English team of the year (a multiple choice poll)

Displacing my last years favourites (Northampton Saints), I now have five personal contenders -

Quins - for drumming their feet down to the floor throughout the Jeff season
Sarries - for creating big one-or-two enormous crowds and for carrying the English banner to the QFs of the HEC
Tigers - for a never say die attitude in adversity
London Welsh - for an astonishing revival of an old Club

But for me, without doubt, Exeter Chiefs for not only overcoming second-season syndrome, but playing and presenting themselves as though they'd been there for a decade.Well done guys!

p.s. I voted for the Quins, Welsh and Exeter.

Quins and Exeter

Quins, Chiefs and Leicester

Tigers, Chiefs and Loughbrough Students

LondonTiger wrote:Tigers, Chiefs and Loughborough Students

I've asked Biltong to include the Low Brows LT.

Well they are really just an outside choice - just thought there feats this year were pretty damn good. Jersey are another lower tier team worthy of mention.

What is more shocking is that I still cannot spell Loughborough. My only excuse is it was my brother not me whoo attended the university there.

Although I won't vote for them, a sixth TBP on the trot away to the league leaders after a dreadful start to the season does represent a fair challenge to the s mighty performances over the winter.

Hard to look past Exeter, I hope they make the playoffs...

Big hand to London Welsh, what a season they've had, but are they classed as an 'english club' or an 'english based club' considering how big a welsh influence is within.

LW are an RFU affiliated side - like LI and LS.

I don't think any have a particularly dominant exile player base.

Was on a bit of a wind up tbh, there are a small number of exiles at LW, but they are predominantly owned and run by exiles.

Also they are an exile base for welsh junior/youth elite teams to convene and play. An unofficial wales outside of wales kinda thing.

Aren't London Welsh registered with the RFU and the WRU? Or at least they were. I heard the other day if they make promotion there's a possibility of a ground share that would allow them to be promoted.

I voted for LW bluesman.

I also included them in the poll.

But I would complain if they became a serious Welsh professional subset within England - as I suspect any other country would do if England built a Trojan Horse in one of their nations.

There are strong links with welsh, and I know there have been a few younsters sent their way as it were, but I don't think the WRU has anything but a good relationship with the club.

Hasn't LW always had a welshman in the squad since their inception? or something along those lines?

HammerofThunor wrote:Aren't London Welsh registered with the RFU and the WRU? Or at least they were. I heard the other day if they make promotion there's a possibility of a ground share that would allow them to be promoted.

I've heard that before HoT about the dual registration.

The Old Deer Park is clearly not a place that could sustain a Jeff side (and could never hope to even put in temporary stands on any semi-permanent basis with all the mature trees that surround it).

A ground share with whom?

thebluesmancometh wrote:There are strong links with welsh, and I know there have been a few younsters sent their way as it were, but I don't think the WRU has anything but a good relationship with the club.

Hasn't LW always had a welshman in the squad since their inception? or something along those lines?

LW does what it says on the tin - a place for exiled Welshmen to play the game in London.

Which is an entirely different proposition from having a Welsh team based in London.

Portnoy

Old deer park has plenty of space for a jeff stand, they'd just have to sack off a training pitch or 2!

Portnoy, it got mentioned before the Sarries v 'castle game by Austin. They didn't say who will (it was after Evans had said only Bristol in the top four could get promoted).

Tiggers for the recovery, Quins for their sprint start and maintaining the pace, Sarries for a new ground, Chiefs for defying expectation

Portnoy wrote:

HammerofThunor wrote:Aren't London Welsh registered with the RFU and the WRU? Or at least they were. I heard the other day if they make promotion there's a possibility of a ground share that would allow them to be promoted.

I've heard that before HoT about the dual registration.

The Old Deer Park is clearly not a place that could sustain a Jeff side (and could never hope to even put in temporary stands on any semi-permanent basis with all the mature trees that surround it).

A ground share with whom?

I recall Brentford, but I could be imagining that

London Welsh were unable to host a home semi at ODP as the cricketers now have first dibs.

Could Jersey be included?

mawhis wrote:Could Jersey be included?

mawhis, that's a good shout. Congrats to Jersey on their promotion, altho did I hear correctly the other day that they will lose their travel subsidy as a result of moving up to the Championship?

LondonTiger wrote:London Welsh were unable to host a home semi at ODP as the cricketers now have first dibs.

Spot on, LT, Richmond CC firmly ensconsed when I passed by on my way to the RAG on Saturday

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:

mawhis wrote:Could Jersey be included?

mawhis, that's a good shout. Congrats to Jersey on their promotion, altho did I hear correctly the other day that they will lose their travel subsidy as a result of moving up to the Championship?

That done.

Most dominant team in the English Leagues may have been Rugby Lions in NL3 Midlands.

Played 26
Won 26
For 1242
Against 269
Diff. 973
TBP 23
Pts 127


Mind you they are semi-pro in an amateur league, with players like Ben Gollings and Andy Vilk

Did anything come of that hare-brained Canadian bloke's scheme to take over the Lions?

Jersey RFC.
London Welsh.
Great seasons.

Portnoy wrote:Did anything come of that hare-brained Canadian bloke's scheme to take over the Lions?

Pretty sure he did, Portnoy, hence the semi-pro status, with some decent names there and Neil Back as DoR

I voted Exeter aswell...

BUt come on...WHO voted for the Falcons.... even my bias couldnt make me do that.....

I'm going to add the Tigers if they win the regular season - that comeback would be astonishing after more than half the season taken up by international calls.

I went for Chiefs (obvious why) and Bristol who aced the Championship proper and for whom it will be a travesty if they don't get promoted.

aitchw wrote:I went for Chiefs (obvious why) and Bristol who aced the Championship proper and for whom it will be a travesty if they don't get promoted.

Why wouldnt they? They fulfill the criteria dont they....

We will just swap again next season when they are relegated and we get promoted....

GeordieFalcon wrote:

aitchw wrote:I went for Chiefs (obvious why) and Bristol who aced the Championship proper and for whom it will be a travesty if they don't get promoted.

Why wouldnt they? They fulfill the criteria dont they....

We will just swap again next season when they are relegated and we get promoted....

What would you guys think if Wasps went under?

Is the Jeff not too big already?
I don't suppose you do...

I would be massively dissapointed if a club like wasps went into administration. They are a big club in England....and have played a big part in providing players for England.

I dont think they will go down...it will be us, and fortunately for them it looks like they have a clutch of top youngsters coming through at just the right time....who have already had a season in the premiership under their belt....

Why wouldnt they? They fulfill the criteria dont they....


Geordie, the play off in the Championship is silly. 8 teams, at least 4 who shouldn't be in the reckoning including some who can't qualify anyway. It is quite possible that Bristol might not make it despite being clearly the best side over the regular season.

Falcons will be firm favourites next season for promotion with an incredibly strong coaching setup and still benefitting from the parachute payment but you will be challenged and you could face a similar dilemma of a team in the play offs who just come good at the right time. Pirates and Welsh will be there or thereabouts if Bristol do get promoted and hopefully Carnegie too. There are no givens and it will be tough.

I went for Tigers purely because of the come back in the league and despite the injuries and call ups that dogged the campaign up to January they soldiered through the criticism and have not got a record 6tbp in a row and could yet snatch top spot.

Exeter came a narrow second and I would give Baxter the coach of year award with Cockers second. Quins fell out the running after blowing a bit hot and cold this side of Christmas.

aitchw writing off Bedford Blues again I see.

I think Bedford will knock out London Welsh and contest the playoff final.

I find it amusing that London Welsh have so many votes.

Cmon Bedford Blues.

Sorry beshocked, that was not on this occasion intentional, Bedford will be there and not to be underestimated. Good luck for the next round but I still want Bristol to go through.

Thank you aitchw.

Bristol will start favourites whoever they plays but who knows?

I would have voted for Logovi'i Mulipola if he were on the list. wrong post

formerly known as Sam wrote:I went for Tigers purely because of the come back in the league and despite the injuries and call ups that dogged the campaign up to January they soldiered through the criticism and have not got a record 6tbp in a row and could yet snatch top spot.

Exeter came a narrow second and I would give Baxter the coach of year award with Cockers second. Quins fell out the running after blowing a bit hot and cold this side of Christmas.

Yeah but would you have predicted Quins to be in this position last year?