http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8CrRtoWymE
YouTube credit: Ballboll81
SKIP TO THE 15 second mark to see the effort that was last night chosen as ‘best try of the season’ at the French rugby awards organised by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). The annual Nuit du Rugby picks out the leading players, coaches and referees of the previous season, as well as the most attractive tries.
Montpellier wing Yoann Artru was the man who got on the end of a delightful team move in March, after a perfectly-weighted cross-field kick from François Trinh-Duc. Clermont’s try through Jean-Marcellin Buttin (starts at 2.14 of this video) and Grenoble’s multi-phase effort against Perpignan (starts at 14.33 here) were the runners-up.
Meanwhile, Rory Kockott was unsurprisingly named player of the season for his key role in Castres’ shock march to the Top 14 title last season. The South African, who qualifies for France next summer, scored 376 points for the Tarn-based side as they claimed their first championship for 20 years.
The award for best French player of the 2012/13 campaign deservedly went to the Clermont centre Wesley Fofana. After being wasted on the wing in the early stages of the 2013 Six Nations, the 25-year-old scored wonderful tries from midfield against England and Scotland. Fofana also played a crucial part in helping Clermont to the Heineken Cup final.
Jeremy Davidson picked up an award for his excellent work at Aurillac. ©INPHO/Presseye/Darren Kidd.
Gaël Fickou of Toulouse was named revelation of the season for his spectacular growth into one of the Top 14′s most dangerous centres. The 19-year-old made his senior debut for France against Scotland in the Six Nations and scored five tries in sixteen starts for Toulouse in the Top 14. A true star in the making.
There was excellent news for Ireland from the awards too, with former international lock Jeremy Davidson part of the ‘best coaching staff in the Pro D2′. Despite Aurillac operating on one of the lowest budgets in France’s second-tier league, the ex-Lions second row guided them to a promotion semi-final in his role as head coach.
Davidson was recently linked with a move to Clermont, although Jono Gibbes has since been confirmed in the role that the Ulsterman would have taken up. Still, with his Aurillac side flying high once again this season in fourth, it seems as though Davidson is set to move on to greater things.
