The regular domestic season is over, and on Tuesday night the Premiership handed out their seasonal awards.
Gloucester scrum-half Tomos Williams won player of the season, Northampton (and now British and Irish Lions) wunderkind Henry Pollock scooped the breakthrough star award and Bath supremo Johann van Graan took coach of the year after leading his side to top spot in the Premiership.
But enough of the serious stuff. Here at Rugby Confidential we’re looking at the lesser-spotted action that deserves its own gongs.
From puppies to Ibiza, and from a French chef to Bill Sweeney and Mike Tindall, these are the best untold stories of the season – with medals to match.
ALTERNATIVE MOTIVATION
There is a famous story from the Saracens changing room in 2013 of Paul Gustard bringing in a pair of wolves to spark the club’s wolfpack defence to life.
Sale took a slightly different approach this week ahead of their play-off against Leicester with the surprise arrival of some new-born puppies at their Carrington training ground.
Rugby Confidential was in attendance when the dogs arrived in a trolley adorned by Sale flags, much to the joy of all of the Sharks’ employees.
The arrivals were understood to have been organised by Sale’s women’s team, but they were equally well received by their male counterparts. Giant forward Jean-Luc du Preez, a big dog lover, made sure to give them a cuddle.
Sale took a slightly different approach this week ahead of their play-off against Leicester with the surprise arrival of some new-born puppies to their Carrington training ground
Giant forward Jean-Luc du Preez (left), a big dog lover, made sure to give them a cuddle
Having narrowly missed out on the play-offs, Gloucester’s squad wasted no time in booking a team trip to Ibiza
BEST PARTY PLANNERS
Having narrowly missed out on the play-offs, Gloucester’s squad wasted no time in booking a team trip to Ibiza.
The squad chartered a luxury motorboat this week and have been taking in the sun around the Balearic Islands to enjoy some deserved R&R.
TRANSFER THAT NEVER WAS…
As word spread that Dan Biggar was not renewing his contract at Toulon beyond this summer, Rugby Confidential received a surprising request from one of the Premiership’s directors of rugby.
Steve Diamond, the Newcastle boss whose ear is always to the ground, asked for the Welsh No 10’s number.
But Biggar’s head was not for turning, with the veteran opting for retirement in the south of France over a final hit out in the north of England.
BEST MARKETING STUNT
One of the most forward-thinking clubs in the league, Northampton Saints were quick to release Henry Pollock headbands at their club shop in the midst of the youngster’s breakthrough season.
The 20-year-old has taken English rugby by storm, becoming a one-man highlights reel with his tries, celebrations and wind-up tactics.
Northampton Saints were quick to release Henry Pollock headbands at their club shop in the midst of the youngster’s breakthrough season
The 20-year-old has taken English rugby by storm, becoming a one-man highlights reel with his tries, celebrations and wind-up tactics
QUICK GETAWAY
Alex Lozowski potentially saved himself a hefty fine by deleting his Twitter account moments after making a post about a ‘conspiracy’.
The comment came shortly after Saracens’ defeat by Northampton, which was decided by a Saints try featuring a controversial forward pass.
Jack Nowell was hit with a £10,000 fine for criticising referees in 2023.
CRISIS AVERTED
One of the most bizarre scenes this season was the sight of a paratrooper hanging perilously from the roof of Toulouse’s stadium before their Champions Cup match against Sale.
His parachute snagged on the stadium structure and the match was delayed by 30 minutes.
It is understood that one Premiership club had plans for a similar pre-match stunt, but the show was cancelled when the paratrooper broke his ankle during the rehearsal.
One of the most bizarre scenes this season was the sight of a paratrooper hanging perilously from the roof of Toulouse’s stadium before their Champions Cup match against Sale
His parachute snagged on the stadium structure and the match was delayed by 30 minutes
TRAIL OF DESTRUCTION
Michael Cheika deserves credit for steering Leicester into the play-offs but the Australian’s season in the Premiership has been anything but quiet.
Succession planning has been close to non-existent, with new director of rugby Geoff Parling only appointed last month and no replacement secured for departing No 10 Handre Pollard.
Matt Everard should have been part of the club’s coaching future but the young defence coach was stood down hours before a match and has now joined Worcester.
Mike Forshaw is understood to be on Parling’s shortlist of potential defence coaches.
Michael Cheika deserves credit for steering Leicester into the play-offs but the Australian’s season in the Premiership has been anything but quiet
Succession planning has been close to non-existent, with new director of rugby Geoff Parling – a former Tigers player – only appointed last month
TOP ROAST
RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney would have thought he’d be in for an easy ride when he appeared on stage at this week’s Premiership Rugby awards to discuss the Women’s World Cup taking place in England later this year.
But he came under fire from event host Martin Bayfield. It seems the fallout from his controversial £1.1million bonus payment just won’t stop following Sweeney around.
‘There was a time when I didn’t think you’d make it,’ the giant Bayfield told Sweeney on stage, referring to his survival at the head of English rugby.
When Sweeney left the stage, Bayfield told him: ‘Your seat is the one against the wall.’
RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney got the cold shoulder when he appeared on stage at this week’s Premiership Rugby awards
Martin Bayfield, who played 34 times for England, three times for the Lions and was Robbie Coltrane’s body double as Rubeus Hagrid in the Harry Potter films, did not hold back
TASTIEST RETIREMENT PLAN
There has been a changing of the guard in English rugby as the likes of Ben Youngs, Dan Cole, Mike Brown, Alex Goode and Joe Marler all settle into retirement.
Some will step into the business world and others into the punditry merry-go-round.
But former Northampton and Scotland prop Nick Auterac has taken the most drastic career turn, taking up a role as a chef at a French restaurant in West Hampstead.
Former Northampton and Scotland prop Nick Auterac has taken the most drastic career turn, taking up a role as a chef at a French restaurant in West Hampstead
ROYAL PARDON
There was an empty seat on the media table at the Premiership Rugby awards dinner due to the absence of Mike Tindall.
The 2003 World Cup winner, who married into the royal family, did not alert the organisers to remove him from the seating plan at the black-tie event.
Subsequently, the ‘Jacks’ (the collective name for the English rugby media) were able to tuck into his three-course meal that would otherwise have been untouched.
Tindall is one of the leading figures behind rugby’s breakaway league, so perhaps he missed the dinner to avoid being bombarded with questions about the controversial project.
