Not surprising there are no South African back line players chosen.
15 Mils Muliaina
There were suggestions last year that Muliaina was past his best but he bounced back in 2010 to have one of his most successful seasons and was rewarded with an IRB Player of the Year nomination.
14 James O’Connor
After bursting onto the Super 14 scene last year, O’Connor’s Test season in 2010 confirmed that he is set to become one of the biggest stars rugby has ever seen. Still only 20 and able to play just about anywhere in the back-line, the sky is the limit for the young Wallaby. There was a strong argument in support of Chris Ashton but O’Connor’s contribution from the kicking tee gave him the edge.
13 Conrad Smith
A consistent performer for the Hurricanes and New Zealand, Smith hardly put a foot wrong all year. The perfect foil for a powerful inside centre like Ma’a Nonu or Sonny Bill Williams, his ability to find space on attack and cover space on defence is remarkable. Adam Ashley-Cooper also had a strong year and gets a spot on our bench.
12 Yannick Jauzion
The debate went on for hours here. How do you leave out Ma’a Nonu? Well, it went back to that whole ‘year-long performance’ issue. Jauzion was simply brilliant in helping Toulouse to the Heineken Cup and France to the Grand Slam and was consistently good all year while Nonu’s start to the Super 14 was forgettable.
11 Drew Mitchell
You picked Hosea Gear as your left wing but we felt that decision reflected the month of November rather than the whole year. We felt compelled to go for the Super 14’s top try-scorer who was pretty prolific in a gold jersey too.
10 Dan Carter
The best 10 ever? A Test points-scoring world record to cap another mesmerising year from Carter makes it to tough to argue against the tag of the planet’s top fly-half. Quade Cooper was awesome in the Super 14, but Carter’s near-flawless Test season made this choice easy.
9 Will Genia
The Genia-Cooper combination for the Reds was a pleasure to watch in 2010. Another of Australia’s young guns (he’s just 22), Genia showed real maturity when he took over the Reds reins in James Horwill’s absence. Our Newbie of the Year, Ben Youngs will have to settle for a place on the bench.
8 Kieran Read
A unanimous choice amongst all the PR staff, Read was another All Black who raised his game this year. The Crusaders number eight was New Zealand’s Player of the Year. Enough said.
7 Richie McCaw
The IRB Player of the Year….again. When King Richie retires from rugby he should run for Prime Minister of New Zealand. David Pocock was so good that we felt obliged to field an unbalanced bench and give him the nod ahead of Imanol Harinordoquy.
6 Juan Smith
Again, it was very difficult to overlook Harinordoquy, who was an IRB Player of the Year nominee, but we rate Juan Smith as the best blindside flank of his generation. They don’t come any harder than the Free Stater, who once again proved invaluable to the Springboks on the end-of-year tour.
5 Victor Matfield
The only survivor from PR’s team of 2009, Matfield once again set the benchmark for line-out play as he led the Bulls to another Super 14 title before marking his 100th Test cap in the Springboks’ only Tri-Nations win of the year.
4 Brad Thorn
Thorn was seldom in the spotlight in 2010 but that’s exactly what you want from a number four. At 35, the Crusaders hard man still keeps toiling away in the All Blacks engine room. On the bench, Toulouse and Pumas stalwart Patricio Albacete gets some just recognition.
3 Adam Jones
Not many tightheads stood out this year but Hair Bear was a top performer for Wales and is the kingpin in what has become of feared Ospreys scrum. His game has gone from strength to strength since the Lions tour and did just enough to get the nod ahead of Italy and Leicester powerhouse Martin Castrogiovanni.
2 William Servat
Both France and Toulouse had scrums that steamrolled over everything in front of them in 2010. Mr. Servat was the common element and is now the undisputed first-choice number two for the European champions (at both club and country level). There was some debate about who should be on the bench as Saracens try machine Schalk Brits’ name was thrown into the hat but we felt that since the South African didn’t have a chance to show his mettle at Test level, his countryman Bismarck du Plessis’ return from injury was impressive enough to gain a spot in the 22.
1 Gurthrö Steenkamp
South Africa’s Player of the Year, Steenkamp had a storming Super 14 with the Bulls and grabbed his chance in Green and Gold when Tendai Mtawarira was forced to miss the June Tests. The grin on Steenkamp’s face as he flew over the line – like a Boeing 747 – to score against France at Newlands was priceless!
Replacements: 16 Bismarck du Plessis, 17 Martin Castrogiovanni, 18 Patricio Albacete, 19 David Pocock, 20 Ben Youngs, 21 Quade Cooper, 22 Adam Ashley-Cooper.
rugby365.com’s Team of the Tournament: Super 14
15 – Israel Dagg (Highlanders):
Being able to consistently perform in a team of very ordinary standards means you have something special that helps you rise above the mire of mediocrity surrounding you. There was considerable debate for this award.
Bubbling under: Adam Ashley-Cooper (Brumbies)
14 – Joe Rokocoko (Blues):
After a few lean years he reproduced his magical try-scoring form. He is still a pleasure to watch.
Bubbling under: Gerhard van den Heever (Bulls)
13 – Jaque Fourie (Stormers):
It has been said often before, but it is worth repeating: Right now only Irish centre Brian O’Driscoll can hold a candle to him in the No.13 jersey.
Bubbling under: Rene Ranger (Blues)
12 – Wynand Olivier (Bulls):
No doubt that he is South Africa’s form inside centre and his consistency this season also earns him our vote as the best in the tournament. Good cases can be made for Matt Giteau and Berrick Barnes.
Bubbling under: Berrick Barnes (Waratahs)
11 – Drew Mitchell (Waratahs):
Another position where the debate raged for some time. Mitchell was one of the few Waratahs backs that really shone through.
Bubbling under: Rudi Wulf (Blues)
10 – Quade Cooper (Reds):
He put his off-field troubles behind him, focussed on his rugby and showed how blessed the Wallabies really are in the No.10 channel.
Bubbling under: Morné Steyn (Bulls)
9 – Fourie du Preez (Bulls):
There is no doubt he is the world’s best scrumhalf. He showed it consistently throughout the tournament, especially in the big matches that mattered.
Bubbling under: Will Genia (Reds)
8 – Pierre Spies (Bulls):
Still not everybody’s cup of tea and still not the perfect player. But imagine how good he will be once he irons out those creases in his game.
Bubbling under: Duane Vermeulen (Stormers)
7 – Francois Louw (Stormers):
This was another tough call, but he played a crucial role in his team getting to the final and that was the decisive factor.
Bubbling under: Richie McCaw (Crusaders)
6 – Schalk Burger (Stormers):
His post-match outburst after the Final may have been ungracious, but his form before that was spectacular.
Bubbling under: Deon Stegmann (Bulls)
5 – Victor Matfield (Bulls):
This one will cause considerable debate, most of it justified. But we ultimately opted for Matfield’s performance in the Final, where his leadership and all round performance just shaded Bekker.
Bubbling under: Andries Bekker (Stormers)
4 – Brad Thorn (Crusaders):
He is the glue that kept the Crusaders pack together and was one of their most consistent performers.
Bubbling under: Danie Rossouw (Bulls)
3 – Werner Kruger (Bulls):
The rock (read solid foundation) around which the Bulls built their much improved scrumming performances.
Bubbling under: Neemia Tialata (Hurricanes)
2 – Tatafu Polota-Nau (Waratahs):
His energetic performances (some call it a high workrate) made a crucial part of the Waratahs pack.
Bubbling under: Bismarck du Plessis (Sharks)
1 – Gurthrö Steenkamp (Bulls):
His destructive scrumming performance and powerful ball carrying abilities just served to highlight that he is once again the premier looseh
rugby365.com’s Team of the Year: 15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Tommy Bowe, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Ma’a Nonu, 11 Hosea Gear, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw (captain), 6 Juan Smith, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Martin Castrogiovanni, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Gurthrö Steenkamp.
Replacements: 16 Keven Mealamu, 17 Owen Franks, 18 Nathan Sharpe, 19 David Pocock, 20 Francois Hougaard, 21 James O’Connor, 22 Adam Ashley-Cooper.
Too much conjucture from all sides.
Until there is a global Rugby season these exercises are nothing more than a (group of) person’s opinions based on too much personal choice IMO.
Just an exercise to keep us all occupied until Feb’.
@ Scrumdown:
so true , my friend so true. Like they say put 5 selectors in a room and you might have 5 different teams. Well that is what we enjoy here “beat around your own bush”
Happy New Year :happy:
SB, yes Happy New Year to you and everyone at RT.
It’s always a great pleasure for me to “chat” here and I really look forward to meeting all of my fellow Rugby lovers in person asap.
2011 is going to be a great year.
Scrumdown wrote:
for the Bulls off course 😆
Happy happy
bwah ha ha.
Beware the Blue Bull bubble has not burst!
(good elliteration eh?)
@ Scrumdown:
maybe it is one year too long, the highly experienced Bulls team might just be a bit old. Naaaahh the other teams are still building, learning, stealing, buying , bribing …….we still have a great chance.
SB,
i think another 2 years then a dip for a year or 2 before bouncing back.
BB development program is too good for them to stay down for longer.
Sh1t, I’m sounding like a Blou nul.
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