McInally the man in a year to savour
IT has been another pulsating year for Scottish rugby. Highs and lows, comings and goings, bumped heads and burnt knees, it’s had it all.
To both celebrate and commiserate, here we hand out the World of Rugby awards to our heroes (and villains)...
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Stuart McInally. In recognition of his performances, the Edinburgh hooker has been named captain for Scotland’s summer tour — and it is a richly deserved honour for a man who has been superb since moving from flanker to the front row.
He set the tone with two tries against Samoa and one against Australia in November. His rampaging runs in the Six Nations were a joy to behold and showed he was as good in open play as he was at the scrum.
YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR
George Horne. What a fantastic first season as a professional.
The Glasgow Warriors scrumhalf went from third choice to first choice No9 in the eyes of head coach Dave Rennie and was picked to start all their big games, including the Pro14 semi-final loss to the Scarlets.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Richard Cockerill turned Edinburgh from a team low on confidence to one that made the knockout stages of the European Challenge Cup and the Pro14. Challenging in Europe and in the league is a marked improvement for a side that had not finished higher than sixth since 2010.
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
Blair Kinghorn. He wasn’t picked for the November Tests after Cockerill said he wasn’t ready. Come the Six Nations, he had cut errors out of his game to the extent Cockerill implored Gregor Townsend to select him.
He made his debut off the bench in the win over England and started the final Six Nations match away to Ireland on the wing. He has now emerged as the No1 challenger to Stuart Hogg for the No 15 jersey.
COMEBACK OF THE YEAR
Magnus Bradbury. Named Edinburgh captain at 22, he was then stripped of the honour and told to stay away from the club after splitting his head open on a pavement after an alcohol-fuelled night out. Cockerill said he had to prove he deserved to stay at the club after he lifted his suspension.
Bradbury responded strongly and fought his way back into the team. He has yet to play for Scotland since winning his second cap against Italy in Singapore last summer but is part of Townsend’s squad for the three-match summer tour to Canada, USA and Argentina.
‘IF ONLY...’ MOMENT OF THE YEAR
Stuart Hogg v New Zealand. Just when it looked like Scotland had a chance of beating the All Blacks for the first time ever, along came Beauden Barrett to make a try-saving tackle.
A touchdown would have tied the score and Greig Laidlaw was a sure thing to put over the conversion.
As it turned out, Barrett’s tackle saved the day for his team, who won 22-17.
MATCH OF THE YEAR
Scotland v England. The Scots won the Calcutta Cup for the first time since 2008 with a superb 25-13 victory, which extended their Six Nations home winning record to six games, their best ever run in the tournament.
It was Scotland’s biggest victory over England since they won 33-6 in 1986. That match was also the last time they had scored three tries against the Auld Enemy at Murrayfield.
PASS OF THE YEAR (or any other year)
Finn Russell. A contender for the greatest pass ever by a Scotland player considering the occasion and the pressure he was under. He had come into the game against England facing heavy criticism after some poor Six Nations performances.
The jury was out until he backed himself to throw a long, looping pass from inside his own 22 over Jonathan Joseph and into the arms of Huw Jones.
Russell wasn’t finished there. He provided the final pass that saw Sean Maitland go over in the corner a few attacking phases after a move he began himself.
HANDBAGS OF THE YEAR/ POOR LAMBS AWARD
Owen Farrell/George Ford. England tried to make out that Scotland back row Ryan Wilson had harassed Ford and elbowed Farrell as they all went up the tunnel after their pre-match warm-up. Rather embarrassingly, television pictures and others on social media showed nothing of the kind.
Wilson did give verbals to Ford but it was harmless stuff. Farrell went haring up the tunnel to try and get him to stop and if anybody was guilty of aggressive behaviour it was him.
TRY OF THE YEAR
Tommy Seymour for the Warriors against Exeter at Scotstoun in the European Champions Cup group stage.
It started deep in his own 22 after Glasgow broke up an attack. The ball was taken nearly the whole length of the park by Seymour, Russell, Hogg, Peter Horne and then Seymour again, who dived over to score.
It is one of four nominees for the European Champions Cup try of the year.
HERO TO ZERO AWARD
Ali Price. Going into the Six Nations, he was Scotland’s first choice scrum-half.
In six minutes, that had all changed. His telegraphed pass was picked off by Gareth Davies, who sprinted 60 metres to score. He was taken off after just 49 minutes as his performance went from bad to worse.
Greig Laidlaw started the next match against France and kept the jersey for the rest of the tournament. Price had also been first choice No 9 at Glasgow Warriors before the Six Nations but lost that starting jersey, too.
MOMENT TO FORGET AWARD
Nathan Fowles. With the home crowd shouting ‘it’s behind you’, a cross kick from Jarrod Evans of Cardiff Blues bounced off the back of his head and into the grateful arms of Ellis Jenkins, who dived over to score.
The Edinburgh No 9 looked suitably embarrassed at giving away the try that laid the foundations for Cardiff’s win in the European Challenge Cup quarter-final at Murrayfield. Sam Hidalgo-Clyne was subsequently handed the starting scrum-half jersey for future games.
UNLUCKIEST PLAYER OF THE YEAR
John Barclay. The Scotland captain had been sensational in the Six Nations and kept that form going when he returned to his club Scarlets.
He wanted to end his time with them, before moving to Edinburgh, with a Pro14 winner’s medal but the chance was cruelly taken away from him.
Six minutes into the play-off semi-final against Glasgow on the artificial pitch at Scotstoun, he ruptured his tendon and will miss the final.
He is also facing six months out which will delay his Edinburgh debut and means he is likely to miss the four-match November Test series.