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The End of Season Poll part III

Our Fav Ref - NOT
By T August 8 2008
Just before the pre-season friwenlies start a retrospective ion the 07/08 season and the final part of the End of Season Poll, As compiled by T. Thanks all for your votes.

PART III: MISCELLANEOUS


1. BEST SARRIES RUGBY MOMENT OF THE SEASON:

As the old season becomes a distant memory surely somebody must remember some good things that happened in the league… anyone?  ANYONE?  No?  Me Neither… Much like Sky’s coverage of us next season there were just European highlights…

All the normal suspects are here, the perfect display against Biarritz, the win in the snow against Glasgow, smashing The HC winners for 80 minutes and coming within a refereeing decision of winning.  But it was the Ospreys game where your greatest moment took place, with 8 minutes left on the clock Jackson’s drop goal drove the final nail in the coffin of the ‘one true region’. Described by pollsters as the “the most beautiful miss hit of a ball you’ll ever see” and “never has such an awful drop goal seemed so sweet”

Winner           Glenda’s drop goal against Ospreys,

2nd                   The complete 80 minutes of Rugby against the Ospreys

3rd                    Coming within an inch of Munster & Bashing Biarritz

2. WORST SARRIES RUGBY MOMENT OF THE SEASON:

Now there were several to pick from, lots of you picked the Quins game as a general horror show that needed not only erasing from the Sky+ box but also the memory.  The EDF semi came close where the travelling Fez had the joys of a half staffed Millennium stadium and watched the side “disintegrate against the Ospreys in the EDF semi, before embarking the long drive home.”

But like the Greek entry into the Eurovision Song Contest’s hair, most of the lowlights for Saracens were in European competition.  “I didn’t sleep properly for a couple of nights afterwards trying to work out what we could have done differently” “The final whistle sounded the end of the season”, “felt drained and gutted” but dry your eyes people we’ll be back… sometime in 2010

Winner           Final whistle against Munster / Penalty awarded against Hilda

2nd                   The entire miserable 80 minutes against Quins

3rd                    EDF semi final vs Ospreys
 

3. FUNNIEST RUGBY MOMENT OF THE SEASON:

This award is looking to hang it’s shirt up as clearly there is nothing funny about rugby anymore…

Unless you count Cencus Johnston being shown the outside against Sale blasting down the line and scoring, or a giant Camel clearing the pitch on a hovercraft or maybe the Bath fans holding up letters spelling Steve Borthwick while as the game and beer consumption progressed turned into various anagrams including Work Bitch!  Or even HRHRH sitting on the ruck against Ospreys…

 In fact Rugby is hilarious, it’s just that it has an unfortunate way of booting us in the collective testicles from time to time

… personally I loved the tears from the Kiwi’s over there loss in the World Cup, the resulting farce of a £1million investigation into why it all went wrong and then rather than pointing out that Carter has only ever scored 2 drop goals in international rugby, a select group of Cyclops thought it easier to just simply blame the referee.

Winner           Sarrie the Camel in the Hovercraft

2nd                   Cencus scoring Vs Sale

3rd                    Kiwi tantrums after the World Cup



4. BEST REFEREE:

Young whistler Dean Richards showed he knew the game better than his namesake, and received a few votes as did Dave Pearson,  Ashley Rowden - “still as good as any” and Wayne Barnes “one of the best in the world, and comfortably better than any other English bloke”One pollster pointed out the old adage “that a good referee isn’t noticed” and couldn’t remember the best referee he’d seen “He was so good, I didn’t notice who he was….So Spreaders for being an entertaining chap over the years.”
 Which is pretty much where it went you bunch of sentimental old buggers as Tony Spreadbury finally hangs up his whistle, sky sound people rejoice you vote him best Referee

Winner           Spreaders

2nd                   Wayne Barnes & Ashley Rowden

3rd                    Dave Pearson & Dean Richards


5. WORST REFEREE:

The diplomatic amongst you all quickly said they are all great…however you then all quickly added a referee that had slighted you over the past season! And it was none more than Munsters very own pocket referee Nigel Owens that captured the ire of most of you.  “Gone backwards” was one pollsters critique of the Welsh whistleblower and surely the only professional referee who uses more hair product than James Hook.

 Winner           Nigel Owens

2nd                   Alan Lewis 

6. BEST MEDIA PERFORMANCE BY A RUGBY CELEBRITY OR BROADCASTER:

The good thing about the growth in popularity of Rugby is that ex-players now see the benefits of moving into the media and current players are much more media savvy. 

Votes that go to current players include “Flats deserves a mention in despatches for his summarising of the County Championship final – funny and insightful.”  “Peter Richards was an excellent Radio summariser” and “Bobby Skinstad’s drunken review of the Super 14’s on the rugby club” also got a vote!

Ex players Michael Lynagh, and Tony Diprose also got votes for their summarising skills but it was Will Greenwood that walked away with it for simply “making the Rugby Club palatable” and “my vote for not being Stuart Barnes”

Winner           Will Greenwood

2nd                   David Flatman

3rd                    Michael Lynagh  

7. WORST MEDIA PERFORMANCE BY A RUGBY CELEBRITY OR BROADCASTER:

There were loads of broadcasters that were declared rubbish – Eddie Butler; “why did anyone tell him he could do that job”. Jeremy Guscott; “everything Micheal Lynagh isn’t”

While there were general moans about the broadcasters “The constant brown nosing of Munster by Sky, even when they are rubbish or the game is terrible it’s always the passion of Munster as opposed to the fact that they have all their last pool games at home on Sky and bring their own referee along”.  “ITV coverage of the RWC was rubbish” and “The hopeless bias of every single Irish commentator, whether on SKY or the BBC, outstrips Bath Tub Barnes on this occasion”.  My pet hate the Kiwi media also got a couple of votes “for the post world cup mud slinging”

But it’s the same old faces that dominate this category, as popular as the Dali Lama at the Olympic opening ceremony it’s the Morris and Barnes show.  This year the fat little Welsh fellow who talks crap overtakes the fat little Bristol fellow who talks crap, by virtue of Barnes softening his general dislike of Saracens a little.

Winner           Dewi Morris

2nd                   Stuart Barnes

3rd                    Jeremy Guscott, Eddie Butler, The Kiwi media


8. THE MICHAEL GENTLEMAN (SAMUI MAN) AWARD FOR BEST CONTRIBUTION TO THESARACENS.COM MESSAGE BOARD:

There was almost a different vote for every one polled, I’ll include a few of them listed here, well done to all involved or mentioned…   

Winners  

    

Rupes, for unearthing the alleged Cipriani sex scandal.

      Those splendid folk who provide such superb match previews!

I really admire those brave enough to do match reports, which you can’t plan weeks in advance.

Convert a Quin/blue collar themes

Got to be Woodford Dave’s continuous ability to find fault and take the opposite viewpoint to everything ever said.

Convex Hull and Coughie for keeping the class war on the front page.   

Thanks everyone who voted, that’s the end of last years retrospective, and has hopefully filled a hole until the new season kicks off next month. The poll will be back next year… you have been warned. 

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Re: The End of Season Poll part III
Posted by: Kat (IP Logged)
Date: 2008:08:08:10:50:43

Once again Sports Network seems to have a mind of it's own when it comes to formatting. I'll try and tidy this up when I get a mo.
Sorry everyone (especially T)

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Re: The End of Season Poll part III
Posted by: jeninwales (IP Logged)
Date: 2008:08:08:20:05:31

Thank you for your hard work collating the poll( parts I, II and II). Even, as a wasps fan(Sm108), I have giggled lots.

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Re: The End of Season Poll part III
Posted by: TonyTaff (IP Logged)
Date: 2008:08:12:08:54:39

Nice One T - don't expect my feedback to be prompt, if it goes out during GBBF smiling smiley

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