END OF SEASON POLL 2019-20 # 2
By The Saracens
January 17 2021
So my laptop died but the info has now been retrieved and transposed onto a new version which means it's time for the results of the second part of ;ast season's poll. (and anyway who wants to read about yesterday's dire performance!)
11. AVIVA PREMIERSHIP PLAYER OF THE SEASON
So to wider matters and some people are looking outside the confines of Barnet. Once again this one came down to a choice of 2 players. While European player of the year Sam Simmonds didn’t get much support, the runner up was his brother and Exeter Captain Joe Simmonds but your winner (“he’s been phenomenal”, “he’s been brilliant”) is also the Gallagher Premiership Players’ Player of the Year, Wasps’ flanker JACK WILLIS
12. INTERNATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR (OUTSIDE PREMIERSHIP)
Some interesting suggestions here including our own Nick Tompkins (cheeky), Kotaro Matsushima (“he lit up the World Cup with his skill, flexibility & attitude” – Ed. seems hard to believe that was only last a year ago!), Romain Ntmack, Cheslin Kolbe & Siya Kolisi but our winner is that very promising French scrum half (“absolute class act”) ANTOINE DUPONT
13. MARTIN JOHNSON AWARD FOR LEAST FAVOURITE OPPOSITION PLAYER
A bit of variation here but the same names keep coming up although Willi Heinz was a new one for me. Faf de Clerk was also a new entrant (“I admire his skill but detest his attitude”) along with regulars Jonny Sexton (“going down like the most pathetic of footballers, and going missing when it mattered most”) and Mike Brown but this year’s winner, and retaining his crown from 2019 (what is it about gobby scrum halves?) is Harlequins’ DANNY CARE
14. THE ALBANESE AWARD FOR THE WORST PERFORMANCE BY AN OPPOSITION PLAYER AGAINST SARACENS
2 players dominated this category. Taqele Naiyaravoro didn’t seem to be able to get his act together whenever the 2 sides met (“never delivers what he threatened”) but the overwhelming choice was a man who was totally and utterly outplayed by his stand-in opposition number. For his inept performance in Dublin, the winner is JONNY SEXTON.
15. THE PLAYER YOU WOULD MOST LIKE TO JOIN SARACENS IN 2021 Interesting ideas here “Our loanees back in one piece”, “a decent young scrum half” along with Shannon Frizell (“great potential”), Siya Kolisi (“charisma, leadership & one hell of a player”), Virimi Vakatawa and Avi Raka but the winner is indeed that decent young scrum half ANTOINE DUPONT
16. BEST PERFORMANCE BY A SARACENS TEAM
The must-win performance at home to Racing the day after we were relegated gets a mention as does the away win at Castle Grim straight after the salary cap was announced and the away win at Franklin’s Gardens (come on that’s a regular feat now) but there really is only one winner. Because of everything that went on before it, because of losing Owen, because it meant so much, the best performance by a Saracens Team last season was of course at the Aviva Stadium (“a demonstration that nothing could break the team’s spirit”) and that FABULOUS VICTORY OVER UNBEATEN LEINSTER
17. WORST PERFORMANCE BY A SARACENS TEAM
Well this was confined to on-field of course but even so there really was only 1 contender – that abject capitulation by a full strength Sarries team to an opposition team largely made up of 3rd team players. Yes it was that day to be forgotten – THE HOME PREMIERSHIP DEFEAT TO WASPS
18. VENUE YOU ARE MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO VISITING
There were several quite understandable suggestions of “anywhere” and a rather wistful “Copt Hall Stadium”. One correspondent wanted to go to Coventry for old times sake and several to Penzance but not surprisingly, the venue you are hoping you might get to visit next season is JERSEY
19. FAVOURITE AWAY VENUE
Understandably most people didn’t manage many away trips last season. Limerick was suggested (usually a jolly town) and Franklins Gardens (“the fixture that keeps on giving”) but most of you went for that fabulous weekend in Paris and the seriously impressive (“and anywhere that serves good beer and steak tartare with frites is alright with me”) LA DEFENSE ARENA
20. LEAST FAVOURITE AWAY VENUE
Again not easy because so many away trips were cancelled and effectively it came down to 3. The Liberty Stadium (although one correspondent said it was better than he expected), The Ricoh (although again one correspondent was looking forward to a trip there) which leaves the only venue for which no one had anything positive to say THE STOOP
21. BEST REFEREE
Luke Pearce, last year’s winner, barely got a mention this time. There was support as always for Wayne Barnes and Nigel Owens. Ben O’Keefe received some support as did Jerome Garces and Christophe Ridley but the man in the middle with the most support is (and just to prove we don’t hate everything Quins) KARL DICKSON
22. JP DOYLE TOM FOLEY AWARD FOR THE WORST REFEREE
For whatever reason, JP has departed the Premiership (I always quite liked him I have to say). Ian Tempest got a mention and Romain Poite seems to have upset you somewhat (“at Parc y Scarlets he was appalling”) but once again (and from next year this award will be named after him as he has won it for several years now) the worst referee (“he just sucks the life out of the game”) is TOM FOLEY
23. WILL GREENWOOD AWARD FOR THE BEST MEDIA PERFORMANCE BY A RUGBY CELEBRITY OR BROADCASTER
Lots of suggestions in this one which has to be a real positive for coverage of the game going forward. Sam Warburton, Maggie Alphonsie, Chris Ashton, Phil Kearns, Ian McGeechan and a late entry from Alex Goode but once again we may need to consider renaming this category because, along with his mate Mark Durden-Smith, the best broadcaster is once again DAVID FLATMAN
24. STUART BARNES AWARD FOR THE WORST MEDIA PERFORMANCE BY A RUGBY CELEBRITY OR BROADCASTER
Surprisingly (and mainly because we haven’t seen much of him) the cockwomble didn’t get a mention! With dishonourable mention to Gordon Darcy, this award goes to the Sarrie-haters Danny Care, Alastair Ekyn and most loathsome of all, (and I still wonder what we did to him during his time in Watford) “a*se of the highest order” ANDY GOODE
25. MICHAEL GENTLEMAN AWARD FOR THE BEST CONTRIBUTION TO THE MESSAGE BOARD
This one is embarrassing because you all nominated myself (and Tony) for our efforts in “keeping the Board on the straight and narrow and steering it through the choppy waters of the Salary Cap issues”. One of you suggested a “Troll of the season” award but I really don’t think so! So thank you all for your kind words. It hasn’t been easy and at times I wonder why we bother but we have to believe there is a light at the end of this long dark tunnel and by this time next year we are back where we belong, playing in front of 10,000 supporters at Copt Hall StoneX and cheering on the best club in the land.
Please continue to post, continue to offer previews and reports (once we get some live rugby again) and especially to leave a comment on the front page articles because it makes such a difference, when you have spent time putting pen to paper, to know others have read and enjoyed them.
For the first time last year we featured Saracens Women in the poll – after all they are Champions in their own right. Most of you, like me, haven’t seen enough of the women’s game to make sensible suggestions so thanks primarily to Alan & Matt for this section of the poll:
- Women’s Player of the Year - Shame this season was prematurely cancelled really. Lisa Martin was up there but leading from the front and with 8 tries for the skipper, who didn’t miss a game, the award goes to LOTTIE CLAPP
- Young Player of the Year –Kelsey Clifford and Rosie Galligan did well but really setting the standard for dynamic props in the women’s game, the award goes to HANNAH BOTTERMAN.
- 'Old' Player of the Year - it's generally quite a young team we've got but scoring a lot of tries from the front row and also a valuable coaching asset given her vast international experience, the award goes to ROCKY CLARKE
- Unsung Hero – 2 suggestions here, Sarah McKenna - reliable international full back, and this year’s winner, hooker MAY CAMPBELL
- Find of the Season - a great signing at Fly Half LISA MARTIN
- Performance of the Season - 24-7 down at half time, turned it around to 27-33 towards the end, and held firm with the opposition camped on our line for the final few minutes the best performance was AWAY TO HARLEQUINS
That’s all folks! Let’s hope we have a 2021 season so we can do all this again later in the year!
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:02:10:07:08:42 by Darraghgirl.
for TT. Well done and thanks for all your hard work.It's a long time since Sports network paid anything!
Quote:TonyTaff
Yet more sterling work from DG to collate the results despite having to cope with failing tech!
you are too kind!