By Japie (and TT)
August 15 2013

For the benefit of those who missed this. NB We are in urgent need of more articles.

One learned contributor noted, “You should've said ‘No Sarries’”, which made me concerned that we would all just put our best biased hats on and vote for what would essentially amount to no more than the Saracens First XV.  Fortunately you are a broadly fair-minded bunch and though there is a decent smattering of Men in Black in the side, the votes show we can recognise the talents that lie in other team’s powerful ranks.  I think it’s worth comparing our choices with those voted on in the official Aviva Premiership Team of the Year voted on in an open vote by fans.  Given that Leicester Tigers have the largest fan base, judging my their fabulous attendance figures at Welford Road, their dominance of the Team of the Year may be down to more than the overall effort that brought them yet another Premiership title at Twickenham in May.

15 Full back – Alex Goode - Saracens   (Aviva:  Luke Arscott - Exeter Chiefs)

This was the Battle of the England Contenders, as with the odd exception, the votes came down to the quadrumvirate of Mike “Has he ever had a good game against Saracens” Brown of Harlequins, Mr Saturdays Foden of Saints and the Leicester Tiger Mathew (yes, only the one t) Tait as well as our Alex “Ebenezer Twinkle Toes” Goode.  What a pity that injury meant that Stuart Lancaster’s original intention to take our Alex to Uruguay and Argentina were thwarted.  While his performances on the Beeb’s coverage of the tour were impressive, he would have probably found rich pickings in the Tests. 

14 Winger – Christian Wade – Wasps (Aviva: Christian Wade – Wasps)

This surprisingly came down to a two horse race, or should that be a two race horse race given the contenders’ fast feet and fancy moves?   Saracens has a fine collection of speedsters able of lighting up the lines and the scoring charts, including the one who received lots of votes in this category Chris Ashton.   He scored lots of tries last season and showed real determination in defence, but no one scored as many AP tries as the magic man at Wasps, part of a truly dynamic duo with Tom Varndell.   Christian Wade was uniquely voted the Rugby Players' Association Players' Player of the Year and the Young Player of the Year after a superb season.   He’s our vote for top winger too.

13 Outside Centre – Manu Tuilagi – Leicester Tigers (Aviva: Manu Tuilagi)

 The outside centre shirt for Saracens has in my view been a weakness over several years despite the best efforts of all those who have filled it.  However voters in these awards appear to recognise the massive development we’re making there with another Wigan boy, Joel Tomkins.  However we appear to overwhelmingly recognise the power, the class and the skills of the Tuilagi brother who fortunately chose England over Samoa.

12 Inside Centre – Brad Barritt – Saracens (Aviva – Billy Twelvetrees – Gloucester)

Voters chose to largely ignore the official XV choice of “36”, as he was amusingly nicknamed at Leicester (thirty six being twelve threes).  Leicester Tigers talented centre Anthony Allen attracted votes.  However way out in front, after week after week of the most powerful defence and attack at Allianz Park and other grounds, we voted en masse for the Durban-born England international and new British and Irish Lion tour man. 

11 Winger – David Strettle – Saracens (Aviva: Tom Varndell – Wasps)

This was a very close category with votes coming in strongly for the ‘other Wasps winger’, the fabulously talented finisher Tom Varndell.   However votes also piled up for the Gloucester and newly-capped England international speedster Jonny May.   However just ahead, by only one solitary vote, was Stretts: whatever he’s done to offend Stuart Lancaster I hope he can apologise soon as I can’t think of any other reason why he was overlooked for the South American tour this summer.   He turns thirty years old in late July: I hope he continues to show how much thirty is definitely still his prime.  However perhaps new Saint G. North might be stiff competition in next season’s poll…!

10 Fly half – Charlie Hodgson – Saracens (Aviva: Toby Flood – Leicester Tigers)

Clearly we don’t see what the Aviva voters see: Tobias Gerald Albert Lieven Flood must play so much better for Tigers than when he plays against Saracens.  Voters in our poll clearly see the leading lights at fly-half being closer to London: no votes for Toby or any of Northampton Saints’ number tens.  Instead the vote count settled into a three-way choice.   In my view Nick Evans is one of the best ever players in the Premiership and arguably central to Harlequins’ rise up the Premiership.  He got voters’ support, pushing our Owen into third place, but couldn’t compete with the highest points scorer in the Premiership’s history. 

9 Scrum half – Ben Youngs – Leicester Tigers (Aviva: Ben Youngs)

This was one of the most wide open categories with votes spread more than half the supposed first choice scrum-halves in the twelve Aviva Premiership sides.  There was support for ex-Saracens loanee and now Bath favourite Peter Stringer.   Like so many number 9s, their on-field performances make Lee Dickson and Danny Care divisive figures, but both gained support from voters in this poll.  Our own NDK gained justifiable support too.  However out in front was the Lion and Tiger (does that make a ‘Liger’?) Mr Youngs (B)

8 – Number 8 – Samu Manoa – Northampton Saints (Aviva – Richard Baxter – Exeter Chiefs)

This was another category with votes well-spread across Premiership clubs, though surprisingly given his win in the Aviva poll, the Exeter legend Baxter received no votes in our awards.  Instead votes were stacked against names which included new Saracens Billy Vunipola, legendary Saracen Ernst Joubert, England international ‘Big’ Ben Morgan and the veteran Quin Nick Easter. With a very narrow win though, perhaps clinched for voters by his exceptional performance to seize the win for Saints over Saracens in the Premiership semi-final, was the 6’6” seventeen stone American giant force Samu Manoa.

7 – Flanker – Will Fraser – Saracens (Aviva:  Julian Salvi – Leicester Tigers)

Voters showed a reasonable level of support for the Aviva choice Salvi.  However there was also a decent amount of votes spread across other star flankers such as  Scotland captain Kelly Brown and England captain Chris Robshaw who ended with the same amount of votes as each other.  Ex-Saracens player and now Sale Sharks Dave Seymour also got on the votes board.  However, we couldn’t see past the fabulous performances this season from Mr Fraser.  Hopefully he’ll return in the new season and have an even better year: he was very unlucky that his injury kept him from England tour to South America.

6 – Flanker – Tom Croft – Leicester Tigers (Aviva: Tom Wood – Northampton Saints)

With flanker such a strong position for so many clubs it’s probably no surprise to see votes come in for so many different players, both from this manor and further afield.   Amongst the spread of votes cast included support for Bath’s flying flanker Francois Louw, Gloucester’s Akapusi Qera and the Aviva choice Tom Wood.  However the winner in this category was yet another ‘Liger’, the superb Tom Croft.  I think he’s simply outstanding and hopefully will maintain full fitness to star again for England in the season ahead (and hopefully the Lions 2017 tour side).  I’d love to see him team up in the back row with Fraser and Vunipola in Stuart Lancaster’s selection for the Autumn internationals!

5 – Lock – Steve Borthwick – Saracens (Aviva: Ed Slater – Leicester Tigers)

Captain Borthwick remains the supreme master lock in the Premiership according to voters in this poll.  Parling takes the other slot (see below).  Other Saracens, Kruis and Hargreaves, got votes but there was support too for Scottish international and Gloucester captain Jim Hamilton, emerging Wasps and England international Joe Launchberry,  Wasps’ departing captain Marco Wentzel, Saints forward Manoa, Leicester’s Ed Slater and others.  Current Japan coach Eddie Jones (who should be credited more for the birth of the new Saracens) recently said of Borthwick that, “Steve’s massively underappreciated by people in England but if you look at Saracens’ history, he’s the guy who’s changed the club more than anyone.  His captaincy has turned them from being a relegation-threatened team into a regular top four side and he’s been one of the main driving forces.”  Quite right Eddie: he’s our captain and long may his form and fitness continue.

4 – Lock – Geoff Parling – Leicester Tigers (Aviva: Parling)

One of the Leicester players who most fans, the ones who haven’t taken the Tigers’ shilling, accept was one of the stand-out stars of the season and who fully deserved his Lions caps.  He was second in the locks vote here to Captain Borthwick but has a similarly encyclopaedic understanding of the line out and a fine rampaging style in the loose.  He’s only 29 years old so hopefully has lots more years to come in the England shirt, though sadly that means he’ll still be threatening us in his Tigers role.

3 – Tighthead – Dan Cole – Leicester Tigers (Aviva: Cole)

Two of the Lions tightheads took most of the votes in this category.  Our Matt Stevens attracted support for his quietly hugely effective prop work, pie-eating and mysteriously small shirt.  Gatland and Rowntree clearly liked what he did and made him a Lion despite him withdrawing from England contention.  Another prop to get support in this category was the giant who’ll challenge Matt for the number 3 shirt next season: soon to be ex-Quin and new Saracens signing the Samoan James Johnston has been a huge force over recent years and will hopefully only grow in performance in the year ahead.  However out in front, Dan’s the Man and yet another Lion from Welford Road’s pride.

2 – Hooker – Schalk Brits – Saracens (Aviva: Tom Youngs – Leicester Tigers)

Tom Youngs has had a meteoric rise over recent seasons into the Tigers, England and Lions front rows.  The Aviva Premiership Player of the Year has by all accounts had an exceptional year for the eventual 2012-13 Premiership champions.  He looked pretty handy in Australia too.  However there was only ever going to be one winner if you asked Saracens family! Schalk remains the Special One, no doubt. 

1 – Loosehead prop – Mako Vunipola  - Saracens (Aviva – Vunipola)

This was the most one-sided vote of any position in the team.  He’s still only 22 years old but already an England international and Lions test series winner.  There was the odd vote for others, but no significant support for anyone but Mako.  Being joined in the squad by his little brother Billy should be fun for them and us, if not the opposition, next season.  He was exceptionally brilliant all year and showed for the Lions his class, already, in the front row and the loose.  Alex Sanderson told The Rugby Paper last month that “He will be one of the best in the world before long, there’s no doubt about that in my mind.”  That will be fabulous to see come true.

 

End of Part Two– Part Three Team Awards winners coming soon…