A general election is coming. We all knew that. Everyone is
full of opinions, but rugby has a different sort of election. We have twelve
parties, all vying for the same prize. Like the elections, there are some unrealistic
candidates, there are some who bloody the nose of the bigger parties and steal
their members, and there are the party leaders.
There are often two for all of the clubs: the captain and
the Director of Rugby. Perhaps another day, I will talk about the captains, but
today, I want to think about the DoR’s and elect my DoR of the season. I think
to be fair, I have to include the head coaches here, as some clubs still haven’t
selected a DoR, and instead stick to the old ways.
The nominations for DoR of the year 2015 are:
From Northampton’s Saintly Party – Jim Mallinder.
The ever passive faced DoR is the original. The first man to
be given the title. Jim always has a way with the fans, keeping everything
neutral and encouraging his men. Some of his mid-match talks clearly motivate
his men into a frenzy, a trait demonstrated in the last round against Saracens.
Blunt and honest with the media, Jim doesn’t shy away from his responsibilities
and encourages his team to do likewise. His only black mark this season, to my
mind, is suggesting that George North could play the week after his brutal
knock-out blow from Nathan Hughes, which technically could have been true, but
unwise.
From Exeter’s Tomahawk Party – Rob Baxter.
The Chief’s DoR is a very special individual. He’s brought a
club from the Championship, and in five years, taken them to two top tier
European competitions, two LV cup finals, winning one of them, and now having
his team within sniffing distance of a debut play-off place. But what wins him
respect in the rugby community is his loyalty. As many as seven of his original
players who were promoted still start on a weekend, and the youth mixed in with
the experience has produced some wonderful gems. Slade, Nowell, Hill. Three fabulous
English qualified stars, and he clearly has the respect of the players with the
quality of the signings he has managed to bring in for the new season, and what
he has done to revitalise a play who never quite reached his potential.
From The London Joker Party – Conor O’Shea.
A nominee who proves that success isn’t necessarily the best
indicator of a great DoR. O’Shea is a really lovely bloke, blunt and honest,
and willing to actually share with the supporters. He has taken to writing
articles, and something that shines through to me is his genuine care of his
players. Mike Brown is a true talent on his day, but he has been told he will
not play again this season and so he stays on the bench. O’Shea relies heavily
on his youthful players, and sometimes isn’t rewarded for it, but given time to
mature, I think we can see the Quins of old return.
From Coventry’s Stinger Party – Dai Young.
Wasps as a club has been on the up all season. Having
finally found a home, the Black and Yellow boys have settled in fantastically,
and I think, having spent time at the ground with my grandfather, integrated
themselves into the Coventry way of life. It will be incredible to see the
ground full on Sunday at the Stinger against Leicester, and that is in no small
part down to the dedication of Young, and his coaching staff. It’s all very
well and good having fabulous rugby, but with no one to see it, it felt rather
pointless. Now though, boasting crowds to match the Saints and Leicester, Dai
and his men can show off their impressive talents.
The votes have been tallied, and the parties are ready for
the announcement. Mr Speaker? The envelope, please.
So the winner is….
The Tomahawk Party, led by Mr Baxter. Congratulations!
Do you agree? Who would you vote for?
Do you agree? Who would you vote for?
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