END OF SEASON POLL 2015-16 FINAL PART

  Here is the last part of our poll for 2015-16. My independent scrutineer, Clara the Labrador is by the front door with her lead having chewed up the slide-rule (I think that probably means she’s had enough). So without further ado, here is the last instalment of the poll.  

23. Best Bar. I think we will have to stop including this one because yet again it was absolutely unanimously Allianz Park

24. Worst Bar. Can we have a worst bar without a best bar I wonder? Definitely more variation here: with mentions for the Mad Stad, Lyon and Worcester but as usual it was a 2 horse race between last year’s winner Twickenham, and this year’s winner Wembley

25. Best Food. The only real challengers this year were once again French: Lyon and Toulouse getting a couple of mentions although someone nominated his own packed lunch! Honorable mention to Sandy Park, but as usual, this year’s winner, wood-fired pizzas and all (even though the pies aren’t quite what they were) is Allianz Park

26. Worst Food.  Again a bit more variation than usual with several votes (including mine) going to Stade Charles Malthon – I think it’s because we expect so much more of our French neighbours than chips! The Etihad (world cup I presume) was nominated for running out of everything before half time and once again the Mad Stad (what is it with these footy grounds?) But once again it was down to the usual suspects and this year it was a dead heat between HQ and Wembley so once again I get the casting vote. The worst food for me (probably because I got a bit of hospitality at Wembley!) was undoubtedly at Twickenham

27. Best Saracens Moment. So much to choose from here (what a season it was). Nominations included Duncan Taylor’s amazing pass off his toes for Alex Goode’s try v Ulster, Spencer’s try against Toulouse, the final whistle at Twickenham giving Maro a 100% start:win ratio and lots of different Lyon-related moments: The final whistle in Lyon, The whole weekend in Lyon, Faz’s winning penalty in Lyon, the team running towards the crowd with the trophy in Lyon, singing Championes in Lyon and many more. But this is about a single moment not a fantastic weekend so the best Saracens Moment of 2015-16 was Alex Goode’s try at Twickenham against Exeter that sealed the double.

28. Worst Saracens Moment. Fortunately less to choose from this time! A few of you went for Ashy’s disciplinary hearing and one for Faz’s disciplinary hearing but all the rest related to that awful home defeat to Wasps. Several different suggestions as to the actual moment (including the fact that you went to the game at all!) but most related to those 3 tries scored so early on in the game. So the winner is 8 minutes into the home game v Wasps when the Pests scored their 3^rd try.

29. Funniest Moment of the Season. Lots of interesting suggestions here (you have better memories than me). Lots of you liked “don’t mess with Jim” and Alex Sanderson’s pitch-side interviews. There was mention for Faz’s dropped try at Toulouse and “the boy with the blue hat and sharp haircut” who appropriated the ball. Jamie George outsprinting the opposition to score a try was mentioned as was “pundits finally recognising Sarries have a worthwhile gameplan”. There were also some personal memories such as dancing with Exeter fans 8 hours after kick off and banter with Tigs fans at welford Road but the most votes went to a peace-making chocolate bar. Billy’s chocolate bar to be precise. The funniest moment of the season was Billy Vunipola telling Ulster to “calm down and have a Kit-Kat”

30. Best Referee. Always interesting this one and not quite as straightforward as you might think. Nominations for good old Ashley (who is retiring), Greg Garner, Luke Pearce and Matt Carley but streaks ahead were Wales’ very best Nigel Owens, and even further ahead of him (although the only time he reffed Sarries last season was in the Premiership final) was England’s finest Wayne Barnes

31. Worst Referee. Someone dared to nominate Glenda for the 3^rd test SA v Ireland (duck to avoid incoming missiles). But most of the nominees were sadly our newbie referees. You still haven’t forgiven JP Doyle or Graham Hughes (and one of you said give the youngsters time to become Luke Pearce) but they were outvoted by Tom Foley and this years “winner” (if that’s the right word) Craig Maxwell-Keys.

32. Best Media Performance by a Rugby Celebrity or Broadcaster. Maybe things are looking up but there were quite a few suggestions. Nominations included Nick Mullins, Jonny Wilkinson, Austin Healey, Ben Kay, Maggie Alphonsi (I thought she was good), David Flatman, Mark Durden Smith, the whole of BT Sport, Stephen Jones in the Times for his “Damascene” conversion to Sarries and Brian Moore. But once again your favourite Media performer was Will Greenwood

33. Worst Performance by a Rugby Celebrity or Broadcaster. So would this finally be the year that “Fatboy” got knocked off his perch? Well there were attempts from Andy Nichol, Ian McGeechan (for his awful memory), Dewi Morris, Ugo Monye, Rob Vickerman, Craig Doyle and coming up on the rails, Owen Slot “for his hateful piece in the times about Owen Farrell”. But none can fall to the depths of your choice for the worst media performer who is yet again that well known cock womble  Stuart Barnes

34. Michael Gentleman Award for the Best Contribution to the Saracens Message Board. Firstly thank you for all your kind words to me personally, they are really much appreciated (especially the person who said he’d been around long enough to remember who Darragh was – time flies!) But this year I am disqualifying myself. Which makes it very interesting because there were a lot of nominations for 2 frequent visitors to this site, Quinten Poulson and particularly SaintED who very nearly became the first “foreigner” to win this category. However he was just pipped to the post by our magnificent previewer and match reporter Gerard better known as Behind the Bench.

Well “that’s all folks” as they say in the cartoons.