Aviva Premiership - the Final Word

The end of another year of English Premiership rugby has arrived, and I would probably echo the thoughts of Austin Healey – this has been one of the most exciting seasons in recent memory, stuffed so full of tries, big hits and pieces of skill that even Matt Stevens would turn his nose up at a second helping.  In RuckedOver's final piece on the Premiership this season, let's take a look at how each club did, and who's picked up our coveted awards…

Player of the Season:  Will Fraser.  The young Saracen has been a revelation this season and with his chiselled jawline has won fans of both sexes for a variety of reasons.  He has a useful knack for scoring tries and is a strong runner who hits great lines – but it is in defence where he is exceptional, making big tackles and effecting turnovers.  This guy is the lead wolf in Sarries' Wolfpack.

 

Young Player of the Season:  Christian Wade.  Teammate Joe Launchbury was also impressive but Wade wins it with his ability to get you on your feet and wondering "How the hell did he do that?" on a regular basis.  Absolutely electric in attack and underrated in defence, I can't wait to see how he gets on for England this summer.

 

Try of the Season:  Some great contenders (see below) but I've had to go with the popular choice of Dan Bowden's effort against Saracens.  It's got everything – footwork, speed, strength, hands and skill – and is an example of the talents of George Ford.  Bath fans will be hoping to see far more of these moments than Leicester fans have seen over the last year.

 

The Danny Care Sh*t Haircut Award:  Goes to…Danny Care.

 

The Jim Henson Muppet of the Year Award:  Danny Cipriani, for getting run over by a bus on a night out on the sauce with his teammates.  I'm glad you've decided to work on your defence, Danny, but I'd suggest starting with something smaller…

 

Villain of the Season:  Dylan Hartley made a late run at the award with his choice vocabulary, and I'm sure some Saints fans may put Wayne Barnes' name forward, but in truth there was only ever one winner.  Step forward, Mike Scott, London Welsh Team Manager.  Unfortunately, as a club you can't really prepare yourself for the eventuality of a key member of your support staff going absolutely, Charlie Sheen-esque mad and forging passports and other documents to try and show an innocent player is another nationality.  Scott's bizarre antics cost London Welsh 5 points and arguably a place in the Premiership.

 

RuckedOver's Team of the Year:  1. Mako Vunipola, 2. Tom Youngs, 3. Halani Aulika, 4. Ed Slater, 5. Joe Launchbury, 6. Will Fraser, 7. Francois Louw, 8. Samu Manoa, 9. Danny Care, 10. Gareth Steenson, 11. Christian Wade, 12. Billy Twelvetrees, 13. Manu Tuilagi, 14. Tom Varndell, 15. Mike Brown

Bath

What happened:  A pretty slow start to the season eventually picked up a bit of pace in 2013, with some decent home victories – including a dramatic win against Leicester.  On the last day of the season they were still in the hunt for a Heineken Cup place but were just pipped to the post by Exeter.

Season grade:  4/10.  With the amount of investment at the Rec over the last 3 years, expectations have been high and owner Bruce Craig would have expected – at the very least – top flight European rugby to be a suitable return on his substantial cash injections.  They have some top flight players in the shapes of Francois Louw, Matt Banahan and David Wilson, but they have occasionally looked bullied in the close exchanges up front.  Some smart recruiting for next year – with the likes of George Ford, Jonathan Joseph and Matt Garvey coming in – should ensure Bath remain a team of great potential…and therefore a team under pressure to produce the goods.

Player of the season:  Francois Louw.  David Wilson continues to impress at club level and Kyle Eastmond has been a revelation, but the Bath captain has been an inspiration this year.  Smart on the ball and possessing that inherent 'South African-ness' in defence, he's been the driving force behind the majority of Bath's good performances this year.

 

Exeter Chiefs

What happened:  Rob Baxter's men confirmed their reputation as an exciting and growing top-tier rugby club by snaffling the last Heineken Cup spot in the last 2 games of the season.   They had a pretty up and down season before coming good on the home straight, picking up a great win at the Stoop against the reigning champions, Harlequins, in the process.

Season grade:  7/10.  The top-6 finish should now become a minimum expectation for the Chiefs – although they may lack the celebrity names of other sides, they possess some great club players and are capable of turning over anyone, especially at Sandy Park.  The slight disappointment is that Chiefs fans may have been hoping to kick on to a top-4 finish, kicking on from last year's top-6 placing, but a year of solidifying their position is just as important.  And with the side looking like it will be predominantly the same next year, there is every chance that the Chiefs may be able to take the next step.

Player of the season:  Gareth Steenson.  The diminutive fly half just shades Richard Baxter and James Scaysbrook because of his match-winning contributions towards the end of the season.  We've always known he has a freakishly accurate boot but he also seems to have uncovered an unnerving scuttling ability that has seen him find holes in opposition defences, making him a far more dangerous attacking threat.  He'll be some player if he continues to develop next season.

Gloucester

What happened:  After last season's miserable run, new Director of Rugby Nigel Davies got the Cherry and Whites playing some scintillating stuff at times – as well as finally getting that much-maligned pack to pull their weight up front.  Although it wasn't quite enough for a playoff spot, Kingsholm fans will be pleased that they'll be watching their side in the Heineken Cup next year after a comfortable 5th place finish.

Season grade:  7/10.  The much vaunted Gloucester backline, at times, was unplayable, with the 10-12 axis of Burns-Twelvetrees happily living up to expectations and the likes of Jonny May and Charlie Sharples also impressing.  The pack, as well, looked great in patches with Akapusi Qera, Tom Savage and Sione Kalamafoni all bringing some real grunt to proceedings – but the problem, with the whole side, is that they were as consistent as a Bill Clinton response to an allegation of sexual deviance.  Being great in patches meant they won games they weren't expected to (such as against Leicester at home) and lost ones they were (with their humbling at Sale being a notable example).  The side is still young and may be set for great things next year – but they need to find a consistent level of performance…and a decent front row…

Player of the Season: Akapusi Qera.  Burns was great at the start of the season and Kalamafoni was magnificent, but the sheer match-winning impact this bloke can have on games is second-to-none in the Premiership.  A brute with slick hands and an eye for a gap, he is a superb asset to the club and a great example for the Gloucester pack to follow.  His display against Leicester at Kingsholm was up there with one of the best displays of the season.

Harlequins

What happened:  An LV Cup triumph was as good as it got for this exciting Harlequins side.  They started the season in fine fettle and looked well placed for another serious assault at the title, but a wobbly end to the season saw them slip to the third and end their hopes with a humbling at the hands of Leicester at Welford Road.

Season Grade:  6/10.  A disappointment not to make the final, but a decent showing to solidify their position in the upper echelons of English rugby nonetheless.  It looked as if some blokes (most notably Chris Robshaw) were suffering from playing too much rugby as the season wore on, but to their credit it didn't stop them from playing some top notch, entertaining stuff – with their game at Gloucester being one of the matches of the season.  There is still a nagging suspicion that they could do with being a bit nastier when the chips are down but, aside from that, are one of the best exponents of 'Total Rugby' on their day.  With a little more squad depth, they should be challenging again next season.

Player of the Season:  Danny Care.  Mike Brown, Chris Robshaw and Nick Easter all impressed for the London side but Care was in consistently superb form for his club all season.  Unfortunately he was unable to transfer that onto the international stage, but his electrifying acceleration and threat around the fringes meant that he was regularly on the Harlequins' score sheet and keeping defences nervous throughout the season.

 

Leicester Tigers

What happened:  Same old Leicester.  Despite plodding through the first half of the season with some average displays, the Tigers still found themselves towards the top of the table at Christmas – and they solidified this by turning up the power and pace in the home stretch to reach a 9th successive Premiership Final, before beating East Midlands rivals Northampton to claim an unprecedented 10th league title.

Season Grade:  8/10.  Obviously, they get a high mark for winning the thing, but Leicester still aren't the finished article and are often infuriating to watch – they have the players to tear anybody apart (as they did to Harlequins in the semi-final) and often look on the cusp of doing so but, for the first half of the season in particular, seemed to be content to chug along in 3rd gear, picking up wins without actually hitting their stride.  However, perhaps that's all part of the plan and, at the end of the day, they are the champions yet again.  It was particularly pleasing to note though that this is now a very young and exciting Leicester side – their oldest player in the Premiership Final was Geoff Parling at 29, and they topped the Premiership try-scoring charts once again – and with the likes of Mat Tait, Tom Youngs and Ed Slater all showing tremendous development this season, you wouldn't want to bet against them getting their hands on the trophy again next year.

Player of the Season:  Ed Slater.  Tom Youngs, the Premiership player of the season, ran him close, but the understated second row takes the gong for me after a storming season that has seen him solidify his place in the Leicester pack.  A great mix between old school and new school – a giant lump who loves the grunt and a gallop in equal measure – it surely can't be long before he's pushing for international honours.

 

London Irish

What happened:  Eesh, not a fun season for the Exiles.  Following an off-season exodus of some of the club's top players, the Irish had a nightmare start to the campaign, only bettered (or should that be worsed) by Sale.  Thankfully, they turned in some good displays towards the end to pluck themselves up to a creditable 9th, but miles away from the top pack.

Season Grade:  4/10.  It's easy to claim this season was a complete shocker but actually, with all the disruption of losing so many players and their head coach, the end result was actually fairly decent.  They did produce some good rugby – in particular in a home win against Saracens – and George Skivington proved to be a great piece of business in the pack, but Irish's defence was positively porous at times and they lacked accuracy in attack.  It's good to see that they picked up some form this season, but they'll be losing Jamie Gibson, Matt Garvey and Jonathan Joseph over the summer so any hopes of an improvement next year may be optimistic.

Player of the Season:  Halani Aulika.  Matt Garvey continues to impress, as does Jonathan Joseph in patches, but when your number 3 runs in 11 tries during the season you have to take note.  A solid scrummager and a superb runner, he may need some refinement to his game in the set piece but the sight of the big man in full flight and 'sidestepping' puts all those doubts to the back of your mind.

London Wasps

What happened:  A magnificent improvement from last year was only halted by a bad run of losses in the final stretches of the season; with 5 games remaining, the London side who avoided relegation by the skin of their teeth the previous season were within touching distance of the playoffs.  Unfortunately, they ended up in 8th spot, but still very much in the 'top pack' and a huge step in the right direction from Dai Young's boys.

Season Grade:  8/10.  If not for their end position, for their style of play and recovery from a nightmare year the previous season.  The fact that both wingers topped not just the club's scoring charts but the League's one as well tells you how these guys like to play, and when you throw exciting talents like Elliot Daly and Joe Launchbury into the mix, you end up with a side who can hit you with brutally fast strikes up front and out wide.  In the backrow, Billy Vunipola and Ashley Johnson were the chief sources of front foot ball, but questions still remain over the grunt of that tight five – a concern highlighted by Northampton's crushing victory at Adams Park.  And with Billy Vunipola off to Sarries next year, Wasps need plenty more beef if they are to get quality ball to their quick men next year.

Player of the Season:  Christian Wade.  Joe Launchbury was colossal before suffering a tad from 'burn-out' whilst fellow winger Tom Varndell has also shown why he is the most dangerous finisher in the Premiership, but Wade just has that unplayable quality of creating something out of nothing.  His acceleration and footwork is sensational and, although he needs some work on the positional side of things, I fully expect to see him in an England shirt before long.

 

London Welsh

What happened:  A superb start to the season had the critics dumbfounded, winning 4 times before Christmas to leave the Welsh Exiles sitting comfortable in lower-mid table, well clear of London Irish and Sale.  But a combination of no wins in 11 games and a 5-point deduction for fielding an ineligible player saw their fate at the bottom of the Premiership sealed, with a place in the Championship awaiting them next season.

Season Grade:  5/10.  It seems harsh to give such a middling mark to a side that won many a fan over with not just their collective heart and determination, but also their quality of play as well.  In the first half of the season especially, Welsh played some great stuff with Tom Arscott proving to be especially dangerous, and Sonny Parker providing a stabilising influence in the backs.  Even Gavin Henson looked decent on the rare occasion he played.  Up front, Lee Beach and Tom Bristow impressed, but all their hard work was ultimately undone by team manager Mike Scott's fraudulent registration of Tyson Keats – the points deduction and distraction proved an unclimbable mountain for the Premiership newbies.

Player of the Season:  Tom Arscott.  The lively wing/full back was always full of running and proved himself as one of the League's best finishers with several impressive scores – especially when you consider the fact that he wasn't playing off quality ball all that often.  A great runner in broken play, it's a shame that his side are the ones to take the plunge to the Championship.

 

Northampton Saints

What happened:  Well, what a topsy-turvy season for the Saints.  A mid-season collapse in form had many doubting whether they would even make the playoffs, but they pulled their season back with a couple of displays brimming with brutal power – firstly against Wasps, and then against Saracens in the semi final – before falling at the final hurdle to their old nemeses, Leicester.  And who knows, if Dylan Hartley was a little more well-mannered, then maybe there would be a new name on the Premiership trophy this year.

Season Grade: 7/10.  Saints finally took that step from being semi-final losers but they couldn't overcome the last hurdle in the final.  The power of that pack got them out of many a hole and some of their displays – their literal mauling of Wasps in particular – were breathtaking in their physicality and technical accuracy.  But out wide it wasn't always rosy – Jamie Elliot and Luther Burrell have come on in leaps and bounds this season but there are still questions over Myler's ability as a 10 at the highest level and the general balance of the backline.  But with, amongst others, the large figure of George North hulking his way over to the East Midlands next year, there may well be a significant amount extra away from the scrum – enough, perhaps, to push them to new heights?  We'll see.

Player of the Season:  Samu Manoa.  Jamie Elliot and Tom Wood also had impressive seasons but the big American stole the show (as usual, bloody Americans) with some frightening displays of power, particularly in defence, where he made a habit of rearranging ribcages on a regular basis.  The frightening thing is that he and his coaches still claim he's "learning the game" – what will he be like next year?!

Sale Sharks

What happened:  After a pre-season of big name signings and heaps of expectation – with many, myself included, expecting this Sale squad that had impressed last season to be pushing for a playoff spot – the end result was a nightmare run of 7 consecutive losses to open the season.  Although the Sharks found 2013 more fruitful, they were always playing catch up and ended up 3rd from bottom – largely thanks to severe slumps in form and point deductions for London Welsh and Worcester.

Season Grade: 2/10.  A good recovery, of sorts, but they should never have been in that situation in the first place.  The way the side played this season actually made very decent players look poor – Richie Gray was shockingly anonymous during his spell and Rob Miller was nowhere near as electric as he had been the previous year.  The emergence of Henry Thomas and the odd flashes of class from James Gaskell, Mark Cueto and Danny Cipirani provided some positives, but overall this was a season riddled with inconsistency and sub-standard performances.  Some changes may be needed – on and off the pitch – if they are to challenge for Europe next year.

Player of the Season:  Dwayne Peel.  The experienced Welsh number 9 was in sublime form in an otherwise stagnant and uninspired side.  His controlling presence and sharp mind were the key factors behind Sale's late season renaissance and, when you chuck a few tries into the mix, it's easy to argue that Sale might have been staring at the plunge without Peel's interventions.

 

Saracens

What happened:  So close and yet so far.  The Champions from 2011 finally got their new home at Allianz Park and played a very un-Saracen brand of rugby there – fast paced, accurate and with lots of tries – before being undone in the semi-final by 4th placed Northampton.  They finished the regular season top of the pile and were playing some decent rugby, but another semi-final loss may start to cause a bit of concern.

Season Grade:  8/10.  Finishing top is a great achievement, even if the league has been bastardised by the Playoff system.  I still don't particularly enjoy the way Saracens generally play – they only came 7th in the try scoring charts, 15 behind Leicester – but they did show some real flair and invention at Allianz Park, with David Strettle, Chris Ashton and Ernst Joubert all looking really at home on the artificial pitch.  Couple that with the emergence of guys like Mako Vunipola, Joel Tomkins and Will Fraser, and you can see why there is so much optimism around the club.  There's no need to reinvent the wheel for next year – they just need to make sure they don't get rattled at the key moments!

Player of the Season:  Will Fraser.  The young flanker was majestic throughout the season and Sarries keenly felt his loss in both the Heineken Semi-Final and the Premiership playoffs.  Athletic in stature and with an incredible engine, he was more than capable of chucking a couple of big hits and turnovers into the mix as well.  Not too shabby with the ball in hand either, and it looks like he has a very promising future ahead of him.

Worcester Warriors

What happened:  Worcester aren't renowned for pushing for honours but this was disappointing by their standards.  One win in their last 11 games proved to be their undoing after a decent run in the build-up to Christmas, meaning that the Warriors finished 2nd from bottom – a result that cost likeable Director of Rugby Richard Hill his job.

Season Grade:  3/10.  Everything seemed to go downhill around Christmas time for the Warriors – after a controversial home loss to the Tigers the west country outfit really struggled to put together an 80 minute performance.  It wasn't all doom and gloom – Matt Kvesic continues to underline his talent, Josh Drauniniu is always dangerous and Andy Goode is still a quality fly half – but there are far too many average players in their squad and not enough who can take the club forward that next step.  Signings like Jonathan Thomas and Ignacio Mieres are a positive mood but, even with Dean Ryan at the helm next year, it looks like the Warriors may be involved in a relegation battle once more.

Player of the Season:  Andy Goode.  Yes, he is often the subject of ridicule thanks to his close resemblance to a space hopper, but the experienced fly half is still a quality playmaker and a phenomenal points-scorer.  Usually behind the majority of good work from the Warriors' backs, the rest of the league were so impressed that he was linked with a move away from Sixways (notably back to Welford Road) towards the end of the season.