Olly Robinson scoops Pro14 award

Cardiff Blues flanker Olly Robinson was the only winner from the Arms Park at the Pro14 Awards in Glasgow on Monday night.

The league coincided it’s 2017/18 awards night with the new season launch event at the Argyle Street Arches where 10 awards were handed out, and the Guinness Pro14 dream team for last year was named.

Overall there were five Cardiff Blues players nominated for honours, but Olly Robinson was the only one to pick up any sort of award, capping a remarkable first season in the Pro14 for the Englishman.

He wasn’t even a Cardiff Blues player when last season kicked off, and only arrived on a short term deal at the end of September, but a string of eye catching performances convinced Richard Holland to make a move to keep the 27-year-old. Initially he was due to return to Bristol, but an early release was secured so he could stay at the Arms Park.

It was particularly in defence that Robinson stood out and it is fitting therefore that he wins the Pro14’s 2017/18 Tackle Machine Award, after completing 243 tackles with a 94/6% success rate.

Elsewhere there was acknowledgement for Josh Navidi, Nick Williams and Willis Halaholo who were all nominated for positions in the dream team, but unfortunately did not quite make it into a Scarlets, Glasgow and Leinster dominated XV.

Jarrod Evans also missed out on a spot in the team, and was beaten to the Young Player of the Year Award by Leinster and Ireland’s full-back starlet Jordan Larmour, after a season that saw the Cardiff Blues player score 127 points in 15 Pro14 appearances.

Full list of winners

Guinness Players’ Player of the Season: Tadhg Beirne (Scarlets)
Guinness PRO14 Coach of the Season: Leo Cullen (Leinster Rugby)
Honda Young Player of the Season: Jordan Larmour (Leinster Rugby)
Guinness PRO14 Chairman’s Award: Ed Jackson (Dragons)
Gilbert Golden Boot Award: Fred Zeilinga (Toyota Cheetahs)
Guinness PRO14 Dream Team Captain: Callum Gibbins (Glasgow Warriors)
Guinness PRO14 Top Try Scorer: Barry Daly (Leinster Rugby)
Guinness PRO14 Tackle Machine: Olly Robinson (Cardiff Blues)
Guinness PRO14 Ironman: Giulio Bisegni (Zebre Rugby Club)
Specsavers FairPlay Award: Scarlets

Guinness Pro14 2017/18 Dream Team

Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh), Jordan Larmour (Leinster), Nick Grigg (Glasgow), Hadleigh Parkes (Scarlets), James Lowe (Leinster), Rhys Patchell (Scarlets), John Cooney (Ulster)

Jack Conan (Leinster), Callum Gibbins (Glasgow), Aaron Shingler (Scarlets), Tadhg Beirne (Scarlets), Scott Fardy (Leinster), Andrew Porter (Leinster), Torsten van Jaarsveld (Cheetahs), Rob Evans (Scarlets)