The Unfortunate XV
Beacon of Mediocrity
By The Bard
August 11 2009
Let’s face it, there hasn’t been much going at the club recently. So to complement Large’s excellent Sarries Top 50, being a miserable old git I thought I’d look at the other side of the coin and put together a team of players who have been bought in with great expectations and for a variety of reasons have failed to deliver.
Some players were plagued with injuries after they’d arrived; others were far from fit when they were signed. Some might point to lack of opportunity in their preferred position.
I’m sure some of you will gasp and say “hang on; these are some of my favourite players”. I won’t deny that they didn’t put in the odd stellar performance, but could they look King Richard Hill in the eye and say that they’d put as much into the team week in and week out as he did? A harsh yardstick, but a lot of these guys came with a pedigree that wouldn’t be out of place at Crufts, with a salary to match.
No.1: Tony Daly. Scored the winning try in the 1991 World Cup final for Australia against England at Twickers, and was still in the squad in 1995. A pretty decent CV by all accounts. Unfortunately by the time he joined us, he had the physique of John Daly and was playing like Arthur Daley. After a season of non-descript performances at Enfield, he left pretty quietly.
No.2: Raphael Ibanez. One of my biggest let-downs. When we signed him my first reaction was “what do we want with another pension-plan seeker”, and then I saw him put in a series of incredible performances in RWC2003. Inspirational leadership, a strong scrummager, excellent in the tight exchanges albeit with a dodgy throw. Sadly all we got was the dodgy throw! And then to cap it all, he announced that unless everyone else got their fingers out and got us into the Heineken Cup, he was off! And this at the end of a season when he had been a beacon of mediocrity.
No.3: Christian Califano. The French ‘Jase’. How could we go wrong? As strong as an ox and as reliable as Douglas Hurd. Unfortunately all we grew to rely on was a stream of penalties conceded, and several visits to the naughty step for a 10 minute rest. The scrum kept going backwards, and before long CC was going backwards to France as a bout of home-sickness happened to coincide with a big offer from Agen. Thanks to advances in medicine, the home-sickness was eventually cured by an even better offer from Gloucester!
No.4: Scott Murray. Surprise surprise! Looked to be a 2001Lions certainty when he joined us from Bedford in 1999, as one of the most promising locks in world rugby. He was never going to be a workhorse, but got rather too close to show pony status for most tastes. We hoped he would secure our lineout ball and plunder everyone else’s as he did for Scotland. All that happened was our lineout started resembling a Morris Dance, with the inevitable disastrous consequences and you could argue it has taken years to recover from it. Left along with many others at the end of 2002 and has never looked like fulfilling his early promise.
No.5: Craig Quinnell. A funny case, this one. Signed in the summer of 2002, he was out of the exit door before we’d eaten our Christmas pudding. In fairness, he did put in one outstanding performance at Vicarage Road. Unfortunately it was for Cardiff in the 2000 Heineken Cup match!
No.6: Troy Coker. Another Aussie international, joining us at the start of the 1998/9 season. Made a try-scoring debut against Northampton, but things soon started going wrong culminating with a sending-off at Newcastle. Left by mutual consent 10 weeks before the end of the season, bizarrely complaining that the league was full of overpaid moderate players. Capped it off by predicting the downfall of English rugby!
No.7: Emmanuel Amapakabo. He came, we didn’t see, he didn’t conquer. Who? OK, so he wasn’t a high profile signature, but he joined from Brive with a supposedly decent track record. Left after making just a single appearance. I bet you can’t remember it.
No.8: Taine Randell. A truly stellar signing, the ex All-Blacks skipper looked just the man to take us back to the heights of 1998. And he did put in a couple of really outstanding performances, but there were just too many nondescript ones along the way. Always appeared happier on the cat-walk than at the coal-face; why do these New Zealand forwards always think they are wingers?
No.9: Nick Walshe. Unlucky in having to fill the shoes of Kyran during his long absence with a back injury, Nick was one of the rather modest crew we recruited from Quins at the start of the 1999 season. He competed with Matthew Powell for the starting berth, and for reasons I never understood generally won the day. Lost the ball at the back of the scrum after we’d forced Tigers off their own ball in the first minute of our must-win game, for Tim Stimpson to pick up and run in a try under the posts.
No.10: Jannie de Beer. Another one who ended an England World Cup campaign. What we failed to understand was that all he could actually do was drop goals- in France. Patently struggling with a knee injury during his time with us, I guess the only highlight was the David Flatman try at London Irish when he ‘tapped and went’ after they turned their backs at a penalty expecting the inevitable kick.
No.11: Lord Dan Lucan. Who else were you expecting? Always going to struggle to win hearts as he was bought in to replace crowd favourite Brendon Daniel. Immediately went missing, and only seemed to get fit when an International was on the horizon. Really made friends by asking to leave after he’d spent a couple of seasons on the treatment table.
No.12: Andy Farrell. How could you? The man achieved everything in Rugby League, but what we hadn’t appreciated was the toll it had taken on his body. Missed the whole of his first season with foot and back injuries, and then when he was fit we couldn’t actually decide what to do with him. Has continued to suffer a string of injuries that could fill a whole series of Casualty, and I doubt whether he has played 5 games on the trot on more than 3 occasions. On the pitch he polarised opinion; undoubtedly a good defensive co-ordinator, but I doubt even his biggest fans would back him in a 50 metre sprint. No questioning his effort and commitment, and the possible silver lining to the cloud is that he may well make an outstanding backs coach.
No.13: Jeremy Thompson. Signed from Natal Sharks as the replacement for Phillipe Sella, and his try-scoring debut against Northampton suggested we may have got someone even better. People were talking about England qualification, but within a couple of weeks the clock had struck 12 and it all evaporated in a trice. Picked up a shoulder injury and by the time he was fit again the likes of Kevin Sorrell and Ben Johnston had overtaken him.
No.14: Nathan McAvoy. The Great Britain Rugby League international joined from the all-conquering Bradford Bulls in 2003, and made his debut for us as a replacement against Wasps at Fortress VR. He only got as far as our 22-metre line before damaging his knee making a tackle. When he returned, he seemed convinced that the area behind the try-line was land-mined, and he never looked like crossing it. Returned to the land of Whippets and Pigeons within 18 months of his arrival.
No.15: Mark Mapletoft. I was going to go for Kenny, but I didn’t think he got near the criteria of being a signing with any expectations attached to him. Tofty joined us from Glos having enjoyed considerable success as their fly-half in the days before they were good enough to become chokers. At the same time Thierry Lacroix was signed in the job-lot from Quins, and poor old Tofty got the short straw and had to play 15. It just didn’t work; he wasn’t the best under a high ball and rarely made any breaks into the line. Finally got to play at 10 towards the end of the season and looked a different prospect altogether. He jumped ship to Quins after a season and then soon moved on to Irish, where of course he returned to haunt us on far too many occasions. Came back to us as a coach and has now joined the RFU.
Will this team still look the same in 12 months time?
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009:09:03:10:24:46 by TonyTaff.
Matadigo was another back rower who came, saw, even scored a good try down at Wuss, but didn't conquer.
There were a couple more RL converts in the very early days of professionalism in Greame Hallas and Mike Forshaw, neither of whom made the grade in RU.
Other than that, I think you've covered them all, Steve.
Who removed my H.R. Giger picture?
For unfortunate see French prop, played for 10 minutes in the opening fixture of the season at Loftus Road and damaged his neck so badly he had to retire. Name........ escapes me for the moment.
Don't think K.Benazzi had arrived by then, MKS.
Mark Bartholomuesz was unlucky during his first stint with us. Lasted less than a game before having to go back to Oz injured.
Who removed my H.R. Giger picture?
Khalid Bennazzi (second row) was part of a BOGOF deal, and you can see why the government are trying to ban them!
Had a great game of golf with him at the Grove - His drives went one of two distances - one yard or 300 yards - direction was a bit less predictable.
Graeme
For me, Taine Randell was a class act who retired too early. Does no-one recall his performances at openside in his final season where we never lost with him playing 7?
In terms of a XV not offering value for money Horan and TC would make that XV despite the occassional flash of brilliance they didn't earn their money.
Jack on the other hand was supposed to be the best 2nd row in the world and we preferred a number of club stalwarts in that position and played Jack at 6 because of his immense ability. Even out of position he did play some memorable games (Bordeaux in the HC) but too often he was injured or just off colour and pretending to be a winger. For someone reputedly on a salary of £350k a season he has to be in this team.
Others not mentioned; Pienaar as a player/coach - cleared out everybody he didnt like and thought he could exist on a squad of 25 plus kids. Brent Russell - again unlucky with injuries but was supposed to be a stellar signing, couldnt tackle and not as good as Del, Penney or Rats - so didnt get picked.
An excellent list but I can only see Brits and Nieto who have come in with big expectations heaped upon them. Although IIRC Venter changes his complete front row at half time every game, so will they get enough game time to make a big impression. the door.
I think his main problem was that he could play in too many different positions and given an extended run at fullback I think he would have excelled.
He was certainly playing well enough for us to be snapped up by Clermont who seem to get to the Top14 final every year.
I know he didn't come with a huge pedigree but Edd Thrower is doing a bit of a Kenny and getting no game time but staying in the squad..
He's not sparkled there, he didn't do so in SA, and he didn't with us. It's not rational, however, to have heaped expectation upon him and then to vilify him. IMO, he performed to his level.
It's a long time since Sports network paid anything!
Innings
Points win matches: tries win hearts and minds.
Quote:You did select the right player to have his photo head the article; perhaps the worst let-down of all,
That was me - purely because he is now a Wasp, & we know how I feel about Wasps!
Edit: Great article Bard, Thanks for helping keep the site running
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009:08:13:19:03:14 by Kat.
... Eddie Halvey!
Lucan got the idea from Halvey's autobiography
It's a long time since Sports network paid anything!
In response to your above comment about him - garbage.
Pre injury - no one finer. Post injury, (which 99.9% of players would have never overcome,) he still gave his all. He could, of coarse, drop clangers, but the very nature of his game was reason enough to attract the punters to the game. One of the games all time greats.
Similar to AF in a way - should have moved to Union three years before he did.
Return was to due to family illness - a situation that naturally resolved itself over time. Returning to us (which you seem to suggest would have been the honourable thing to do) was never going to happen after the Ches franglaise incident @ the Agen friendly. Again not an incident of his choosing.
Personally, I had no problem with his contribution while he was with us and was sorry to see him go.
I notice that Part Two takes place in France in a few days time. I wonder if we will have players left to turn out against London Welsh.
There may have been circumstances surrounding his crossings of the channel that were not in the public domain; but the fact remains that when you cpmpare the impact he made on our scrummage compared to the effect Cobus had with much the same personnel, then I think his place is fully justified.
To call him a great of the game, just cheapens it for people that achieved something and kept a level of performance throughout their career. One good game against Wales and a handful of games in the Saracens shirt does not make a player worth the seven figures he took out of the club in wages for 3790 minutes of rugby (that works out to 47 full games). I'll more than happiliy say that he could be a brilliant player on his day but for me they were too far between them and as a result would be in my not value XV.
Maybe i have a thing about small fullbacks as Brent Russell was one of the worst signings we've also made. Lightening fast with ball in hand but liability in defence, i don't think i ever saw him make a tackle. Glad CA took him off our hands.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009:08:18:12:10:26 by T.
Who removed my H.R. Giger picture?
It may have been a bit before your time - the 'dog days' of BR.
My argument for including him, rather than Manu, in the XV, is that the latter was a journeyman without a reputation from which to disappoint, whereas EH was an Irish international from whom peeps were entitled to expect great things.
It's a long time since Sports network paid anything!
I always got the feeling he was trying something, even when all around him had given up. Unfortunately, the recipients of his passes were all too often on a different planet; meanig interceptions were frequent
Towards the end of his time with us, just as the City was calling, I can recall a game where Taine suffered a leg injury and was hobbling from tackle to tackle. Sheer guts -when it would've been easier to wave to the sidelines.
Did someone mention Tim Horan ? The time when he skinned Josh Lewsey and popped one under the posts must count for something ?
How about the front row pairing of Joe Ross and Johnny Marsters as late entries?
DoR? Controversially, Pienaar. As a coach, DoR, CEO etc etc the fall from the dizzy heights of Tetley cup and 2nd in the league, were followed by a succession of coaches and underachievement. Maybe that's a bit harsh, so hopefully someone will praise his record in management. (As a player and captain, he was immense.)
Alec from LI
Quote:welsh wasp
Well Ibanez seemed transformed back to his excellent pedigree when he was with us. Thank you for letting him go.
George Chuter was another who seemed to be a transformed player after he grew disillusioned with rugby and hung up his boots*
* or something similar
Andy Goode on the other hand never looked like an England 10 when he was at Sarries (some would say he doesn't now), but upped his game considerably when he went back to Leicester.
Back to Ibanez - "And then to cap it all, he announced that unless everyone else got their fingers out and got us into the Heineken Cup, he was off!" Everyone else DID get us into the Heineken Cup by winning the wild card playoff, and he still left.
Good article. I think it's a bit harsh on Taine though. I thought he got stuck in, and unlike certain other NZ forwards he barely missed a game (he played more minutes than any other player one season IIRC).
I hadn't realised so many "greats" were less than successful. I just thought they had off days against us.
Clontarf from LI
Who removed my H.R. Giger picture?