Borthwick heads list of worthy winners

SO, the Gallagher Premiership awards are done and dusted – the usual end-of-season fun – and there can be few quibbles with the main awards.

Steve Borthwick is clearly the Director of Rugby of the season, breathing life back into Tigers, and you will go a long way before seeing a better individual try than the cracker Louis ReesZammit produced for Gloucester against Newcastle, which won Premiership Try of the Season.

And, although I might have veered towards Ellis Genge for my Player of the Season, there can be no doubting the quiet excellence of Sarries flanker Ben Earl, who has probably been playing better when he featured for England.

Equally, there can be no doubt that the Discovery of the Season was London Irish speed machine Henry Arundell, albeit he only started one Prem game and his try scoring heroics were mainly seen in the Prem Cup, European ties and with England Under 20s.

It felt to me however that there was room for another award. Those shortlisted with Arundell – Ollie Chessum, Tommy Reffell, Hugh Tizard and Tommy Freeman – weren’t really discoveries at all in the true sense. All had enjoyed very decent seasons in the Prem previously and all were very much on the radar unlike Arundell who came from nowhere.

And then there is the case of Saracens’ Theo McFarland who enjoyed an outstanding debut season in the Premiership but at 26 perhaps doesn’t quite fit that youthful “Discovery” criteria.

So perhaps in future we should consider a ‘Most Improved Player’ award as well. Just a thought.