End of Season Poll: Pt 1
Star Players
By T
July 14 2010
And so the season has been and gone and all that remains is watching some bunch of no hopers kicking a ball aimlessly, while the media screams abuse about the dire fare on show in the southern hemisphere. I could equally be talking about the Football World Cup or England’s tour to Australia, so have part one of the end of season poll to keep you amused for 20 minutes or so over the Summer period.
Player of the Year
Alex Goode recently said in an interview that Saracens was made up of “14 workhorses and a hooker.” he was nearly right… The coveted Player of the Year award was a simple two horse race and no doubt to our detractor’s delight it was two South African thoroughbreds that galloped away from the competition.
I’m probably better off dropping this horse metaphor before I describe some one as a gelding and receive a very uncomfortable evening at the players awards next season when said player is on my table. So rather than I put my foot in why don’t I let you describe the two runners in 15.06 Dominos Pizza Steeplechase from Vicarage Road
Ersnt Joubert was described by his voters as “immense in every way, and a true captain since Steve’s injury”, “excellent leadership throughout the season, even when he wasn't captain” and as “not a weak area to his game, and the team has prospered under his captaincy.”
Schalk ‘Rugby Player’ Brits was described as “immense” “unbelievably talented, making true his claimed position as "rugby player" and the “The Incredible Schalk… has been mesmerising.”
So who was the winner? A late surge up the rails by our number 8 means that this award was a total dead heat between the two
Winners Schalk Brits & Ernst Joubert
Young Player of the Year
One of our voters claimed that Adam Powell should no longer be in this category despite him only turning 23 this year. Young Adam still picked up a few votes alongside the 3ft 6in and 11stone no longer too small for England Brad Barritt who despite looking like a Desperate Dan 30something in his squad photo is still also only 23.
Michael Tagicakibau picked up a couple of votes much to my annoyance as I can never spell his name, and George Kruis picked up a vote based upon his A team performances this year. But again it comes down to two…
Andy Saull has had an incredible season. He’s doing stuff now that HRH Richard Hill never did, I mean for all Hilly’s ‘Professor Snape’ skills in the Dark Arts he never outpaced England backs 40 metres out or took three tackles and still offloaded the ball did he?! It’s probably for that very reason Saully has written off as ‘a bit flash’ by the mono-browed knuckle dragger in charge of the national side. While Andy Saull might be in one of the flamboyant positions in the pack alongside the Hooker (I never thought I would ever write that), he’s always going to have to work doubly hard, as he spends half his time at the bottom of the ruck, to get more votes than his best mate that plays at Fullback...
We’ll it’s not really a surprise is it? It’s not the first time that Alex Goode has strolled past his peers this season. Now sports a Campese style hand bandage which is no doubt why he’s been deemed “too flash” for England by the singled cell amoeba that make up the national coaches. Let me leave the platitudes up to you lot …
“We had one Goode once and he gave every appearance of being a pie-eating tubster with a big boot but who failed to spread light into our hearts. The new Goode is a class or more above: electric feet, bewitching step and hopefully about to enter new realms of greatness at fly-half next season.”
“just looks so dangerous and he worries the opposition, if he's as good a fly half as full back then England awaits”
“continues to shine, not that Jonno has noticed.”
“the best back in England”
“If Goode is not among the best two No 15s in the country right now, the Pope is a Presbyterian”
…Actually that last one was Chris Hewett in the Independent, the rest however are all yours. The boy is a class act. Lets see if he can secure a hat trick of young player of the year awards next season playing at 10, lets be honest it won’t be for want of support as the whole of England are desperate for him to succeed in filling the hole in the national side.
Winner Alex Goode
2nd Andy Saull
3rd Brad Barritt & Adam Powell
Old Player of the Year
The challengers in this award normally get a few extra votes when they’re leaving so it’s no surprise to see two of the top three are retirees this season. However it says massive amounts about Hugh Vyvyan that he can gain enough votes without the need for the extra sentimental ones!
Vyvyan has been, well, a giant at Lock this season, showed that anything the likes of Saull, Brits, Botha could do ball in hand so could he. His performance in the GP final was worthy of man of the match award, doing all the dirty work yet still charging round the paddock like an overexcited puppy. His pass for Wyles’ try in the Semi Final will surely be nominated in the highlights of the season video. Shows no signs of stopping, thank god.
Justin Marshall is retiring and I’m pretty sure when the mullet haired mercenary turned up there were very few that thought two years later he would have transformed into a cracking clubman that will be applauded out of the front door. It only took Justin will the age of 46 to calm down and realise that if he wanted to keep dyeing hair and wearing fake tan he’d need to be on the TV, to do that he’d need to show his true class after a previous unhappy stint and mud flinging when he departed Leeds. While his 76 year old legs might not carry around the pitch like it used to his brain is still as sharp as it ever was, who needs to outsprint a 20 year old young enough to be your son when your decision making gives you a 5 second head start?! His performances against Harlequins was straight out the top draw, while his ability to run a game at the death was key in getting us so close to beating Leicester for the Championship. He’s going to be a big hole to fill next season.
Legend is an overused statement that is thrown around to regularly for my liking. But Glen Jackson is as close to being one as we’ve had. Arguably the greatest flyhalf we’ve ever had in a Saracens shirt. When not kicking thousands of points and moaning at referees he was pulling the strings for all the young English talent outside him. He’s going to be an incredible miss to the side. It would have been great to send him off with the trophy he so richly deserved, but it was not to be. Here are some of the things that you had to say about him…
“All the skills a fly-half needs.”
“Even on rotation he never let his head drop, he moves the back line so well and I wish he weren't leaving!”
“There can be only one in his last season. I don't think even the great Marshy would be fussed if Glen retired this trophy. Record points scorer by over a thousand points. Mainstay of the side for years. Arrived a Kiwi, leaves a Saracen.”
“Gave us everything this year, with almost the best saved til last at HQ yesterday. We will miss him quite amazingly”
“Glenda has showed in the last 2 months just what we will be missing. Hopefully he has been teaching Goodey so he can step-up”
While he probably has another couple of years in him, it’s his choice to stroll off into the sunset to make the transition from player to referee, it will be interesting to see him come up against a fly half who moans to the referees half as much as he did to see how he likes it…
Winner Glen Jackson
2nd Justin Marshall
3rd Hugh Vyvyan
GP Player of the Year
A wide mix of players in a variety of positions no less than 5 Northampton players were nominated, which pretty much busts the myth we don’t like the web toed bunch, ten junctions up the M1…
…Unless of course Juandre Kruger got his vote as he’s South African. Chris Ashton got a vote because he was so bad in the SF at Franklins Gardens. Bruce Reihana got his vote because voter always votes for him. Tonga’uiha got his as people thought he was still joining us. Dowson got voted for giving away that would prove to be the match winning penalty in the semi?!
Votes also for Front row pair Ben Cole and Carl Haymen which is impressive in the latter’s case as he always seemed to be injured if he had to travel more than 2miles outside of Newcastle. Leicester Scrum Half Ben Youngs also got a truck load of votes for presumably for not being Harry Ellis.
Begrudgingly I do have to admit that Dowson, Tonga’liar and Youngs have been three of the stand out players and deservedly jointly win this award, but that doesn’t mean I can’t take the piss out of them!
Winners Phil Dowson, Soane Tonga’uiha, Ben Youngs
2nd Chris Ashton
3rd Ben Cole
International Player of the Year
Not a single Englishman nominated and no surprise when Martin Johnsons side make the early season Saracens look, well, like the late season Saracens.
The normal Taffia votes for Shane Williams and Gareth Jenkins are in this year as is one for Dan Parks. Yes that’s right the only fly half in the Northern Hemisphere more boring than Jonny Wilkinson’s Toulon (that is what he’s called now isn’t it?) some how got a vote. Tommy Bowe also took several votes for what has been a pretty decent 12 months for the Irishman.
Yet again the award was dominated by France and the Southern Hemisphere nations. Imanual Harioniquy gets a couple of votes as did the impressive Aussie duo with stupid names Quade Cooper and Will Genia. Scourge of the Lions Heinrich Brussow also takes several votes.
But the runaway was another of those identikit small French scrum halves that want to put the ball in the scrum and kick penalties that the French seem to keep producing. In fact I’m still confused as to why the French fly halves haven’t blockaded the channel tunnel or gone on strike about these 9’s that keep turning up and doing their job… anyway step forward this years Élissalde/ Yaschvilli / Dupuy/ one Morgan Parra who in 15 cap’s time will no doubt be discarded for another scrum half/flyhalf hybrid in miniature.
Winner Morgan Parra
2nd Will Genia, Heinrich Brussow & Quade Cooper
3rd Tommy Bowe & Imanual Haridorniquy
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2010:07:29:13:10:24 by Kat..
Graeme
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:07:15:09:04:55 by Rupes.
He's alwight that Cole.
Thanks though T for putting this together. I look forward to the next part!
Quote:AP
SST - you've really lost it.
So, you admit I had it before. Interesting...
I just get so bored writing about Leicester that my attention just dissa....
I hope Dai Young has bought the right one
It's a long time since Sports network paid anything!
When is pt 2 (sorry very slow week at work coming up so hoping for something to digest!)
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:07:26:15:57:03 by primavesi.
Who removed my H.R. Giger picture?
It's a long time since Sports network paid anything!