606 Aviva Premiership Dream Team - Run it for this season?

Last season in the period between the AP semis and final a I ran a series of polls to allow the venerable denizens to select the players that they felt had stood out in the AP. However I am well aware that we may by now suffering from "Poll Overload" and that the number of English club followers seems to be down year on year, so just wondering if people would liek this again.

The rules for drawing up nominations woul dbe the same as last year - players would have had to have started at least half the AP matches, and voters woul dbe asked to ignore HEC/Amlin and international form. The research needed takes a bit of time (but I am a geek so do not mind that).

Repeat or not?

Aye why not?!

My initial reactions were Wade, Launchbury and the Wasps back rower, big hair, forgot his name???

Also James of Bath, Stevens has gone well in the league (until last week)

please do

For the love of God, not another poll!

Actually, I rather enjoy them, so please do post them, your effort is appreciated LT

It means we can have more histrionic arguments about the inclusion and exclusion of certain players.

And lots of stats can be thrown at us, along with some toys from the pram (especially if no Glaws players make the team!)

Didn't most of the histrionics and toy throwing come from me?

I didn't want to pigeon hole you with the other Tigers fans LT!

Well, at least we cannot get a smaller representation than last year

I think we should introduce the condition that no Lions players should be picked

Yes I think you should run it.

Would be interesting to see who people go for.

HongKongCherry wrote:For the love of God, not another poll!

Actually, I rather enjoy them, so please do post them, your effort is appreciated LT

I agree completely. Especially about the work you put into them. I am not an emoticon guy, but I am giving you the thumbs up from here (despite your affection for Leicester Tigers, in all other aspects you seem a great bloke).

HongKongCherry wrote:And lots of stats can be thrown at us, along with some toys from the pram (especially if no Glaws players make the team!)

BUt I say we ignore all but the most salient stats and go from players we have actually seen, live or n tv. There is so much happening in Rugby, stats tell a small portion of the story.

LondonTiger wrote:Didn't most of the histrionics and toy throwing come from me?

Nah. I think most of the poopy-throwers have wummed their way off the board. You are a Tigers supporter, and I accept your, ahem, behaviour. On the other hand, we Saints supporters are a wonderful bunch. We would always welcome you at the Gardens (just don't tell anyone you know me!).

Well here's the official Prem Rugby TalkSport dream team for this season:

15. Luke Arscott (Exeter Chiefs)
14. Tom Varndell (London Wasps)
13. Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers)
12. Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester Rugby)
11. Christian Wade (London Wasps)
10. Toby Flood (Leicester Tigers)
9. Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)
1. Mako Vunipola (Saracens)
2. Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers)
3. Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)
4. Ed Slater (Leicester Tigers)
5. Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers)
6. Tom Wood (Northampton Saints)
7. Julian Salvi (Leicester Tigers)
8. Richie Baxter (Exeter Chiefs)

That's a lot of Tiggers

Mind you the Tigers site provides some insight

Youngs has also been selected in the talkSPORT Dream Team which was, for the first time, selected by supporters of Aviva Premiership Rugby.

More than 1,000 votes via Twitter were cast for the team and Youngs was joined in it by his brother Ben and six other Tigers players - Dan Cole, Ed Slater, Geoff Parling, Julian Salvi, Toby Flood and Manu Tuilagi. Parling and Flood are the only two players to appear in the Dream Team for the second consecutive season.

i.e. A farce which was stuffed with players from the most highly-supported club.

Once again the RFU and/or PRL demonstrates the inability to organise a social gathering in a brewery.

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:Well here's the official Prem Rugby TalkSport dream team for this season:

15. Luke Arscott (Exeter Chiefs)
14. Tom Varndell (London Wasps)
13. Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers)
12. Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester Rugby)
11. Christian Wade (London Wasps)
10. Toby Flood (Leicester Tigers)
9. Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)
1. Mako Vunipola (Saracens)
2. Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers)
3. Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)
4. Ed Slater (Leicester Tigers)
5. Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers)
6. Tom Wood (Northampton Saints)
7. Julian Salvi (Leicester Tigers)
8. Richie Baxter (Exeter Chiefs)

That's a lot of Tiggers

I've got to say that really is a duff selection! I won't give you my selection as we can discuss these when LT works his magic, but I'd have no more than 6 of that team in my team.

On the plus side for English rugby, there's very few (only Salvi I think) non-EQ. In years gone by, the likes of Tongha, Mooj, Britz, Wentzel, Evans, Classens, Alesana Tuilagi, , Joubert, Kruger, Agulla, etc have been more dominant.

greytiger wrote:Mind you the Tigers site provides some insight

Youngs has also been selected in the talkSPORT Dream Team which was, for the first time, selected by supporters of Aviva Premiership Rugby.

More than 1,000 votes via Twitter were cast for the team and Youngs was joined in it by his brother Ben and six other Tigers players - Dan Cole, Ed Slater, Geoff Parling, Julian Salvi, Toby Flood and Manu Tuilagi. Parling and Flood are the only two players to appear in the Dream Team for the second consecutive season.

i.e. A farce which was stuffed with players from the most highly-supported club.

Once again the RFU and/or PRL demonstrates the inability to organise a social gathering in a brewery.

hasn't it always been an award thats voted by supporters? If so i don't think theres a way of getting round the bigger clubs getting more votes.

EDIT: it's 10 players including the ex-tigers lol

At times this one has been done by experts. It seems harsh to blame RFU or PRL as the awards dinner was organised by Aviva and talkSport. The decision to do this via twitter was just dumb - and any club who continuously retweeted the polling info was going to do well. I cannot see either the insurance company or the radio station being happy with the number of votes though.

The team is ridiculous but hey ho.

I doubt that in particular the PRL had no input into the thought process underpinning the 'vote' LT.

I await the players' and to a lesser extent the journalists' equivalent teams with more interest.

The Aviva one has about as much credibility as the Eurovision

I was surprised that Tom Youngs won player of the year - and that was not a public vote - but by a panel of "experts"

HongKongCherry wrote:

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:Well here's the official Prem Rugby TalkSport dream team for this season:

15. Luke Arscott (Exeter Chiefs)
14. Tom Varndell (London Wasps)
13. Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers)
12. Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester Rugby)
11. Christian Wade (London Wasps)
10. Toby Flood (Leicester Tigers)
9. Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)
1. Mako Vunipola (Saracens)
2. Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers)
3. Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)
4. Ed Slater (Leicester Tigers)
5. Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers)
6. Tom Wood (Northampton Saints)
7. Julian Salvi (Leicester Tigers)
8. Richie Baxter (Exeter Chiefs)

That's a lot of Tiggers

I've got to say that really is a duff selection! I won't give you my selection as we can discuss these when LT works his magic, but I'd have no more than 6 of that team in my team.

How Sarries managed to top the League when Tigers' players were apparently so much better is an amazement to me!

CJ,

Mark McCall won the Boss of the Year job - so it is obviously down to his ability rather than the players

Crazy selection for me, but as with HKC I will discuss what I think when we start the polls. Needless to say a few of the tigers players on that list will not be available for voting.

LondonTiger wrote:I was surprised that Tom Youngs won player of the year - and that was not a public vote - but by a panel of "experts"

Perhaps the "experts" focussed too much on Tom Youngs' season overall instead of his AP form.

Tom Youngs has had a great season but only played 13 out of 22 games in the AP.

Compare this to his rivals for the award -

Salvi - 20 games

Borthwick - 20 games

Wade - 20 games

Qera -22 games

Care - 16 games

I agree Beshocked. Tom Youngs story has been incredible, but just not featured in enough matches to get the overall award.

LondonTiger wrote:At times this one has been done by experts. It seems harsh to blame RFU or PRL as the awards dinner was organised by Aviva and talkSport. The decision to do this via twitter was just dumb - and any club who continuously retweeted the polling info was going to do well. I cannot see either the insurance company or the radio station being happy with the number of votes though.

The team is ridiculous but hey ho.

Any more ridiculous than a team voted on the v2 forum?

beshocked wrote:

LondonTiger wrote:I was surprised that Tom Youngs won player of the year - and that was not a public vote - but by a panel of "experts"

Perhaps the "experts" focussed too much on Tom Youngs' season overall instead of his AP form.

Tom Youngs has had a great season but only played 13 out of 22 games in the AP.

Compare this to his rivals for the award -

Salvi - 20 games

Borthwick - 20 games

Wade - 20 games

Qera -22 games

Care - 16 games

Erm. Exactly how many Jeff games were played during International Windows?

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:

LondonTiger wrote:At times this one has been done by experts. It seems harsh to blame RFU or PRL as the awards dinner was organised by Aviva and talkSport. The decision to do this via twitter was just dumb - and any club who continuously retweeted the polling info was going to do well. I cannot see either the insurance company or the radio station being happy with the number of votes though.

The team is ridiculous but hey ho.

Any more ridiculous than a team voted on the v2 forum?

ASBO, I can't believe you'd suggest that the learned and wise folk of v2 are comparable to the twits of Twitter!

I happen to be on both by the way

HongKongCherry wrote:

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:

LondonTiger wrote:At times this one has been done by experts. It seems harsh to blame RFU or PRL as the awards dinner was organised by Aviva and talkSport. The decision to do this via twitter was just dumb - and any club who continuously retweeted the polling info was going to do well. I cannot see either the insurance company or the radio station being happy with the number of votes though.

The team is ridiculous but hey ho.

Any more ridiculous than a team voted on the v2 forum?

ASBO, I can't believe you'd suggest that the learned and wise folk of v2 are comparable to the twits of Twitter!

I happen to be on both by the way

That's the pair of us then!!! Just covering the bases

Ah but we know what we are talkin about........

From what I've seen based on club form Borthwick, Salvi, Robshaw, Care and Wade would be in my team.

From a Wasps pov, Ash Johnson, Billy V and Joe Launchbury have been outstanding in a much better pack than last season.

Elsewhere, Kvesic, Eastmond, Slater, Kitchener, Aulaki, K. Brown, J. Elliott and May have had very good seasons.

I haven't seen all the games, obviously, nor many of the highlight progs.