Week One: Andrew's Team

FR Andrew Hore (NZL) - $1,140,000
FR Tony Woodcock (NZL) - $790,000

LK Isaac Ross (NZL) - $695,000
LK Nathan Sharpe (AUS) - $1,130,500

LF Richard Brown (AUS) - $867,500
LF George Smith (AUS) - $1,170,000

HV Matt Giteau (AUS) - $1,275,000
HV Stephen Donald (NZL) - $955,500

CT Ma’a Nonu (NZL) - $1,180,500
CT Stirling Mortlock (AUS) - $1,200,000

OB Cory Jane (NZL) - $722,500
OB Sitiveni Sivivatu (NZL) - $1,162,500

Team Value: $12,289,000
Cash in Bank: $11,000

Affording a decent team for the first week of the competition is always a struggle and this year is no exception, so I made sure that I earned my additional $300,000 by inviting friends. Given that the All Blacks play in the first three rounds, I decided to stack my team with them and only pick a handful of Wallabies. Underpriced players like Ross, Brown, Donald and Jane can’t be ignored and picked themselves. Hore seems like an essential buy to me and I’d like to have picked Stephen Moore alongside him but, at the end of the day, I couldn’t afford him. Instead, I plumped for Woodcock, who’ll almost certainly score less than Moore but will hopefully be the highest scoring prop. Sharpe is a perennial performer and seems to earn around 200 points in every match so he filled out the other LK spot. Giteau will likely end up as one of the highest earners this round so seems another (very expensive) essential buy. For the CTs I picked Nonu and Mortlock. Nonu’s performance was indifferent in the June tests but his S14 was mightily impressive and he has the potential to be the highest point scorer this round. Mortlock doesn't earn the TR points he once did now Giteau is the designated place kicker but he's certain to be at the centre of the action throughout the match. For the other OB spot I went for Sivivatu - a TR point scoring machine if ever there was one. I’d like to have partnered him with Muliaina or Mitchell but Jane’s too cheap to be ignored. For my remaining LF spot I went with George Smith. McCaw would be have been my first choice but was unaffordable. Hopefully Smith, playing his 100th test, will have a barnstorming match.

Remember to sell your Wallabies as soon as the round locks. I’m also planning on picking up a couple of Boks for next week too before their prices rise – du Plessis, du Preez and Brussouw are all likely starters and proven TR point earners.