Round 1 of the JustRugby.net Fantasy League saw plenty of thrills and spills, with our favourite Lions fan Zibbie coming out on top and claiming the early lead.
A number of players stood out in Round 1, with Sharks halfback Fred Michalak proving an astute purchase for those managers who included him in their squads. Along with Burton Francis, the cheeky Frenchman scored a try to go with a number of successful goal kicks to elevate both flyhalves to the top of the round 1 scoring charts. There was a somewhat surprising third spot for Cheetahs prop WP Nel (showing the value of prop tries, which count plenty), while perennial favourite Keegan Daniel, who can always be counted on for a try or two, came in fourth, with captaincy bonus to boot.
Managers would do well to have a look at the injury list after round 1 and make the appropriate decision based on the likelihood of those players returning to the competition. Remember that with only 10 trades in total, you simply cannot afford to trade out everyone who picks up an injury. There is, of course, little point in retaining a player who picks up a season-ending injury and any such players should be shipped out as soon as possible.
There’s simply no room for sentiment!
Here’s a breakdown of what we currently know regarding injuries at this stage of the competition. Do inform us if we’ve missed anyone out.
– Leopards flank Renaldo Botma suffered a serious ankle injury that requires surgery. He’s out for the season, poor chap!
– Griquas winger Rocco Jansen broke a bone in his hand. He’s expected to be out for at least a month.
– Province flyhalf Gary van Aswegen suffered an MCL injury and will be out for roughly 8 weeks.
– Bulls centre Jaco Pretorius has been confirmed out for around 6 weeks with a groin strain
– Cheetahs hooker Skipper Badenhorst has announced his retirement from the game following a back injury.

Thanks for the update. π
Awesome update Rob.. Thank you..
Jeez I thought I had a pretty damn good team for the CC FL…..and I ended 83rd after the 1st round. π
These injury updated will help, thanks.
Poor Skipper, the guy has seems to have been around for so long and yet I can hardly remember him playing the game.
None of those injured players listed are in my squad. waiting on news about Ebersohn though.
@Pokkel (Comment 3) : Same here and I ended 43rd or something π
Thanks Robbo. Luckily I have none of them in my team. Do you think Van Staden will play this weekend?
@Pokkel (Comment 3) : ouch π
Rob your to friendly π
@Franshark (Comment 9) : what you mean?
@Ben (Comment 7) : I do, yes
@KSA Shark Β© (Comment 5) : Only Van Aswegen and Ebersohn here. Seems my halfback injury woes is still not over π₯
@robdylan (Comment 10) : helping us(and others) to make constructive decisions, I mean if you have van aswegen in your team and don’t trade him your not in it to win it π
@robdylan (Comment 11) : Great stuff. Thanks.
@robdylan (Comment 11) : did u just say “I DO” π
Just joking π
@Franshark (Comment 13) : What’s your FL team name?
@robdylan (Comment 11) :
Hey Rob
You have a small problem on LMS. Go to ‘view picks’ and look at the ‘most picked’ at the bottom.
Still some Superugby teams there.
π
awwweee favourt lion !! you guys flatter me π
ive hear Jaco Taute will be out for 3 weeks with his shoulder injury
@Ben (Comment 16) : Fransharkers π
@Ben (Comment 16) : yours?
@Pokkel (Comment 17) : thanks… glitch of sorts. I’ll look at it
@Zibbie (Comment 18) : can you find confirmation of that on the net anywhere?
@robdylan (Comment 22) :
somebody mentioned it on Lionsworld . but no official confirmation.
@Franshark (Comment 20) : Bengals
@Zibbie (Comment 23) : ok – I’ll add it as soon as I see something more concrete
@robdylan (Comment 25) : I thought I was your favourite Lion’s fan π π
@Greg (Comment 26) : actually, I’m lying to both of you… Whindy and CSB are my favourite Lions fans π
@robdylan (Comment 27) : π
@robdylan (Comment 27) : Not Speed7? π― π
@Ben (Comment 24) : bengal’s tigers? π
@Ben (Comment 29) : there are few people that I take an instant dislike to… afraid he’s one of them.
@Ice (Comment 30) : Huh? A Bengal is a Cat that looks like a Leopard.
@Ben (Comment 32) : The Bengal tiger, or Royal Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris), is a tiger subspecies native to India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan, and has been classified as endangered by IUCN as the population is estimated at fewer than 2,500 individuals with a decreasing trend. None of the Tiger Conservation Landscapes within the Bengal’s tiger range are large enough to support an effective population size of 250.
The Bengal tiger is the most numerous of the tiger subspecies β with populations estimated at 1,706 in India, 200 in Bangladesh, 155 in Nepal and 67β81 in Bhutan.
The Bengal tiger is the national animal of Bangladesh. Panthera tigris is the national animal of India.
@Ice (Comment 33) : π― have you been colouring your hair
π
@rekinek (Comment 34) : I always maintain…I am blonde – not DOF!! π
@Ice (Comment 33) : Just to add for Ben’s benefit – those are the Tigers mostly kept at the Buddhist temples π
@Ice (Comment 33) : Interesting. Actually just chose the name because it has a “ben” in it.
Have you seen a Bengal cat? Looks like a Leopard. Strange that they named it after a Tiger.
@Ice (Comment 35) : the things would be just so much more simple if colour-coded π
@Ben (Comment 37) : ‘Actually just chose the name because it has a βbenβ in it.’ ek het so aangeneem ja! π
i tried rekiwrecks last time and it pretty much ended like that so had to change my team name π
@Ice (Comment 35) : And you are the one person on earth who believes that those two things can be mutually exclusive. π
@Ice (Comment 36) : Look at my FB profile pic to see one. π
@Ice (Comment 39) : If I would buy myself a Cat it would be a Bengal. But not that fond of cats.
@Ben (Comment 37) : and the bit about being a “gal” that is in the name?? π
@Ben (Comment 43) : If you want to buy a cat buy a cervil (sp?)
@KSA Shark Β© (Comment 44) : The Rugga players are the “Gals”. π
@KSA Shark Β© (Comment 45) : No idea what cat that is. Will ask my friend Google quickly.
@KSA Shark Β© (Comment 41) : π
@Ben (Comment 46) : Serval is the correct spelling. Google images shows some nice ones.
Big enough to eat a lot of things and small enough to keep as a pet. π
@KSA Shark Β© (Comment 48) : I want one!!! Costs a fortune I would guess plus I read something about needing a permit to have one as a pet.
@Ben (Comment 49) : Since when are you friends with my friend?
@KSA Shark Β© (Comment 48) : That thingy just have to have a diamond collar!
no man, you bloody muppits.
You’re talking about this… which is NOT a serval.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengal_(cat)
@robdylan (Comment 52) : Koos – you are the muppet!! Go re-read our comments… π
@robdylan (Comment 52) : Nobody said a Bengal cat is a serval?
Aparently there is no breeders in SA for Serval cats. The closest one can get to one in SA is a Savannah cat. Which is a serval crossed with a normal cat.
@robdylan (Comment 52) : Go and read back China. I changed the subject. π
@Ice (Comment 53) : @Ben (Comment 54) : @KSA Shark Β© (Comment 56) :
I think he should get it now!
@robdylan (Comment 52) : Seeing as you’re from pretoria, it is called a tierboskat in Afrikaans. π
@Ice (Comment 57) : He comes from Pretoria, they are pretty stubborn and slow to understand up that way.
@Ice (Comment 53) : it’s GERT, not Koos
@KSA Shark Β© (Comment 58) : Misseljaaatkat – like my Ouma use to say?
Or you can have your own miniture leopard. Google image “Ocelot”
@robdylan (Comment 60) : There is nothing nice startung with a D that rhymes with Gert!
@robdylan (Comment 60) : I thought it was Piet Pienaar, He has been scarce lately, must be pissed at the loss to us. π
there really is NOTHING going on out there today π
@Ice (Comment 63) : You can always put Groot in front of whatever starts with D. π
@KSA Shark Β© (Comment 64) : I’m a bit tired of Piet.
Want to dig up our old friend Nathan Charleston-Rogers, the Southern suburbs’ proudest Stormers boytjie, ek sê
@robdylan (Comment 67) : never met him…must be before my time
@robdylan (Comment 67) : Pity – last time i heard from Piet he was gonna take me for a holiday or something in his karavaan…
@robdylan (Comment 65) : Seems like a well performing Sharks team is not good for business.
@Salmonoid (Comment 70) : that’s kinda sad, isn’t it?
@robdylan (Comment 71) : @Salmonoid (Comment 70) : perhaps people wowed to work hard only if Sharks beat the Bulls and now have to actually do it
@robdylan (Comment 71) : If it was the case it would be very sad.
My comment was said mosttly in jest though….must remember to use smileys.
@rekinek (Comment 72) : Im really battling to get into work mode.
@Salmonoid (Comment 74) : i didn’t know that you guys down in the Cape even know what work is
@KSA Shark Β© (Comment 62) : That’s one awesome looking cat man.
Lions VS Griquas
15 Michael Killian, 14 Deon van Rensburg, 13 Waylon Murray, 12 Doppies La Grange, 11 Lionel Mapoe, 10 Burton Francis, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Joshua Strauss, 7 Derick Minnie, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar, 5 Franco van der Merwe, 4 Wikus van Heerden, 3 Jacobie Adriaanse, 2 Bandise Maku, 1 Pat Cilliers. Replacements: 16 Martin Bezuidenhout, JC Janse van Rensburg, 18 Johan Snyman, 19 Dries van Schalkwyk, 20 Michael Bondesio, 21 Hein Cronje, Alwyn Hollenbach
@Zibbie (Comment 77) : So how long is Taute out for?
@JarsonX (Comment 78) :
as far as i understand 3 weeks . but still havent seen anything official …
@JarsonX (Comment 78) :
@Zibbie (Comment 79) :
This is the GLRU we are talking about, in about 3 weeks time they will announce a side that contains Jaco’s name, with a footnote saying ‘returning from injury’ π π
@Greg (Comment 80) : π