Rob Kitson's end of season awards: Ireland and La Rochelle take charge

Six Nations and Champions Cup produced classic matches in a campaign where rugby union’s future came under the spotlight.

TOP SPOT: La Rochelle's Irish coach Ronan O'Gara looks on during the warm-up of the French Top14 rugby union match between Stade Rochelais and Stade Francais XAVIER LEOTY / AFP

BEST GAMES.

1 - Leinster 26 La Rochelle 27, Aviva Stadium. Hard to beat for intensity and quality.

2  - Ireland 32 France 19, Aviva Stadium. The greatest Six Nations game? The first 40 minutes were particularly epic.

3  - Exeter 33 Montpellier 33 (aet), Sandy Park. Ridiculous, see-sawing drama.

MOST ENJOYABLE MATCHDAY ATMOSPHERE.

1  - England v France: Women’s Six Nations, Twickenham. A world-record attendance for a women’s rugby match – 58,498. Only 3,500 more fans attended the men’s Premiership final later the same month.

2  - Wales v England: Women’s Six Nations, Cardiff Arms Park. A sunny day full of positive vibes in an otherwise grim season for Welsh rugby.

3 - London Scottish v Richmond, The Athletic Ground. It is not necessary to be in a 10,000-capacity rugby stadium to have a great day out.

MOST CONSISTENTLY RELIABLE PLAYERS.

1 - Grégory Alldritt (La Rochelle and France).

2  - Antoine Dupont (Toulouse and France).

3  - Levani Botia (La Rochelle)

KILLER MOMENTS.

1  - Duhan van der Merwe’s two tries for Scotland v England at Twickenham.

2  - Jack Crowley’s winning drop goal for Munster v Leinster in the URC semi-finals.

ATTABOY JACK: Jack Crowley of Munster celebrates kicking the winning drop goal during the United Rugby Championship Semi-Final match between Leinster and Munster. Pic: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile

3  - Christ Tshiunza’s last-ditch winning try for Exeter v Harlequins in the Premiership.

COACHES OF THE SEASON.

1  - Ronan O’Gara (La Rochelle)

2 - Andy Farrell (Ireland)

3 = Graham Rowntree (Munster), Mark McCall (Saracens)

MASTERMINDING IRISH SUCCESS: Head coach Andy Farrell. Pic: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

RISING REFEREES.

1 Nika Amashukeli (Georgia).

2 Luke Pearce (England).

3 Holly Davidson (Scotland).

STILL TO COME.

1 - The French Top 14 finale. Can La Rochelle clinch the “double”?

2 - The final stages of the women’s Allianz Premier XVs.

3 - The August World Cup warmup between New Zealand and South Africa at Twickenham. The word “friendly” never applies to this fixture.

WON'T BE THE SAME WITHOUT...

1 - Alun Wyn Jones

2 - Sarah Hunter

3 = Stuart Hogg, Chris Ashton

RIP.

David Duckham, Doddie Weir, Eddie Butler, Ken Scotland, Tom Kiernan, Ray McLoughlin, Bernard Lapasset, Ian McIntosh, Piet Visagie, Bruce Robertson, Tom Tierney, Ray Megson, Peter Thomas, Tony Brown.

CRITICAL QUESTIONS.

1 - Will the Rugby World Cup inspire the next generation of youngsters to take up the sport?

2 - What more can be done to make the game safer at all levels without diluting its rugged appeal?

3 - How soon before English club rugby becomes financially sustainable?

QUOTES.

“I don’t think history will remember this period of English rugby too kindly.”  - Sir Clive Woodward reflects on Eddie Jones’s tenure in charge of the national team.

“There needs to be chats about the way we structure the season and the way we grow the game as players – because for some, rugby really is on its last legs. If we carry on going the way we’re going, it doesn’t look good.” - Northampton’s impressive captain, Lewis Ludlum.

“I have been around rugby for a long time and there are not too many people who want to put their hand in their pocket and buy rugby businesses.” - Prophetic early-season words from Worcester’s former director of rugby Steve Diamond.

“We love a watershed in Wales, we have them every fortnight.” - The Welsh Rugby Union chairman, Ieuan Evans, before the WRU’s pivotal annual general meeting.

“I don’t watch it every day or every week, but it still gives us a little tingling at the back of the neck when you see it.” - Sir Gareth Edwards on the 50th anniversary of “that” try for the Barbarians against New Zealand in 1973.

“Every club in the land was with Sale. Do you know what? That is how we like it. That is how we have always liked it. No one wants us to win and we don’t care.” - Saracens’ retiring back-row forward Jackson Wray after his side’s Premiership triumph.

“One of my greatest strengths and weaknesses is that I can’t act.” - Ronan O’Gara, La Rochelle’s relentlessly competitive head coach.

“We watched the Ireland v England match. He barely knew it was England. Andy Farrell, Owen Farrell, he hadn’t a clue. He knew Johnny Sexton is someone he should have known but he couldn’t remember the name. He kept saying, ‘There’s your man, there’s your man,’ but he couldn’t remember the name.” - Margot Slattery, wife of the great Ireland and Lions flanker Fergus Slattery, talking to the Sunday Times about her husband’s struggle with dementia.

“Suddenly it’s a 24-hour journey when it should take about 10 hours. We’re big people and you can’t perform at your best when you’re sitting in an airport and eating junk food.” - Bismarck du Plessis on the stopover implications for South Africa’s leading provincial sides competing in Europe.

Guardian