EXV Finals Week 2

[Hellopplz]

Week 2 is upon us!

Up first is The Roulettes Vs The Polar Bears.
Even without Ablett, the Minor Premiers still look like a strong unit. With a blend of old and young, they would want to come away from this Finals series with more than 2 losses so expect them to step up. As to be expected with Russia, if their midfield fire, you'd expect them to do quite well. But it's their forward line that may be their key to victory. Greene, Zorko, Montagna, Motlop and Hogan can all go big or for most of them, can throw in a shocker. Russia will want them to be on point this week if they want a chance at a Semi Finals birth.

They come up against the Iceland Polar Bears who are nothing spectacular, but if you take them lightly it will come back to bite you. A big win against the reigning Premiers in Macedonia last week would be a huge morale booster. Also making the Semi Finals in the Champs League being the last European team is a fantastic result so far this season. Despite some injuries this season to stars Nathan Fyfe, David Swallow and Harley Bennell, the team has come together to form a solid unit that are starting to hit their straps at the right time of the season.

The second match up seems like a David vs Goliath story in Serbia Vs Svalbard.
What's to say about Serbia, is this their year?! Coach Nrich would not be happy with their defence last week. Despite scoring a respectable 147, they went down to Greece who went on a scoring spree with 169. Not only that, but they were also knocked out of the Champions League by fellow Euros team Iceland. Nrich will be want his players to step up this week and not let another finals season go begging what happened to Serbia after a fairly strong season. On paper they have some big names and have some potentials to fill out the XV, but they need another solid effort to grab the win here.

Svalbard would be thrilled knocking out the Bashers last week! Who cares if it was a low scoring affair, a win is a win and they capitalised on an inconsistent Bashers side. Carried by a strong midfield unit, Svalbard would need all of them firing this round to grab another big upset over the highly fancied Serbia. But when you have a midfield of Jack Ziebell, Callan Ward, Pearce Hanley, Andrew Gaff, Ryan Bastinac, Taylor Adams, Josh Kelly, Ben Cunnington, David Mundy, Josh Caddy and Lachie Hunter, anything is possible. If their backline can fire, I think it's possible they can come away with the win! Will require another mammoth effort but nothing is impossible in Euros!

Spreadsheet Link

[Hellopplz]

The Iceland Polar Bears

Backs: J. McVeigh, J. Harbrow, T. Sheridan, H. Grundy
Mids: J. Lewis (VC), M. Duncan, D. Tyson, A. Swallow
Ruck: S. Mumford
Fwds: Z. Merrett (C), N. Riewoldt, J. Westhoff, C. Rioli
Int: S. Naismith, I. Heeney

Emg: L. Picken, M. Pavlich, S. Kerridge

IN: H. Grundy, I. Heeney
OUT: A. Mackie, L. Picken

Big out in Mackie, but luckily Grundy has been solid lately so is solid cover! Heeney has had two great weeks so has earned his place in the lineup. Hopefully we have the midfield power to match Russia but we certainly have the forwards to 8).

[Rids]

Russia Roulettes

Capt: Zorko
Vice Capt: Hodge

Def: Enright, Burgoyne, Savage, Mayes
Mids: Hodge (VC), Boak, Gray (EVC), Bontempelli
Rucks: Kreuzer
Fwds: Zorko (C), Greene, Montagna, Motlop
Util: Miles, Griffen

emerg: Greenwood, Hogan,  Hansen

[nostradamus]

Spreadsheet link?

[Holz]

Spreadsheet link?

literally just posted it up in the OP, 20 seconds before you posted, as you were typing

[nostradamus]

Spreadsheet link?

literally just posted it up in the OP, 20 seconds before you posted, as you were typing

all good, got to it through last weeks anyway  8)

[Atto]

Spreadsheet link?

literally just posted it up in the OP, 20 seconds before you posted, as you were typing

I love the fine detail provided in this comment haha

[Ziplock]

We're confident

Serbia's going to be in for a thrashing.

[Ziplock]

B: Laird (VC), Haynes, Spurr, Hurn
M: Hunter, Adams (C), Mundy, Kelly
R: Hickey
F: Johnson, Watts, Lynch, Towers
U: Bastinac, Ward

E: Gaff (M), Bugg (B), Clay Smith (F), Hanley (R)

We've made some potentially controversial decisions (largely bastinac > gaff), but we reckon for this week this is our best team, so bring it.

We're struggling a little with injuries, only 1 ruck, one defence back up and legitimate forward back up.

#midfielddepth

[nrich102]

Serbia

Shaw, Boyd, Simpson, Lever
Parker (c), Viney, Pendlebury (vc), Polec
Sandi
Martin, Lecras, Boomer, Jenkins
Weller, Douglas

SD Thompson, Silvagni

Yeah we're stuffed.

[Hellopplz]

Heading into the last day for Semi Final 1 the scene is set.

Russia has a solid lead due to consistent performers across the board lead by a 125 from Captain Dayne Zorko. Their forwards are scoring well and midfielders going well. Iceland though are caught behind due to a few of the fringe players crumbling under the Finals pressure, but the midfield of Lewis, Tyson and Duncan so far combining for 379 to keep them within striking distance!

Russia: 1227 with C. Enright + S. Motlop + A. Miles + HGA (currently 63)
AGAINST
Iceland: 1014 with J. Harbrow + T. Sheridan + M. Duncan + Z. Merrett (C)

If Zerrett can go bezerk and the defenders put in a mighty effort we may come away with the win but the Minor Premiers in the prime position to move onto to the Semi Finals against the Hulks.

[Ziplock]

I havent added my boys together and I haven't looked at serbias players yet, but Svalbard has been singularly putrid this week and I'd be shocked if we came within a couple of hundred points of serbia :p

[Hellopplz]

Zerrett had a huge one and Harbrow with a solid effort.

1346 with Dunks and Sheridan left. Russia still have 3 and the HGA to come with their 1227. We'll need a few bad performances by Motlop and Ellis to come away with the win here! LETS GO POLAR BEARS!!!

[Spite]

Zerrett had a huge one and Harbrow with a solid effort.

1346 with Dunks and Sheridan left. Russia still have 3 and the HGA to come with their 1227. We'll need a few bad performances by Motlop and Ellis to come away with the win here! LETS GO POLAR BEARS!!!

Sorry HP, t is 1277 so think you're all done! (Also it is Miles, not Ellis and the winner plays the Titans, not the Hulks :P )

[Hellopplz]

It really is not my day :P. Yeah had Miles in the original post but brain fade for that. Dang Motlop's last quarter :(.

Russia with a huge 160 this round so congratulations on the win. We will end below 150 so just not enough done by our overall XV compared to your guys. Mayes, Kreuz and Miles only ones to go under 80 which is scary for Titans next week (I must have forgot to switch the teams across when I was thinking of matchups).