on the bright side with Emiliano Boffelli (76 pts) having an absolute ripper game on the left wing, Codie Taylor (48 pts) getting stuck into the season in his first start and the second highest fantasy score from the Chiefs & Crusaders fixture and in 57 minutes and TJ Perenara (40 pts) similarly to DHP mentioned earlier, realising he is going to have take his team on his shoulders in 2020. Then with such a close margin lets look to who let him down and could have made up that 13 point difference, Damian Willemse (4 pts) is the standout having a fairly forgettable performance in a forward domianted battle and not kicking well off the tee at all. Otherwise you could look to his props Ox Nche (7 pts) and trade night pickup big Karl Tu'inukuafe (6 pts - 38 off the bench last week).

Harry's D.Mac & Cheese experienced some give and take this week, he gained Damian McKenzie back who was first thought to sit out another week but then lost lock Scott Scrafton (pulled pregame) and was set to be facing an uphill battle playing 13.5 men with big red Tom Robinson also only listed on the bench. In a quiet fantasy week, the standout performances of Tate McDermott (64 pts) and Joe Marchant (53 pts) were well complemented by his top order draft pick backrowers who you'd expect to deliver in any condition and did just that with Isi Naisarani (45 pts) & Whetu Douglas (42 pts). McKenzie (32 pts) was quiet by his standards in his return from injury and David Havili (33 pts) was a mixed bag at flyhalf. The team was let down in round 2 by the usually rock solid choo choo Tevita Kuridrani (4 pts) and Tom Robertson (-2 pts).

Stuck in the middle with Samu 432 vs 373 Sack Good View
AJ (6) vs Wylie (4)

Two weeks in and our second rookie top scores the OG League with AJ's Stuck in the middle with Samu getting the closest to an attacking bonus point (18 points off) and defeating Wylie's Sack Good View by 59 points. AJ had the all round most consistent scoring throughout his team and whilst it wasn't his teams top score, namesake Pete Samu (54 pts) certainly lead the charge. His top scorer was a man who is not unaccustomed to leading the charge, none other than his first draft pick Ngani Laumape (57 pts). We usually don't blink unless a score is over 40 but in a low scoring fantasy week, AJ had 6 players all in the 30's including his outside backs of Mapimpi & Banks with 39 pts and Nawaqanitawase (38 pts). The others were exciting young backrowers, trade night pickup Tom Christie (39 pts) & James Venter (36 pts). Gus Creevy 30pts off the bench was master pickup after losing Brandon Paenga-Amosa to injury last week.

Wylie is doing it tough as he is overseas and in a different timezone for the first 2 weeks of the season. After securing the win last week he didn't let that get to his head and made sure to send though his trade night pickup of Asafo Aumua (38 pts) to replace injured Bongi Mbonambi ensuring he was fielding a full team in round 2. Wylie lost first draft pick Richie Mo'unga this week with the crusaders electing wisely to sit him out of this week's physical encounter with a niggle but was well backed up by his supersub flyhalf of last year Elton Jantjies delivering with 39 pts. I mentioned that we usually don't blink unless a score is over 40 above and that is perhaps the crucial number here with Wylie having no players managing to do that. Jantjies and Aumua were close and supported by Will Jordan (35 pts) and Jordie Barrett (34 pts). He lost this week with the 5th highest score in the OG league.

Extra Facts:
Best Player Emiliano Boffelli (76 pts – Nabung)
Worst Player: Tom Robertson & Dylan Smith (-2 pts) - Harry & Newbung
Best Supersub: n/a
Best Free Agent: Mark Telea (Blues - 97 points)
Biggest Coaching Mistake (player left on the bench): Nelson backed the wrong fullback in the Highlanders vs Sharks opting for Josh McKay (5 points) over Aphelele Fassi (90 points - 2nd top score for round 2)

Round 3 Fixtures:

Cargie (4) vs (8) Nelson
Nsync (7) vs (3) Nabung
Newbung (2) vs (6) AJ
Harry (1) vs (5) Wylie

Team Scores:

The Table: