606 Aviva Premiership Dream Team - The Centres

Pack and Scrum Half sorted. Very close vote to see who the other half back will be : https://www.606v2.com/t44321-606-aviva-premiership-dream-team-stand-off

Thus we now move on to an area that I feel will be rather contentious, with heated debate, stats galore and a lot of partisan oneupmanship - the centre three-quarters.

Joel Tomkins 20 starts; 3 tries, 4 try assists
Due to international calls and injury, current England 12 Brad Barritt does not qualify for the poll due to insufficient matches. Whilst former RL man, Joel Tomkins, may not be the best rugby player in his family - he has had a real breakthrough in the Union game this season. his defence is strong, his offloadinggame excellent and his apreciation of space ever improving. Like others on this list still at times looks for contact more than we would like, but has had a great season and well deserves the call up to England colours.

Anthony Allen 17 starts (2 rep); 1 try, 6 try assists & Manu Tuilagi 13 starts; 4 tries, 2 try assists
Defensive co-ordinator Allen has had another consistent season. Whilst he may not be international quality, the only Tigers player to make last season's team is an exceptional performer at premiership level. His passing has improved this season but the lack of any kicking game sometimes puts pressure on his 10. As for young Manu, not his best season yet still very good and far better than certain detractors claim. Admittedly his strongest performances have come in white (vs NZ) and black (vs Ospreys) where he completely outshone respected opponents. That his best performance for Tigers was a few weeks ago opposite George Pisi at Saint's is a hopeful sign for Tigers fans.

Matt Hopper 16 starts (4 rep); 3 tries
Quins seemed to have had a few problems in the centres this season. Jordan turner-Hall seems to have been overtaken by tom Casson at 12, but Casson has not played enough matches to qualify. At times the 13 shirt has seemed split between Hopper and George Lowe, while both have also appeared on the wing. Lowe has not started enough matches to be considered, so Hopper is up for the vote. With a jumpy, all action style, you sometimes wonder if hopper himself knows what he is going to do. when on form he can cause real problems for any opposition, a late starter in the top flight, he has made a good impression so far.

George Pisi 17 starts; 2 tries
This is becoming a recurring theme, but with just 8 starts Luther Burrell does not make the poll. Maybe next season. George Pisi does yet, quality player that he is, this has been a muted second season in the premiership for the Samoan.

Billy Twelvetrees 18 starts; 1 try, 1 try assist & Mike Tindall 16 starts (3rep); 1 try
If the second half of Twelvetrees season had been as strong as his first, he would surely have been a shoe-in for this team. As it is must still be highly favoured. A good allrounder, he has a monster boot, good range of passing and a running game. He will have enjoyed having regular starts (but still wakes up in a cold sweat wondering what he could have done in a decent team ). Mike Tindall - what can we say. He has not gotten any quicker that's for sure. A solid re-assuring player, he has been used by Nigel Davies to try and help the kids around him along.

Jason Shoemark 15 starts; 2 tries, 2 try assists & Phil Dollman 17 starts (4 rep); 3 tries, 2 try assists
I have to confess that other than in the HEC, I have only seen Exeter when playing Tigers. At WR most of the team were anonymous, while at Sandy Park it was not a day for backs to shine. Thus I am relying on what other people have written about these guys. Shoemark is a clever centre (which you expect from Kiwis) who always seems to make his team-mates look good. Dollman is a solid, uncompromising centre with good pace and decent hands. Sorry Asbo you will need to extol your guys

Kyle Eastmond 22 starts; 4 tries, 1 try assist & Matt Banahan 13 starts; 2 tries, 2 try assists
While coaches may still be unsure as to his best position, there is no denying that Eastmond is a top notch rugby player. Little, with very quick feet and a sharp turn of pace when needed Eastmond is always probing defences looking for gaps. Punches above his weight in defence he is well deserving of his international call up. Banahan has had a soldi season, (much like himself?) but perhaps his most striking moment was the high tackle that knocked out Anthony Allen and, after headbutting Brett Deacon's fist, saw him get his marching orders.

Andrea Masi 12 starts (3 rep); 1 try assist & Chris Bell 16 starts; 1 try 3 try assists
Sometimes reliance on stats can be misleading. Masi is a class act and has been one of the best centres in the league. Chris Bell has started to fulfill some of hi searly promise and will hope to play many more matches with his younger brother next season.

Guy Armitage 11 starts (2rep); 5 tries & Jonathan Joseph 11 starts (2 rep) 2 tries
London Irish have at times struggled to find a settled centre pairing. these guys have featured the most, are both bright prospects but will both have better seasons than this one.

Sam Tuitupo 21 starts; 1 try, 1 try assist & Johnny Leota 20 starts; 4 tries, 1 try assist.
Sale would have been in a right old state without these two pacific islanders. Consistent seasons, they kept driving their team forwards. Both like to make big hits in defence and run hard and straight in attack. Tuitupo has made a lot of tackles this year - but apparently missed a lot too. I reckon some of those misses should have been credited to cipriani

Alex Grove 21 starts (1 rep); 3 tries, 3 try assists.
A quality rugby player who would be a real asset to the Scottish national team, he should really move to a different club.

Sonny Parker 18 starts (1 rep); 2 try assists
The veteran WelshKiwi has been a solid and reliable, but often uninspiring, presence in the LW backline.

Allen and Masi for me. Intelligent running lines, solid defences and bring the players around them into the game.

I am undecided, and waiting on others to champion their players.

Although Masi didn't play as much as others, he was very good for Wasps and played a huge part in adding the experience which saw them finish much higher than last season. Allen deserves the other spot. Leicester had the best attack in the league and he is the glue around which it operates. He regularly scythes through the opposition defensive line, but is also a rock in defence. A key player for the Tigers. I would have liked to have got Shoemark in there, who is a really classy act, but felt that these two shaded it.

It's interesting to see so many partnerships here eligible for voting and there's also some unsung heroes here too. In general I would say the inside centres have outshone the outside centres, but I will vote one from each.

At IC it has to be between Allen, 36 and Shoemark. It's interesting to see the number of starts Thomas, Steenson, Shoemark and Dollman have had for the Chiefs and it probably goes a long way to explain why they are where they are. Obviously the fitness foundation laid by Andrew Stanley is still going strong. Shoemark like the other 3 in that backline has been the epitome of consistency. LT's description is right as he seems to bring other players into the game very well. Allen once again has had another veryb solid year. Personally I feel he has been cruelly overlooked at International level. Barritt has no kicking game to call upon and I wouldn't say his defence is any stronger than Allen's. He's one of those players that you really notice when they're not playing! 36 has come on leaps and bounds since he got that guaranteed starting place He took a few games to get going, but has been excellent up until the 6N. He played well for England, got dropped and it appeared to affect his form when returning to Glaws. It is no coincidence that Burns' form was so strong in the early season as it was widely regarded that 36 was largely involved in that. He also has the added benefit of whilst being on Twitter, he isn't determined to fight a crusade, unlike other centres from Glaws! It's a very close call between Allen & 36 - I like and I am bias to both of them, but given this is 36's first proper season as as starter rather than a utility back, I think he deserves it... just!

OC is rather less close fought. I will give a nod to Tindall who has had his best season for Glaws in years, but clearly isn't going to win this. Tuilagi and Pisi have both ultimately under performed from what they are capable of. Hooper has suffered from Evans drop in form and no real partnership being struck up in the centres this year for Quins. Masi has played well, but it has to be between Tomkins and Dollman. As above Dollman is consistent and part of what makes that backline tick. He caused Glaws real problems down at Sandy Park. But for me Tomkins is the clear winner. It is a real shame he isn't going on tour now, as I would have loved to see him play with 36. He has incredible passing and vision and considering he is still pretty new to Union he has a promising future ahead of him.

I'm surprised Elliot Daly isn't on this list, 15 of his 22 AP appearances have been at centre.

Went for Allen and Tomkins, very consistent in attack and defence at Club level

niwatts wrote:I'm surprised Elliot Daly isn't on this list, 15 of his 22 AP appearances have been at centre.

When I went through Wasps matches checking I counted Bell and Masi each having started more matches at centre. Good as I think Daly is, it was thus hard to view him as a first choice centre at Wasps, so I ruled him out. Sadly he did not make enough appearances at FB either.

Nice to have your fulsome summaries back, LT.

Quite a few surprising things about them - most notably how few tries 36 seems to have scored. Nothing against the man, nobody has more than 4 but people talk up Billy a lot and I would have assumed he's dotted it down a bit more.

I have tried and tried to understand how Bananaman can be a professional centre. It eludes me. Really.

Eastmond looks like Tim Horan every time I see him. I'm not kidding about that, I think that the kid is seriously talented.

And good comment about Alex Grove. Most Scotland fans want him to move to a different club too. Probably the worst intentional ommission over the past two years from a Scotland backline. His defence is absolutely outstanding and he has great hands and a good step. We want to see him back in the Scotland mix very badly, particularly with Ansbro having to call it a day.

LondonTiger wrote:

niwatts wrote:I'm surprised Elliot Daly isn't on this list, 15 of his 22 AP appearances have been at centre.

When I went through Wasps matches checking I counted Bell and Masi each having started more matches at centre. Good as I think Daly is, it was thus hard to view him as a first choice centre at Wasps, so I ruled him out. Sadly he did not make enough appearances at FB either.

I understand that reasoning Tiger, but Daly & Masi both played exactly the same number of games at centre in the AP, 12 starts and 3 appearances there from the bench. Would 3 centres from one club be out of the question? I'd personally say that Daly has been a better perfoming centre than many of those listed and with more or a similar number of matches to his name as some.

No originality from me. Allan at 12 for his consistency and Tomkins at 13 for what has been a very impressive first full season at this level.

I only saw 3 Chiefs games on the tv this season but Dollman stood out each time for me. If only I had seen more of him I would have been tempted to cast a vote his way.

Mahwis perhaps your right, I just did not want to put 3 from one team in.

GC, thanks for the kind words. As to try scoring Leroy Burrell scored 6 in just 7 or 8 starts. I actually found it dishearteningf just how few scoring passes were given by the nominees.

I haven't voted in any of these as I don't feel I've seen enough to judge. But I've really enjoyed reading them. Cheers.

I have enjoyed writing these, and match previews. I now appreciate just how much effort goes into some newspaper articles, when my snippets take so long to compose.

Allen / Twelvetrees
20 Matches 18
1 Tries 1
5 Points 27
6 Try assist 1
15 Kicks From Hand 52
79 Passes 119
132 Carries 138
463 Metres carried 517
6 Clean breaks 8
10 Offloads 10
26 Defenders beaten 24
142 Tackles 142
21 Missed tackles 27

Bell / Shoemark
16 Matches 16
1 Tries 2
5 Points 10
3 Try assist 2
2 Kicks From Hand 7
53 Passes 78
68 Carries 103
190 Metres carried 367
2 Clean breaks 12
6 Offloads 18
6 Defenders beaten 26
110 Tackles 90
19 Missed tackles 14

Eastmond / Tuitupou
22 Matches 21
4 Tries 1
20 Points 5
1 Try assist 1
15 Kicks From Hand 7
85 Passes 101
95 Carries 148
489 Metres carried 476
4 Clean breaks 8
7 Offloads 17
26 Defenders beaten 34
112 Tackles 148
15 Missed tackles 31

Tomkins / Pisi
22 Matches 17
3 Tries 2
15 Points 10
4 Try assist 0
2 Kicks From Hand 9
100 Passes 47
137 Carries 74
519 Metres carried 390
11 Clean breaks 5
43 Offloads 12
27 Defenders beaten 10
81 Tackles 76
18 Missed tackles 23

Masi / Tuilagi
15 Matches 14
0 Tries 4
0 Points 20
1 Try assist 2
5 Kicks From Hand 4
59 Passes 54
71 Carries 109
153 Metres carried 647
2 Clean breaks 14
5 Offloads 17
7 Defenders beaten 37
64 Tackles 71
2 Missed tackles 17

Tindall / Dollman
19 Matches 21
1 Tries 3
7 Points 15
0 Try assist 2
7 Kicks From Hand 10
38 Passes 94
76 Carries 103
229 Metres carried 466
2 Clean breaks 5
6 Offloads 11
11 Defenders beaten 17
105 Tackles 81
18 Missed tackles 24

Hopper / Leota
20 Matches 20
3 Tries 4
15 Points 20
0 Try assist 1
17 Kicks From Hand 4
75 Passes 84
121 Carries 133
462 Metres carried 593
9 Clean breaks 7
7 Offloads 9
23 Defenders beaten 24
87 Tackles 103
12 Missed tackles 14

Armitage / Joseph
13 Matches 13
5 Tries 2
25 Points 10
0 Try assist 0
3 Kicks From Hand 13
19 Passes 62
68 Carries 59
373 Metres carried 259
4 Clean breaks 5
9 Offloads 11
18 Defenders beaten 14
60 Tackles 46
12 Missed tackles 7

Grove / Parker
22 Matches 19
3 Tries 0
15 Points 0
3 Try assist 2
10 Kicks From Hand 0
68 Passes 46
95 Carries 79
478 Metres carried 346
10 Clean breaks 2
8 Offloads 12
14 Defenders beaten 12
105 Tackles 83
19 Missed tackles 21

Banahan / Burrell
12 Matches 15
2 Tries 6
10 Points 30
2 Try assist 1
10 Kicks From Hand 5
23 Passes 22
75 Carries 84
373 Metres carried 371
5 Clean breaks 9
10 Offloads 7
14 Defenders beaten 18
64 Tackles 77
11 Missed tackles 8

Turner-Hall / Daly
15 Matches 22
1 Tries 5
5 Points 46
1 Try assist 4
0 Kicks From Hand 39
57 Passes 103
125 Carries 99
263 Metres carried 667
3 Clean breaks 12
15 Offloads 20
11 Defenders beaten 22
75 Tackles 91
15 Missed tackles 17

I went for Masi and Tomkins. I'm basing my votes on all of these on a unscientific mix of stats and what Ive seen and in the games I've seen these 2 have been very good. Tomkins stands out more in many ways but I think Masi is the sort of player that every club wants to have, seems to make few mistakes and never seems to have a bad game.

Looking purely at those stats...

One thing that always surprises me from similar posts over the years is how little Allen passes, he's got one of the lowest number of passes per game (and as a ratio of carries) of any of those centres, let alone for a 12.

Tomkins' offloads really stand out, 43! No one else has more than 20 (Daly) and most have around 10. Tomkins also has one of the highest normal pass rates.

I know Tuilagi hasn't been at his best this season, but his running stats are nonetheless pretty impressive, particularly given how few games he's played.

timhen wrote:Looking purely at those stats...

One thing that always surprises me from similar posts over the years is how little Allen passes, he's got one of the lowest number of passes per game (and as a ratio of carries) of any of those centres, let alone for a 12.

Tomkins' offloads really stand out, 43! No one else has more than 20 (Daly) and most have around 10. Tomkins also has one of the highest normal pass rates.

I know Tuilagi hasn't been at his best this season, but his running stats are nonetheless pretty impressive, particularly given how few games he's played.

All true about passing, and over the years I have lamented Allen's passing rather a lot. In his defence though he has delivered more try scoring passes than any other centre.

Quite true LT. Wasn't really criticising him for it, indeed my surprise is from that it's not something I particularly notice him lacking. It does highlight that his first intent is to run however. It could also point to how Tigers employ their midfield with the distribution primarily on Flood's shoulders picking from multiple runners. I'd be interested to see what proportion of those try assists come from his offloads or passes, because my overiding memories of his try scoring passes are offloads once he's broken the gainline.

Jordan Turner-Hall's stats are a shocker. I think (hope) he was carrying an injury for most of this season.