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#Post#: 55823--------------------------------------------------
O/T ish Rob Baxter deserves his OBE, but if the Exeter supremo
has an honour it's hard to see why Mark McCall doesn't
DIR By: deadlyfrom5yardsout
Date: January 1, 2021, 4:05 am
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Even without those tainted trophies Saracens coach has had more
success at home and in Europe than Chiefs boss
31 December 2020 • 1:26pm
Ben Coles (Telegraph)
To cut out any confusion before we go any further, Rob Baxter's
OBE is enormously well deserved. Exeter's director of rugby has
overseen one of the sport's great ascensions to the top of the
mountain, through the lower tiers to becoming champions of both
England and Europe in the same season. It's a remarkable
achievement by a remarkable leader and coach.
As for Joe Simmonds, Exeter's supreme young fly-half and
captain, such is his talent that it seems absurd Simmonds has
more honours from Her Majesty the Queen (one) than England caps
(none) after he was named an MBE. The ribbing Simmonds will get
from his brother, Sam, and the Exeter pack is unlikely to end
for some time.
And yet one of the first thoughts after hearing about Baxter's
New Year's honour was to wonder why Mark McCall, the long-term
Saracens director of rugby, has not received a similar accolade.
After all, McCall, like Baxter, has won a Premiership and
European double, back in 2015-16. In fact McCall has won five
Premiership titles and three European Cups.
Even if we (quite understandably) scratch off Saracens'
achievements from the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, when they
breached the salary cap, the 2015-16 double remains, as does the
fact that Saracens won back-to-back European titles in 2016 and
2017.
Now, McCall picking up an OBE this year was always unlikely
after the club were shamed and relegated for their actions off
the field in recent years. But it does beg the question why
McCall didn't receive any honour at the end of 2016 when
Saracens were the undisputed best club side in Europe, and
arguably in the world given the Crusaders were yet to begin
their hat-trick of Super Rugby titles under Scott Robertson.
As far as Telegraph Sport understands, McCall has never turned
down an honour. The Bangor-born former Ireland international,
based on experience of seeing McCall at awards dinners and in
post-victory press conferences, would no doubt loathe the added
attention that comes with receiving one.
But it's hard to conclude that Baxter should get an OBE for
reaching the pinnacle of club rugby in Europe and not McCall,
who even without those tainted trophies has had more success at
home and in Europe. Like Exeter under Baxter, McCall built a
unique squad culture at Saracens having arrived as first team
coach in 2009, before the club became the force we saw in the
2010s.
Perhaps the key here is not to get too worked up over who does
and doesn't receive honours in the first place. But it does
bring an issue back to the boil which has almost been forgotten
entirely during the raging hell that has been 2020 - how do we
feel about Saracens?
Can we still appreciate everything they achieved during the past
decade? Or is their record tarnished to such an extent that even
the titles won before the club were found to be breaching the
salary cap are now difficult to appreciate?
Perhaps one day McCall will get the recognition that he
deserves. On the other hand, perhaps he never will.
#Post#: 55826--------------------------------------------------
Re: O/T ish Rob Baxter deserves his OBE, but if the Exeter
supremo has an honour it's hard to see why Mark McCall doesn
DIR By: raedarius
Date: January 1, 2021, 5:14 am
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Surprising that The Telegraph publishes something so seemingly
unaware of the processes behind the Honour system.
#Post#: 55828--------------------------------------------------
Re: O/T ish Rob Baxter deserves his OBE, but if the Exeter
supremo has an honour it's hard to see why Mark McCall doesn
DIR By: QuincyJones
Date: January 1, 2021, 5:36 am
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It's ridiculous that any of them should receive honours, for
being good at their jobs. They're chucked about like sweets
these days.
Re Mark McCall: excellent coach, part of a tainted legacy. Very
short sighted telegraph article. Saracens wouldn't open their
books so one can only assume further cheating occurred.
#Post#: 55830--------------------------------------------------
Re: O/T ish Rob Baxter deserves his OBE, but if the Exeter
supremo has an honour it's hard to see why Mark McCall doesn
DIR By: Yareet
Date: January 1, 2021, 5:51 am
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--- Quote from: QuincyJones link ---
>
> It's ridiculous that any of them should receive honours, for
being good at their jobs. They're chucked about like sweets
these days.
>
> Re Mark McCall: excellent coach, part of a tainted legacy.
Very short sighted telegraph article. Saracens wouldn't open
their books so one can only assume further cheating occurred.
>
--- End Quote ---
But the question is why McCall didn’t get an honour years ago,
before the cheating had been proven.
My personal opinion (FWIW) is that the suspicions were already
floating around Sarries then. Plus the Exeter achievement is
also their journey over 10 years.
#Post#: 55832--------------------------------------------------
Re: O/T ish Rob Baxter deserves his OBE, but if the Exeter
supremo has an honour it's hard to see why Mark McCall doesn
DIR By: MadMax
Date: January 1, 2021, 5:55 am
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Ben Coles displaying how little he knows about rugby and how
lacking he is in integrity.
#Post#: 55845--------------------------------------------------
Re: O/T ish Rob Baxter deserves his OBE, but if the Exeter
supremo has an honour it's hard to see why Mark McCall doesn
DIR By: QuincyJones
Date: January 1, 2021, 9:38 am
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--- Quote from: Yareet link ---
>
> But the question is why McCall didn’t get an honour years ago,
before the cheating had been proven.
>
> My personal opinion (FWIW) is that the suspicions were already
floating around Sarries then. Plus the Exeter achievement is
also their journey over 10 years.
>
--- End Quote ---
Yes, that's true. Although they are very different stories, as
you say. Sarries is a riches to riches story wheres Exeter is
more rags to riches. Where Sarries have always chucked money at
problems, Exeter worked hard with what they had, made shrewd
signings and have only in recent years made big name signings.
#Post#: 55856--------------------------------------------------
Re: O/T ish Rob Baxter deserves his OBE, but if the Exeter
supremo has an honour it's hard to see why Mark McCall doesn
DIR By: Mayor West
Date: January 1, 2021, 12:40 pm
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Does the Telegraph also have the same thoughts on Lance
Armstrong? After all. he won so much in cycling.
#Post#: 55858--------------------------------------------------
Re: O/T ish Rob Baxter deserves his OBE, but if the Exeter
supremo has an honour it's hard to see why Mark McCall doesn
DIR By: Rocker
Date: January 1, 2021, 12:49 pm
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Ironic that a certain Brian Moore wrote in the very same
newspaper n 2015 about Salaries (suspected) breaking of the cap.
That was when they promised to behave in future and threatened
legal action... Coles like many rugby journalists seems in
thrall to Sarries.
#Post#: 55861--------------------------------------------------
Re: O/T ish Rob Baxter deserves his OBE, but if the Exeter
supremo has an honour it's hard to see why Mark McCall doesn
DIR By: JammyGit
Date: January 1, 2021, 3:34 pm
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How did Sarries get on last season when - despite still being
stuffed full of internationals - they were forced to at least
pretend they were trying to be under the cap?
Fifth (once you ignore the points reduction) you say?
Honours all round, then.
#Post#: 55864--------------------------------------------------
Re: O/T ish Rob Baxter deserves his OBE, but if the Exeter
supremo has an honour it's hard to see why Mark McCall doesn
DIR By: quinalan
Date: January 1, 2021, 5:51 pm
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Really unsure as to how Joe Simmonds has ended up with an
honour? What’s he done that the whole Exeter squad haven’t? Rob
Baxter is definitely worthy.
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