606v2 End of Season Review!

This was from the Football section, but I thought it would work well with Rugby too. Very simple just select who you would give your awards to! The Nominees can be from any competition, Franchise or Tournemant.

Player of the Season: Soane Tonga'Uhia
Young Player of the season: Richie Gray
Coach of the Season: Rob Baxter
Breakout Player of the Season: Tom Johnson
Best Signing: Steve Mafi
Worst Signing: Danny Cipraini
Best Try of the Season: I can't think of one in paticular.....

Over Achievers of the Season (Team): Exeter (Second would have been Quins)
Under Achiever of the Season (Team): Glasgow, Edinburgh or Toloun

Player of the Season: Isa Nacewa
Young Player of the season: Richie Gray
Coach of the Season: Joe Schmidt
Breakout Player of the Season: dunno
Best Signing: Soane Tonga'uiha
Worst Signing: Gavin Henson
Best Try of the Season: Scarlets (Priestland V Perpignan)

Over Achievers of the Season (Team): Exeter
Under Achiever of the Season (Team): Toulon

mckay1402 wrote:Best Try of the Season: Scarlets (Priestland V Perpignan)

I think we can all agree with that one. Epic, epic try.

Epic.

Player of the Season: Sean O'Brien/ Sonny Bill Williams
Young Player of the season: Nevin Spence
Coach of the Season: Joe Schmidt
Breakout Player of the Season: Felix Jones
Best Signing: Johann Muller
Worst Signing: Gavin Henson
Best Try of the Season: Not sure Nacewa for the Barbarians maybe.

Over Achievers of the Season (Team): Connacht/ Northampton
Under Achiever of the Season (Team): Ospreys/ Ireland

Player of the season: Sean O'Brien
Young player of the season: Courtney Lawes
Coach of the season: Joe Schmidt
Breakout player of the season: George North
Best Signing: Richardt Strauss
Worst Signing: Dan Parks
Best try of the Season: Chris Ashton (England vs Australia)

Over Achievers: Exeter
Under Achievers: Ospreys

roddersm wrote:Over Achievers of the Season (Team): Connacht/ Northampton

Agree about Northampton. But how did Connacht achieve anything?

Stag,

They achieved 9th in the table.

Stag they seemed to have a pretty good season and are no longer whipping boys in the magners. Considering their resources I think they did pretty well.

9th?? Really? I wasn't watching nearly close enough. Thanks lads

Player of the Season: Sergio Parisse
Young player of the Season: Richie Gray/George North
Coach of the Season: Whoever coaches Exeter.
Breakout player of the Season: Manu Tuilagi (Don't know if he counts as 'breakout' as he's already been around for one or two games last season, same said for Adam Hughes.
Best signing: Richard Fussell (he's been the only decent player for the Os all season)
Worst signing: Dan Parks
Try of the Season: Shane Williams vs London Irish.

Over achievers: Exeter/Benetton Treviso
Under achievers: Toulon

Connacht qualified for the Heineken Cup which is an acheivement (although it was more by default than anything), plus they didn't finish last in the Magners. I agree though, they're not really overachievers this season.

In terms of English rugby (don't know as much about other nations, and this way I can't be accused of bias!)

Player of the season: Tom Wood
Young player of the season : Courtney Lawes
Coach of the season: Rob Baxter
Breakout player of the season: Manu Tuilagi (honourable mention: Tom Johnson)
Best signing: Thomas Waldrom (Leicester)
Worst signing: Gavin Henson (Saracens)
Try of the Season: Ashton (Vs Australia)
Over-acheivers: Northampton
Under-acheivers: Wasps

Connacht performances
2010-11 – 9th out of 12
2009–10 – 10th out of 10
2008-09 - 10th out of 10
2007-08 – 10th out of 10
2006-07 – 10th out of 11
2005-06 – 10th out of 11
2004-05 – 10th out of 11
2003-04 – 9th out of 12
2002-03 - 4th out of 8 in their pool (Finishing above Leinster, Borders, Bridgend RFC & Newport RFC) Losing in the Quarter-Final to Munster, 3-33
2001-02 – 2nd out of 8 in their pool (Finishing above Neath RFC, Newport RFC, Cardiff RFC, Edinburgh & Caerphilly RFC) Losing in the Quarter-Final to Glasgow, 29-34

So you could argue they’ve just about exceeded expectation rather than over-acheived

Anyway -
Player of the season: Sean O’Brien (Leinster)
Young player of the season: Richie Gray ( Glasgow)
Coach of the season: Rob Baxter (Exeter)
Breakout player of the season: Matthew Morgan (Swansea & Ospreys)
Best Signing: Ruan Pienaar (Ulster)
Worst Signing: Gavin Henson (Saracens, Toulon & Unattached)
Best try of the Season: Scarlets (v Perpignan) Preistland finished it off but the Scarlets scored it – a great team try

Over Achievers: Exeter
Under Achievers: Ospreys.

robbo277 wrote:Connacht qualified for the Heineken Cup which is an acheivement (although it was more by default than anything), plus they didn't finish last in the Magners. I agree though, they're not really overachievers this season.

Given the relative budgets of the clubs below them they acheived a lot, but its debatle with Exeter who I still feel dersrve the award more. Id also have Ulster up there who suprised everyone with a strong showing in two top level comeptitions.
Leeds were talking about a top 6 finish before the season started, Id say relagtion and managing to sack your DOR to save money without realising youd be liable to pay off his entire contract anyway is a massive fail on their part. Ospreys didnt really underacheive that greatly, its hard for any team to qualify from a HC group and they made the playoffs...certainly had a much better season than the Blues....or Toloun or Stade, and the Scotts who keep promising the Earth.

Anyone who isn't saying that the try of the season isn't Scarlets v Perpignan really needs to watch the scarlets tries vid on rugbydump. The first try is the one everyone is referring to. Watch that and then if you still think Ashtons against Australia was better then fair enough but lets be honest...it's not

If I were to glance at the Magners, I would say that Ulster would probably be my over-acheivers. I'm sure Ulster fans would argue that, as a Heineken Cup winning side, that they aren't over-acheiving now and are just acheiving what they should, but they've definitely had their best season in a while. Connacht would be second, while for me the Blues and Glasgow have under-acheived.

McKay, as I said, I was only looking at English rugby. The Scarelts' try against Perpignan was a very good (and very different) try.

Forgot to mention Harlequins as overchievers. Turning over Munster at Thomond and winning the amlin was some achievement.

robbo

O ok sorry I missed that. it was a very different try and while I am a bit biased I don't think I'd be too off the mark by saying it was flipping awesome!

I would also add that after last season Scarlets could have been considered over achievers...

Oh no, I 100% agree with you, it was flipping awesome!

Player of the season: Isa Nacewa
Young player of the season : Richie Gray
Coach of the season: Joe Schmidt
Breakout player of the season: Manu Tuilagi
Best signing: Ruan Pienaar (Ulster)
Worst signing: Gavin Henson (Saracens)
Try of the Season: Scarlets
Over-acheivers: Northampton
Under-acheivers: Wasps

Player of the Season: Sean O'brien
Young Player of the season: Connor Murray
Coach of the Season: Scmidt
Breakout Player of the Season: Felix Jones
Best Signing: Pienaar
Worst Signing: Danny Cipraini
Best Try of the Season: Ashton against Australia

Over Achievers of the Season (Team): Queensland reds/Exeter chiefs
Under Achiever of the Season (Team): Brumbies/Glasgow

Player of the season - Nacewa / O'Brien (though I really dislike him)
Young player of the season - North / F Jones
Coach of the season - I ain't got a clue
Breakout player of the season - North / F Jones
Best signing - Pienarr
Worst signing - Henson (x2)
Best try - Priestland (Scarlets v USAP) / S Williams (Ospreys V LI)
Overachievers - Saracens / Northampton (I thought both we're talked up and was wrong)
Underachievers - Munster (by their standards only) / Blues / Ospreys

Player of the Season: Isa Nacewa
Young Player of the season: Gilroy (although I did want to put North here too!)
Coach of the Season: Rob Baxter
Breakout Player of the Season: George North
Best Signing: Pienaar
Worst Signing: Gavin Henson
Best Try of the Season: Scarlets v Perpignan

Over Achievers of the Season (Team): Exeter chiefs
Under Achiever of the Season (Team): Glasgow/Blues