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Congratulations to the Hurricanes, the Super Rugby 2016 champions. After falling at the final hurdle last season, you can’t begrudge the men from Wellington their maiden championship.
They finished top of the tree again, giving themselves home-field advantage – and boy did they take it. It certainly didn’t look like it would end this way after losing their first two games of the season.
It could have been so different had the Lions not rested their star players in the final game of the season in Argentina. Their second 15 were beaten by Los Jaguares which relegated them to second in the table and meant that they had to go to windy Wellington and try and play their brand of rugby in conditions that really didn’t suit them. They certainly tried but Lionel Mapoe will most definitely not want to see Cory Jane’s try again.
Here is my review of the season just been.
Team of the year
It isn’t often that the team that wins the championship doesn’t win team of the year. Of course the Hurricanes deserve their plaudits, but I simply can’t look past the Lions here.
Three years ago they were taking part in a playoff to stay in Super Rugby and this year they are top try scorers, top point scorers and top entertainers. A young team, that at the start of the season had no superstars. If they can carry on the way they played this season, next season huge things could be ahead.
Coach of the year
Honourable mentions must go to Chris Boyd and Tana Umaga for the jobs they did. Boyd went one better with the ‘Canes this year and Umaga has seen the green shoots of recovery start to appear after some lean years in Auckland, but once again the Lions win this one.
Johan Ackerman has done an incredible job. A Super Rugby finalist himself with the Sharks, the big former second rower has proven himself to be an elite coach. South African teams have always had a big pack, but Ackerman got those big boys playing good rugby, getting the ball through the hands and gave Elton Jantjies the freedom he needs to thrive.
You are surely watching a future Springbok coach cut his teeth.
Player of the season
Again a category where there were a number of possibilities. Israel Folau, Beauden Barrett, Stephen Moore, Ardie Saves – I could go on.
However, I am going to plump for Akihito Yamada. This may well be a controversial call but Yamada’s haul of nine in a team that certainly didn’t score many was a superb effort. These nine tries included a brilliant hat-trick against the Cheetahs in Singapore and showed the rugby world that he could cope at this level.
Breakout player of the season
Sergeal Petersen, Richie Mo’unga, Rohan Janse Van Rensburg and Matt Feddes, among others, made a huge claim for this accolade but the winner in my eyes is Damian McKenzie. The Chiefs fullback burst onto the scene at the start of the season, scoring in his first five games. His kicking technique is now world-famous with his smile being seen on big screens throughout the Southern Hemisphere.
A first call up to the All Blacks squad came this year, and although he was unlucky to miss out on the Rugby Championship squad, there are big things ahead for McKenzie.
Try of the season
This was so hard to choose. Halaholo’s try in the semi-final after Barrett’s chip and chase, the Chiefs’ match winner in the last second away at the Jaguares, what seems like every try the Lions scored – these were all beauties. Howeer Elliot Dixon’s try against the Jaguares was something special.
Forwards and backs seamlessly interlinking, the ball going through a good eight pairs of hands from half way before Dixon touched down in the corner. It was rugby at its finest, a try for the ages.
Disappointment of the season
There is a clear winner here. Los Jaguares were a team packed full of Argentinian internationals. A team that had just come third at the Rugby World Cup. Was it too much rugby for a lot of these guys?
Were they complacent or was the constant intensity of the games too much for them? They were my Dark Horses for the tournament.
I thought teams would find it very difficult to win in Argentina but the Chiefs, Highlanders and Stormers all did just that. They also lost to both other newcomers in the form of the Sunwolves and Kings, the latter they played with 13 men.
Let’s hope they take this season as a learning exercise and come back stronger next season.
Blooper of the season
This was a one-horse race until Mapoe’s gift to Corey Jane on Saturday, but we will let him off that one. Joe Pietersen has the dubious honour of winning this award.
With the scores locked at 15-all the Sharks won a penalty 15 metres out, bang in front of the posts, in the last minute of the game. It would be the last kick of the game and looked like handing the Sharks a famous win at Loftus Versfeld. The Sharks players celebrated on the bench, and as the kick was a gimme – and who could blame them?
The only problem was Pietersen hooked the kick wide which was the final action of the game and left a few Sharks players with proverbial egg on their faces.
And that’s it for another season of Super Rugby. Let’s hope 2017 is anywhere near as good.
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.