Saracens
END OF SEASON POLL 2015-16 PART 2
By Darraghgirl
July 25 2016
So here are the results of the second section of our annual poll. As always independently verified by Clara the Labrador (who will do anything for a biscuit!).
11. Best Performance by an Opposition Player against Saracens. This one came down to 2 games, the St Valentine’s Day Massacre at home to Wasps and the Premiership final against Exeter. A number of you went for Jack Nowell in the final but far more went for various members of the rampaging Wasps team. Dan Robson, Jimmy Gopperth & Charles Piutau all had their supporters but there was a large majority in favour of Nathan Hughes
12. The Albanese Award for the Worst Performance by an Opposition Player against Saracens. Lots of interesting suggestions here including Danny Cipriani (Sale draw away), Anthony Watson (Bath Away), Chris Cook (Bath away), Henry Slade in the Premiership Final, Mike Brown at Wembley, Wasp’s Simon MacIntyre (for getting binned within 2 minutes of coming on the field) & Joe Rokocoko (European Final). But it was another Racing 92 player who amassed the most votes even if we disallow the vote for including “the 2 Laurents for fielding an unfit Dan Carter” (not sure if that one qualifies)! The winner of this category, for his performance in the European Final, was Dan Carter
13. The Martin Johnson Memorial Least Favourite Opposition Player Award. Again there were a few interesting suggestions here. Luke Marshall’s reaction to Ashy’s tackle which resulted in the “eye area contact ban” attracted quite a lot of votes as did Lee “Gobby” Dickson. Ellis Genge, Kyle Sinckler, Joe Mahler & Tom Wood all had their support but by a wide margin, the Martin Johnson Memorial Award this year goes to Mike Brown
14. Player you would most like to join Saracens next Season. The large number of different names in different positions (I think only front row & centre escaped) put forward here probably suggests that we don’t see any glaring gaps in the Sarries squad, in fact several of you said “none” (and there was I searching the internet for a player called “None”. Your most popular suggestions were at Lock or back row including New Zealanders Captain Kieran Read & Brodie Retallick, South Africans Eban Etzebeth & Schalk Burger (isn’t he coming anyway?? James Haskell, & Jack Clifford. In the backs you suggested David Strettle, Jack Nowell, Israel Dagg, George Ford & Greg Laidlaw but the largest number of votes went to the New Zealand wing Julian Savea
15. Best Performance by a Saracen’s team. There were a lot more suggestions in this category than I expected. Just shows what an amazing season we had! Your suggestions included beating Wasps in the European semi, beating Ulster away, the 3 penalty-try home win over Leicester and the Premiership semi final home win over Leicester (let’s face it ANY win over Leicester), beating Exeter at Sandy Park with most of our first team missing, and the away victory over Bath (which someone described as playing “like the All Blacks”. But (as another person said – especially when you look at how they won the French title with only 14 men) most of you voted for that historic European Champions Cup victory over Racing in Lyon
16. Worst Performance by a Saracen’s team With I think just one exception (someone went for the defeat at the Stoop against Quins), there was no contest for this one. The worst performance was undoubtedly the St Valentine’s Day Massacre, the home defeat to Wasps.
17. Favourite Club to visit for an away game. After a long run where Exeter won almost every year, we had a new venue in 2015, Clermont Auvergne. This year our Gallic friends at Oyonnax, Toulouse and especially Lyon all got strong support. In the UK there was also support for Bath, Leicester, Worcester and even Northampton but after a brief dethronement last year, your favourite away trip is once again Exeter
18. Least favourite Club to visit for an away Fixture. Last year’s winners had a bit more competition this season with nominations for Wasps, Leicester, Bath, Worcester, Harlequins & Northampton but once again, the club you least like to visit is Gloucester Rugby
19. Best Opposition Fans With the exception of Worcester (and I think there may have been a personal reason for this nomination relating to beer and unclad ladies) and Leicester (possibly a similar reason), the only challengers to this year’s winner were French. You enjoyed socialising with the fans from Toulouse, Oyonnax and Racing 92 and with the Clermont fans who turned up in Lyon as well but best of all (and more specifically at the Premiership Final) the best opposition fans were the Indian Chiefs from Exeter
20. Worst Opposition Fans. Funny how the same names keep coming up! Your least favourite fans, with the exception of Ulster, were all English. You nominated Northampton, Leicester and Gloucester fans. In equal 2nd place came Bath & Wasps but the unhappy winners are Harlequins
21. Favourite other AP Team Not quite a unanimous victory as there was honourable mention for Irish, Bristol (Bristol??) Wasps & Worcester but doubtless boosted by that wonderful Premiership Final, your favourite other AP team is once again Exeter Chiefs
22. Least Favourite other AP Team OK, my fault for including Ulster but a number of you decided to vote for them anyway! (Dis)honourable mention for Gloucester but in the end it came down to a choice of 3. In 3rd place were Harlequins, in 2nd place Wasps, but once again your least favourite AP team are our neighbours up the M1, Northampton Saints.
Right, Clara’s had enough and it’s time to walk the dog again. The final part of our End of Season Poll will follow when I get round to it.
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Stumbleupon25/07/2016 17:27
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2016:08:13:14:28:16 by Darraghgirl.
"Ulster is not British"! Factually accurate. Do you fancy a job helping Theresa May and Joe 90, sorry James Brokenshire, sorting out Brexit in the 6, rather than 9, Counties?
I confess, on the board, that it was I who nominated the two Laurents. It was their fault that Carter took the field. That was the Albanese moment. Par excellence!
It's a long time since Sports network paid anything!
Quote:"Ulster is not British"! Factually accurate. Do you fancy a job helping Theresa May and Joe 90, sorry James Brokenshire, sorting out Brexit in the 6, rather than 9, Counties? winking smiley
Apologies TT and all other Celts, technically Great Britain only includes England, Scotland and Wales, the United Kingdom includes Northern Ireland. But the Orange men may disagree! Anyway I have edited it to English (which is what I meant to put in the first place!!)
Especially interesting the complete lack of firm front-runner regarding preferred player to join
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Stuart Barnes is a Cock Womble
Quote:DarraghgirlQuote:"Ulster is not British"! Factually accurate. Do you fancy a job helping Theresa May and Joe 90, sorry James Brokenshire, sorting out Brexit in the 6, rather than 9, Counties? winking smiley
Apologies TT and all other Celts, technically Great Britain only includes England, Scotland and Wales, the United Kingdom includes Northern Ireland. But the Orange men may disagree! Anyway I have edited it to English (which is what I meant to put in the first place!!)
No need for apologies, DG. As I said you were factually correct (this time) - "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" as it says on my passport.
I was messing around (it IS the Silly Season, after all). Northern Ireland is 6 counties, but Ulster is 9 counties, 3 in the Republic, obviously. James Brokenshire is the Minister tasked with sorting out how to reconcile Brexit and 'Taking control of our borders' with the Common Travel Area of the entirety of the British Isles. Oh, never fear, he has, as his bag-carrier, my MP, Kris Hopkins, a meat-head ex-squaddie (it appears he was never promoted from the rank of Private, despite his office (briefly) claiming he had been promoted Captain!). Our Kris is a veteran of more than one NI tour of duty, so will, no doubt, have honed his diplomatic skills in handling representatives of all communities!
Ooops, don't call the moderators, I'll return to rugby: Let's hope European Rugby rises above the Brexit mess, and continues to ignore national boundaries and allow the Ulster Rugby Team to operate as before!
It's a long time since Sports network paid anything!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016:07:27:13:54:48 by TonyTaff.
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