Week Eight: Andrew's Team

THE ORCADIANS - Facebook S14

*New buys in italics

FR John Smit (SAF) - $1,270,000
FR Gurthro Steenkamp (SAF) - $815,000

LK Nathan Sharpe (AUS) - $1,242,500
LK Victor Matfield (SAF) - $1,202,500

LF Juan Smith (SAF) - $1,200,000
LF Pierre Spies (SAF) - $1,197,500

HV Morne Steyn (NZL) - $1,242,500
HV Will Genia (AUS) - $1,097,500

CT Jaque Fourie (SAF) - $1,210,000
CT Matt Giteau (AUS) - $1,330,000

OB Drew Mitchell (AUS) - $1,135,000
OB James O'Connor (AUS) - $1,225,000

Team Value: $14,167,500
Cash in Bank: $2,230,850

My team did okay last week. I closed the gap to 200ish behind Pikey in the league but that's a lot of points to make up in the two final weeks. My world ranking fell to 55, my second lowest world rank since the tournament started, and again, only two weeks to make up the lost ground.

Looking at the teams this week it seems the most open in terms of picks so far. At most positions there are a number of options whereas in previous weeks there tended to be only a few obvious choices. It's a week of hard decisions!

In the front row I gambled and threw in Steenkamp. It defies all normal testrugby logic to pick a prop over a hooker, but the big Bok has performed (and earned) excellently all tournament, which is more than can be said for either of the Wallaby hookers. It might have been a different story if Polatu-Nau had been fit.

I sold Pocock for Juan Smith in the loosies. The latter's been outstanding since he returned and I'm glad that Pierre Spies finally seems to be pulling his weight a little more. That said, this position feels pretty wide open - Elsom, Burger, Smith, Pocock or Spies could all top the table this week.

I repented for my sin of selecting Cooper ahead of Genia last week and reinstated the Wallaby scrum-half.

Just to mix it up, I swapped Fourie for De Villiers on a gut feeling that he'll score a try this week. Giteau's injury niggle worries me a little but, if the reports are true, he should be okay.

I stuck with my Wallaby wing pairing in the OBs but this is another open position - Mitchell, O'Connor, Hougaard or Beale could all dominate and Steyn's always an unknown quantity, crap points last week which means he might play a blinder this weekend.

Good luck everyone!