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I have decided to write up my form side of the 2015 Super Rugby season so far and although I love the All Blacks I am far from biased as I unfortunately support the Sharks.
I am just general lover of all things rugby rather than a plastic fan who comes out of the woodwork around World Cup time.
There will be notable absences from this team, namely Beauden Barrett and Jerome Kaino who are two prime contenders for their respective positions. But I decided against including injured players.
1. Reggie Goodes
Although being a heavily penalised player he is a powerhouse and a workhorse if he can fix up his discipline he has the potential to be world class.
Honourable mention: Steven Kitshoff
2. Bismarck Du Plessis
Most likely an unpopular decision due to his discipline issues being even more severe than the player at the start of my list, but you cannot deny he is the best hooker in the world right now.
Although through a lot of the season he hasn’t shown that, the last few games he’s been his old self playing up to his world class standard and showing he deserves to be number one.
Honourable mention: Dane Coles
3. Charlie Faumuina
He has been consistently very good this whole season and I said a long time ago that he should be starting for the All Blacks. He has shown why because playing top quality rugby consistently is the hallmark of a starting All Black.
Honourable mention: Ben Tameifuna
4. Will Skelton
Honestly I think he’s better than a lot of people give him credit for. He’s developed from a lazy lumbering lock who had a good 20 minutes in him into an 80-minute steam train that no longer runs out of coal. Fortunately for him Brodie Retallick has had injury problems and has hardly been given a chance to show us any kind of form for that reason.
Honourable mention: Eben Etzebeth
5. Sam Whitelock
I feel like through this article I’m going to overuse the word workhorse but how else can I describe Sam Whitelock? A man mountain made up of a mixture of endurance and intellect, and a technical lock with less focus on crash and bash and more focus on execution. He’s been outstanding this year.
Honourable mention: Victor Matfield
6. Jaco Kriel
He is an example of the new breed of South African loose forward with silky skills and great speed. Kriel is less of the traditional bulldozer loose forwards we are used to see come from South Africa but that does not mean he lacks in power or defensive capabilities. He is a great all round player who gets better and better each week.
Honourable mention: Liam Messam
7. Sam Cane
Unquestionably, the next Richie McCaw. Cane has been immense this season with a plethora of big hits, steals and tries. There is no stopping Cane who is in the form of his life right now.
Honourable mention: David Pocock
8. Scott Higginbotham
Due to Kaino’s injury this was a no brainer for me. Australia’s answer to Kieran Read as a playmaking number eight, Higginbotham has been superb for the last couple of seasons for the Rebels and is showing no signs of slowing down. The top try-scoring forward in Super Rugby history, Scott has been the driving force behind the Rebels’ resurgence from the bottom of the table to a more respectable mid table spot.
Honourable mentions: Nasi Manu/Duane Vermuelen
9. Aaron Smith
Possibly the easiest selection for the team, Smith his been almost faultless all season easily the best halfback in the world right now.
Honourable mention: Faf de Klerk
10. Handre Pollard
Sitting on the top of the point scorers ladder you can’t really look past the effectiveness of Pollard and the scary thing for every other country is that he’s only 21 and he’s only going to get better.
Honourable mention: Bernard Foley
11. Nemani Nadolo
The big man himself Nemani ‘The Fijian Wrecking Ball’ Nadolo has shown this season that not only can he score tries with huge barnstorming runs but that he can set them up with soft hands and graceful offloads. Every time this man has the ball everyone takes notice. His presence alone on the pitch is enough to change a team’s whole defensive mindset.
Honourable mention: Julian Savea
12. Ma’a Nonu
Generally thought of as not playing to his full All Black potential in Super Rugby, he has shown everyone what a dangerous force he can be offensively. Defensively Nonu has been ridiculously impressive this year.
Honourable mention: Damian de Allende/Samu Kerevi
13. Charlie Ngatai
At the start of the year I groaned when I saw Ngatai starting all the time as I was curious to see ITM Cup standout Seta Tamanivalu try his hand at Super Rugby. But Ngatai his been so incredible I couldn’t think of anyone I would put in to replace him. He is unstoppable right now with a surprising amount of speed I wasn’t aware he had.
Honourable mention: Malakai Fekitoa
14. Waisake Naholo
As a top ITM Cup player I wasn’t sure how he was going to do in Super Rugby as they don’t all find it a very fluid transition, but Waisake Naholo went about it like it was business as usual cutting through world class defences left right and centre. I hope we mange to corral him into staying here in New Zealand as I wouldn’t mind seeing him in a black jersey.
Honourable mention: Taqele Naiyaravoro
15. Cheslin Kolbe
Shocking, I know. But Cheslin is easily the bravest player in Super Rugby standing at a formidable 5’7″ and weighing in at a whopping 72 kilograms. The little speedster is not just brave but he is also one of the most lethal backs in the competition with insane pace and stepping abilities. Kolbe can hit gaps the defence didn’t even know were there and oddly enough is very effective under the highball. Definitely a player to watch.
Honourable mention: Ben Smith
That is my Super Rugby form side in 2015, so far. Feel free to write your own in the comments or tell me what think of my picks. I’m sure many of you will disagree but there’s nothing wrong with a bit of rugby banter.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.