By Japie
July 22 2013

PART THREE – CLUB AWARDS

Moving on from individual brilliance noted in Part 1 and the make-up of the best 2012-13 Premiership squad in Part 2, part three of the End of Season awards addresses TEAM awards.   This category is rather renowned for repeat winners.  Will that be the case again?  Please do read on and add comments at the end as you see fit.

1. BEST PERFORMANCE BY A SARACENS TEAM – Saracens v Ulster Rugby, HC QF, 06 April 2013

In recent seasons with the rise of Saracens there have been, thankfully, very many excellent performances by the Men in Black.  This past season has been no different (and long may that continue).  Voters picked out a variety of games from “At Home on the Road”, “New Beginnings at Allianz Park” or “Away Days with the SSA” (http://www.saracenssupporters.org).  Four games were particularly supported by votes.  The Racing Metro away game played in Nantes in January was a 37-28 win, memorable for fighting back from being seemingly down and out early on in the match.  Going to the Rec on a grim December weather day and managing to ‘nil’ Bath in a 22-0 away win was impressive.   In February we went to Leicester, slipped to a bad half-time deficit, but roared back with a four try second-half dominating blitz to win – even more impressive.  But out in front, just, was our best day at Twickenham last season, that incredible 27-16 win over Ulster in the Heineken Cup quarter-final last April.  Quarter-finals were very good to us this season.  Next year let’s go even further…

2. WORST PERFORMANCE BY A SARACENS TEAM – Saracens v Northampton, AP SF, 12 May 2013

Should we reflect with pain at the games that escaped us?  Don’t look back in anger, I heard them say.  Move on.  But stopping for a moment before we do, voters pointed to several dark days: away to Exeter ; away to Worcester (as someone comments, “what is it about Saracens at that place?  Hopefully the LV= Cup win there will have blown it out of our system); away to London Irish; and being kicked to defeat by Jonny at Twickenham in the Heineken Cup semi -final.  However amongst that lot, for voters, none were so depressing, so unfathomable, so much a wrong that needs righting next season, as that Aviva Premiership semi-final last May.   Saints won 27-13.  We lost our unbeaten Allianz Park record.  We will return to our home next season and must never ever be out-muscled, out-fought and out played again.  Can’t have Dylan smiling there again can we?

3. FAVOURITE CLUB TO VISIT FOR AN AWAY GAME: Exeter Chiefs

Why do we like going to other clubs?  Looks like that comes down to a massive range of factors judging by the range of venues we saw as our favourite.  Voters’ choices included Bath, Quins, Munster, Treviso and, this I concur with wholeheartedly despite it being a ‘home’ game, beautiful Brussels (quand est le prochain jeu à Bruxelles?).  Last year voters chose the trip to Sandy Park to play Exeter as their favourite.  The year before that, it was Exeter again.  In a remarkable ‘three-peat’, we’re lovin’ it in the South West again…!

4. LEAST FAVOURITE CLUB TO VISIT FOR AN AWAY GAME: London Welsh

And why do we not like to going to other grounds?  Comments show that voters sense “smell” is a factor in visits to Salford City Stadium.   Surprisingly, he says with tongue in cheek, some don’t like visits to Welford Road (but we WIN there!).   Adams Park is described by some as “a toilet”.  The luxury of The Stoop is frowned on by others.  Out in front, perhaps surprisingly, up in Oxford at the Kassam, the Premiership newcomers and rather sadly one-season relegation side, the Welsh.  Yes, not Gloucester.   Big love to the delighted Shed.

5. BEST OPPOSITION FANS: (2011-12 winners: Clermont Auvergne) – Toulon

In a fine demonstration of the spirit of the game, voters express their respect and comradeship with opposition fans by spreading votes around the various fans we’ve had the good fortune to watch our great game with.  Votes showed great support for Exeter (now there’s a thing); the “friendly and gracious in defeat” Edinburgh fans; Munster’s army (sorry about the music over your singing); and Ulster’s singing in numbers at Twickenham and others.  Out in front though was the passionate support shown by the Toulonnais.  We have “Here We Go”, “Stand Up” and, to mixed reviews, “Can You Hear the People Sing?”  Toulon has “Pilou Pilou”: now if only we had a song like that… “Because Sar-ries (RED!); because Sar-ries (BLACK!); because Sar-ries (RED AND BLACK!).”

6. WORST OPPOSITION FANS: Northampton Saints (a few of them…)

There were few votes submitted for this category.  I think that’s probably a good thing.  Two comments particularly chimed: “No problem with any fans on match-days”; and “Keyboard Warriors - I am not going to select a club here. We all read about terrible experiences at other clubs and it usually doesn’t match mine talking to real people. All clubs have their numpties and some of them reside on Sports Network. So I am going to go for Keyboard Warriors – of whichever club. You know who you are!”  Last year Gloucester’s Shed ‘won’.  However this year we mildly consider, without wishing to cause offence to our very many respected Saints friends, that they have a few too many “wrong ‘uns” amongst the crowd.

7. FAVOURITE OTHER AP TEAM (NON-SARACENS): Exeter Chiefs

The spread of votes suggest we not a particularly partisan bunch.  For example, votes suggest we might not like going to the Kassam, but we like their team.   Leicester, Irish, Wasps and others all gained support in this category.  However I suspect we might need to retire this category.  We like them just far too much:  it’s another three-peat win for Exeter  (and as one voter commented, “ I am so sorry about the fat lady!”).

8. LEAST FAVOURITE TEAM: Northampton Saints

Who are our rivals?  That might be the category here: which team is a least favourite whether because they challenge us hard, behaviour of their players, a small section of their fans, their toilet ground, their mentality, their – who knows – dreadful kit.  There was only one winner based on the votes.  Jim Malinder’s merry men clearly get under the skin of some.  Clearly then a few people might have jumped up to applaud Dylan Hartley’s red card dismissal in the Aviva Premiership final.  Or was this just down to them dishing up arguably our most painful defeat in the season?  Time to move on everyone, and win against them home and away with grit and style next season.

9. BEST BAR: Allianz Park

Amazing!  Exeter Chiefs lose a crown: their back to back best bar awards has been snatched from their hands like an overzealous barman looking to get rid of an intoxicated drunkard.  This vote was, uniquely, absolutely solidly unanimous.  Tell Edward – we love the new Allianz Park bars.  The East Stand bar in particular is singled out in comments for high levels of match day experience.  Serve me up a pint of Saracens Ale please…

 10. WORST BAR: (2011-12 winners: Twickenham -again!)

This was not quite unanimous, but overwhelming nevertheless.  Welsh and Bath had unhappy voters.  However waaaaaaaay out in front was the scandalously overpriced Twickenham.  Bad beer, dreadful prices.

11. BEST FOOD: Allianz Park

This was another huge tick from fans for the Allianz Park catering.  Home food comforts clearly resonate with us fans. The choice! Hot dogs, schnitzel, pizza (at your seat!), hog roast rolls, mouth-wateringly delicious Indian wraps (roll on August!) and the “So pie, pie, I miss the Saracens pie; walked from my car to bar and the living was high; And them good old boys were drinkin' Saracens and wine; Singin' ‘That'll be the day that I diet, That'll be the day that I diet.’"

12. WORST FOOD': Twickenham

Another category that will just have to be retired!  Although we have different tastes, in one sense an overwhelming number of voters are agreed.  For the third, fourth, five time or for all of eternity it seems, our food hell is the RFU’s HQ at Twickenham.  Many commented about the outrageous prices.  And we visited three times this season.  Come on RFU, sort it out!

That’s all.  The FINAL part is coming soon – the miscellaneous categories including the prestigious “THE MICHAEL GENTLEMAN (SAMUI MAN) CONTRIBUTION TO THESARACENS.COM MESSAGE BOARD”.  I didn’t win…