Reg Roberts: Where to really focus your fantasy Super Rugby attention

AS the fantasy Super Rugby season heats up — and the byes take their toll — Reg Roberts identifies the winning positions on which to really focus your attention.

Reds player Samu Kerevi attempts to break away from the defence.

AS we enter the Easter school holidays here in Australia, it’s a good time for us to stop and do a bit of a check in as to how your fantasy Super Rugby team is going.

We’re all busy people and perhaps, if you are lucky enough to get away on holidays, then you may be able to spend some time ‘auditing’ your team, so to speak.

But perhaps you don’t have this time.

Maybe the boss is on your back to keep the hours up.

Perhaps the holidays just means it’s now the kids and family taking up all your time.

Regardless, if you are still struggling to find the time you need to devote to your fantasy team, then let me help.

One little tip: focus.

Don’t waste your time on finding decent props or locks.

Do not get overly caught up in finding the right halves partnership.

Did you know that there is only one of these positions (Cheetahs fly half Fred Zeilinga) represented in the top-25 pointscorers in fantasy Super Rugby?

The top scorers are all hookers, back-rowers, centres and outside backs.

You need to ensure that is where your value is.

Now a further tip.

This weekend you have some challenges, particularly at hooker and in the back-row.

The top two scoring hookers (Malcolm Marx of the Lions and Torsten van Jaarsveld of the Cheetahs) have the bye.

And in the back-row you are going to have to do without other top pointscorers in the Cheetahs’ Jaco Kriel, and Ardie Savea, of the Hurricanes, who was injured last week.

So let’s look at some of the considerations for this weekend, focusing on these positions.

BUY!

Scott Higginbotham (Reds)

Rarely does an Australian player enter a Super Rugby season on the back of a season in Japan, and produce the goods.

But Higginbotham has done just that for the Reds.

The skilful No 8 has been a brilliant contributor to a disappointing Reds team and he smashed it on the weekend against the Hurricanes.

Scoring a try (on the back of a magical offload) as well as creating his team’s only other five-pointer set Higgers up for big numbers.

Combine his attacking numbers with plenty of tackles and a couple of pilfers and lineout takes, and Higginbotham had a near perfect game.

The Reds will be hoping for another such performance this weekend in Canberra to help secure just their fourth win there since the competition began.

Highlanders hooker Liam Coltman runs through the Force defence.

Liam Coltman (Highlanders)

While Marx and van Jaarsveld have picked up valuable fantasy points through tries this year (Marx sits equal-second on the top tryscorer’s list with five), Coltman has yet to cross the white paint.

In fact, he has not been able to score a try for the Highlanders in any of his 60-odd Super Rugby games.

Regardless, he’s raking in the fantasy points through sheer workrate.

Coltman is his team’s defensive machine, leading the way in tackles made so far this season.

Put this together with a damn strong set-piece — with Coltman leading an effective lineout and scrum — and the one-cap All Black becomes a worthy consideration against the Blues this weekend.

Reds player Samu Kerevi attempts to break away from the defence.

BYE BYE!

Samu Kerevi (Reds)

Kerevi sits atop the fantasy pointscorers list.

He’s No 1 for ball carries and metres made.

So why am I suggesting you get rid of him?

Let’s go to American businessman and investment guru Jim Rogers for his perspective.

“Nearly every time I have strayed from the herd, I’ve made a lot of money,” Rogers said.

“Wandering away from the action is the way to find the new action.”

I think what Jim is saying is that you don’t win fantasy Super Rugby competitions by picking the same players as everyone else.

Kerevi will remain in many people’s teams this weekend on the back of those stats.

But consider this.

The Reds are playing the Brumbies this weekend in a derby that has increased in importance due to the dire state of the Australian conference.

Are these ever the conditions that Aussie teams have produced free-flowing rugby?

With Kerevi playing outside a misfiring halves combination and up against Wallaby Tevita Kuridrani, there is a big risk of a low return for this weekend.

Think long and hard if you plan to keep him.

Rieko Ioane (Blues)

Ioane started 2017 with a statement that was as if to say: ‘step aside everyone, this season is mine.’

The then teenager toyed with the Rebels in that round one shellacking, scoring a hat-trick of tries while generally proving very difficult to keep out of the action.

But since then he failed to cross the line until last weekend, when he made a dramatic impact against the Force as a late replacement.

You would have to think coach Tana Umaga will bring the young flyer straight back into his starting team this weekend.

There is a chance, though, that Umaga could consider Ioane’s impact from the bench to be an asset and keep him there.

As with Kerevi, this is just a warning to pause and think before you automatically decide to keep him in your line-up this weekend.

The Blues travel to Dunedin to take on the Highlanders, who are definitely on the rise.

They are also the team that managed to most successfully keep Ioane out of the game so far this season.

When they last met, just four weeks ago, Ioane was barely able to make any impact on the match as the Highlanders worked hard to shut him down.

They have the know-how from last time, so there’s every chance the home team will roll out the same game plan this time too.

LET EM LIE!

SP Marais (Stormers)

Unbelievable is probably a pretty sound term in describing Marais’ season so far.

Looking at it purely from a fantasy perspective, the Stormers fullback sits third overall, not far behind Samu Kerevi and Jaco Kriel.

What sets Marais apart, however, is that he has only played four matches compared to six for Kerevi and Kriel.

Marais actually achieved the extremely rare ‘100 point game’ last weekend against the Cheetahs where he was almost unstoppable with ball in hand.

While he didn’t score a try himself, he threw the last pass to others for four of them.

I’m guessing most Aussies haven’t seen much of his play this year, given he is yet to step foot outside South Africa.

It’s worth getting up for though as he is averaging almost 150 running metres per game.

It’s is a massive change of fortune for the journeyman outside back, who has played for the Kings, Sharks, Bulls and now Stormers.

Now one of the most expensive players in the competition, Marais finally plays a New Zealand team this weekend, in the Chiefs.

The money freed up by his sale might be enticing but hold on to him for at least a couple more weeks — certainly until his trip to our time zone.

Chance Peni of the Force is tackled by George Bridge of the Crusaders.

Chance Peni (Force)

No disrespect to the Brumbies, who currently sit atop the Australian conference but, all things considered, the Force have probably been the most impressive Aussie team this season.

Their attack hasn’t quite cracked it yet, but their physicality has caught the eye, notably last week against the Blues and in their home win over the Reds.

This weekend they take on the battling Kings, whose lone success this year has been against the even more lowly Sunwolves.

Force fans should be looking for a powerful statement in this game.

A win is important but a big win could see them soaring up the conference table.

If they are to win big, then their leading fantasy pointscorer, Peni, is likely to be a big part of that.

The Force must look to get Peni more involved in the game in the hope he can wreak the type of havoc against the Reds.

He ran for 100-plus metres, busting numerous Reds tackles on the way.

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Originally published as Reg Roberts: Where to really focus your fantasy Super Rugby attention