Saracens
The results of the first part of the 2011-12 Season Awards
By Japie
July 8 2012
So here it is…and about time too (sorry).
Saracens Player of the Year
We were blessed last year with superb performances from so many Saracens players in the 2011-12 season. That was reflected in votes being cast across the team with support understandably in particular for Charlie Hodgson, Ernst Joubert and Brad Barritt. However in the end one great young player walked away with it, winning more votes than the other put together. Take a bow, England’s new full back, Alex Goode. Comments included, “totally dependable, never struggles to match the quality of any opposition” and “Offers pace in covering defence, a decent boot, and the kind of rugby brain that always puts him where he needs to be, making it look easy”.
WINNER: ALEX GOODE
Saracens Young Player of the Year
One of the most exciting elements of the Saracens squad is the way that young players are brought to the fore, tested in the heat of the battle and prove themselves fully worthy of the shirt. And so it was again in this past season, partly due to injuries to more established stars but also through their determination and effort. Votes for this category ranged widely but in the end, like the main player of the year award, there was a runaway winner. Not that long ago he was playing for Cambridge RFC. His swift transition to Premiership and Heineken Cup is quite astounding. Well done Ben Spencer (@ben_spencer9). As one voter commented, “Rose to the top when injuries left him as last man standing, and let nobody down.” Already an England Saxon, he is surely a huge star of the future.
WINNER: BEN SPENCER
Saracens Old Player of the Year
Like fine wine, some players age perfectly, maturing gracefully and always impressing when brought out on the big occasion. And so it is with Saracens’ “old guard”, the players who use their experience, skill and nous to inspire and lead the young whippersnappers around them. Giants in the team like Carlos Nieto, Neil de Kock, Steve Borthwick and Ernst Joubert. Like the first two categories though, the winner won by a large margin. The youngest of seven brothers, 6’6”, King Ginger, the man known as HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGEEEEEEEEEE, he of the legendary drop-goal Hugh Vyvyan. Fair thee well sir in retirement.
WINNER: HUGH VYVYAN
Aviva Premiership (Non Sarries) Player of the Year
So many fantastic players grace the Premiership and one of the joys of rugby is that we widely acknowledge opposition stars, applaud their stand-out performances and revel in their play, even when desperately wanting Saracens to collectively do enough to beat them. The range of votes submitted reflects the high standards across all the teams. It’s perhaps no surprise though that the team of the year and new Champions, Harlequins, provided many of the most supported players in this category. In the end, the new England Captain beat one of the best fly-halves ever to play in the Premiership. Take a bow, Chris Robshaw (@ChrisRobshaw).
WINNER: CHRIS ROBSHAW
International Player of the Year
In a World Cup season there’s no surprise that stars from that tournament stood out in voters’ minds. The Six Nations also threw up star names to make it on to the voting lists. A huge range of different players were put forward including French, Welsh, Irish and South Africans. But the New Zealand international First XV did quite well too. Chief amongst them, their leader, an inspiration, the great Richie McCaw. As one voter commented, “Does he cheat and get away with it? Hell yes. Would you sign him in an instant if he was available? No question.”
WINNER: RICHIE MCCAW
Favourite Saracens Player
There was a wide range of support from fans for players lucky enough to wear the Saracens shirt. Forwards and backs, we all clearly have different reasons for considering one of the players our “favourite”. In my view one of the comments about the winner summed the great man up well: “Plays the game the way it should be: intense and uncompromising on the pitch, with humility and enjoyment off it”. Way out in front in this category the winner was hooker, back row, fly half, and wherever else he wants to play Schalk Brits (@SchalkBrits).
WINNER: SCHALK BRITS
Best performance by an opposition player against Saracens
This is one of those odd categories. We revel in great performances from all players on the pitch but we hope Saracens manager to come out on top. And in recent times it’s been a pleasure to recognise that you have to be a pretty special team to beat Saracens, home or away. Sometimes it’s a whole team that beats us, whereas other times it’s one stand-out performance that seems unilaterally to take the game away from us. In this past season we didn’t lose many times again and when we did it was to an outstanding opposition team. Voters particularly focused votes on the Heineken Cup Quarter-final and the magnificent performance from Clermont with early substitute Brock James quite incredible. But the winner was in fact won with one moment of a veteran full back’s confidence, one scuffed drop goal that clinched a hard-fought win for Tigers at Vicarage Road and contrasted hugely with his own fly-half…
WINNER: GEORDAN MURPHY
The “Albanese” – Worst performance by an opposition player against Saracens.
A few years ago a Leeds Tykes’ player called Diego Albanese came to Vicarage Road and had a shocker, a total nightmare, a truly awful performance. Nothing he did came off. He looked broken and beaten as he trudged off the pitch. And so we celebrate, drawing honour out of that adversity, his unusually poor game by naming the worst opposition performance we’ve witnessed in the season. Though there were quite a few individual and performances named, there was one above all else that attracted votes. Where Murphy rose to the occasion, the Tigers’ fly-half sunk, appearing to choke with the pressure and, as commented by one voter, “appeared to completely lose his bottle: that’s what you’re paid for man!”. I think he’s a great player, influential and hugely talented, but on this occasion, oh dear, Tobias Gerald Albert Lieven Flood, you had a stinker.
WINNER: TOBY FLOOD
The Martin Johnson Memorial Least Favourite Opposition Player Award
Since “Jonno” retired, votes in this category have always been quite widely spread, showing we fans clearly focus the cause of our ire on different aspects of players’ games. Notable votes this season included Morgan Parra’s dreadful theatrics at Vicarage Road (this isn’t football, diving’s for the pool) and the perennial fans’ chump Delon Armitage. But quite deservedly in this category named after a tall lock with a trigger-temper and flailing fists, Gloucester’s Scottish ‘enforcer’ swept this category. As one comment had it, “he’s probably very nice to his mum, but…”
WINNER: JIM HAMILTON
Player you’d most like to join Sarries for next season
Is this the “fantasy rugby” category or the one where we acknowledge what we think is our team’s main weakness and how we think it could be solved? Perhaps it just recognises that however good we are we can probably be better with one or two additions. And votes came in for a range of players but other than one mighty young South African lock, Eben Etzebeth (a great shout by that voter) and a prop or two, most votes focused on options for our centre partnership. Brian O’Driscoll, Sonny-Bill Williams, Jonathan Joseph and others were mentioned. But out in front, as so often his electric pace results in, is France and ASM Clermont Auvergne’s outstanding centre Wesley Fofana. He can play on the wing too. Check out You Tube tribute videos for some incredible action. Saracens have some fantastic talent in the backs but if we could prise him away from France I’m sure he’d light up the Premiership for years.
WINNER: WESLEY FOFANA
That’s part one. Votes for parts 2 and 3 soon.
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Stumbleupon08/07/2012 21:26
TT
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2012:08:25:11:41:11 by TonyTaff.
... They haven't been published because the Eds are incompetent/indolent/complacent/forgotten how to work computers
It's a long time since Sports network paid anything!
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