The 2010 Tri Nations is over. The rugby on display was superb and the audience heartily satisfied by the spectacle.
With some exceptional performances and a fair dosage of nail-biting drama that a Hollywood writer would have struggled to script better, we now take a look back, pass judgment and take stock of the heroes and villains of the Tri Nations.
Best Kick – Kurtley Beale. He had no idea he was the kicker – he boosted Wallaby supporter morale and booted himself into the history books.
Best Line Break – Maa Nonu, whose one sock run was not only brilliant but led to a massive victory for the All Blacks.
Most poignant moment – A shattered and crushed John Smit on his knees.
Best blooper – Kurtly Beale’s 20 meter Falcon – pure comedy.
Best hero – Richie McCaw. The most caps in All Black history, tries, tackles and inspiration. Hated by many, cherished by New Zealand, McCaw is one of the finest ambassadors of the game. His paper mache school visit is worth YouTubing.
Best villain – Bakkies almost took this as did Giteau’s boot. And there was a fantastic eye gouge by a Wallaby on a Wallaby last Saturday. But Peter De Villiers wins this one after a long, hard fall from his high horse. You take the blue pill Peter- the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill – you stay in Wonderland .
Best actor award – Robbie Deans for his enthusiastic singing of the Australian anthem. That’s traitor talk Robbie. His other teary eyed performances in the after match interview were worth mentioning as well.
Worst missed yellow card – Jimmy Cowan backwards head butt into Bakkies Bothas forehead. Jimmy gets a free beer after the match and Bakkies goes to jail for a very long time.
Most overrated player – Giteau’s loss of form and the nauseous, endless headlines for Quade Cooper were close, as was Genia’s complacent work at halfback. But Cruden gets the cake for his very mediocre run on.
Best coach – 2010 the year that Graham smiled. After a battering by the Boks in 2009, Henry has well and truly lifted the game and his team to a new level.
Worst coach – PDV showcased off his lunacy with reds under the bed, vast conspiracies to take over the world and little black clad men from outer space filtered through his troubled mind and spurted out for all to see.
Whinger of the year – The Bok fans almost took this as a group award, but Rocky Elsom was downright embarrassing in his ill timed and ill conceived harassing of the refs. They are not liking him… and his bad loser after match speeches do the team an injustice.
Best player of the tournament – Richie was close, Pocock was there as was Juan Smith – but Israel Dagg is the dark horse that takes this closely contested battle for his simply breathtaking brilliant runs and tries. Remarkable for a sub.
Try of the tournament – goes to Israel Dagg for his 5 Boks can’t touch me, jaw dropping try that was admired with head shakes of disbelief by the Boks themselves.
Worst player of the tournament – Bryan Habana. From missed tackles, bad kicks, dropped balls, lousy positioning, 2010 was a nightmare for Habana who went from spectacular to being booed by his own crowd.
Team of the tournament – Wallabies grew, South Africa imploded. The All Blacks won every single match they played, racking up the most table points and the most points overall in the history of the Tri Nations. On top of that they have won the last 15 games in a row, scoring 51 tries to 15 with an average scoreline of 32-15.
Love them or despise them, they are the 2010 team of the tournament.
mattchapl
Guest
From this its obvious to conclude that you're a new zealander. The only parts I agree with in that written is that Bryan Habana was without a doubt the worst player of the tournament. However Morne Steyn was absolutely brilliant. He never missed a single shot at goal including distances of 60+ meters. Ritchie McCaw was so average and the referees were shit.
Mike
Guest
Pocock got McCaws number 7 jersey? He's good but not McCaw good, thats madness... Although interestingly no Australian players were deemed good enough to be put in the NZ Heralds Trinations XV: 13/15 top AB line up from this season, plus V.Matfield and F.Hougaard at 5 and 9 respectively. Why tamper too much with a winning formula I guess. But Matfield should be number 5 in anyones team.
JB
Guest
Jeez, it's great that the 'boks came last, but everyone is giving them a rollicking. I guess it's because they got belted away from home, but they had 2 loses in the last few minutes. Who would be a coach...
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
Awards Stash? You want awards? I can only offer you a hint of a giggle, a bit of a titter, followed by uproarious laughter and deep belly generated guffaws of incredulity. Have a dekko at what the RugbyHeaven experts have come up with as Tri-Nations team of the series. I near pithed mesself. And it appears only two worthy teams competed. "The Sun-Herald and RugbyHeaven have combined to pick the best XV from the Tri Nations. New Zealand dominate with 11 positions while Richie McCaw has been moved to blindside to accommodate David Pocock and James O'Connor picked on the left wing." 15. Mils Muliaina (New Zealand) 14. Cory Jane (New Zealand) 13. Conrad Smith (New Zealand) 12. Ma'a Nonu (New Zealand) 11. James O'Connor (Australia) 10. Dan Carter (New Zealand) 9. Will Genia (Australia) 8. Kieren Read (New Zealand) 7. David Pocock (Australia) 6. Richie McCaw (New Zealand) 5. Nathan Sharpe (Australia) 4. Brad Thorn (New Zealand) 3. Owen Franks (New Zealand) 2. Keven Mealamu (New Zealand) 1. Tony Woodcock (New Zealand)
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
Leave Murray alone. I like him 'cos he has the most genuine name for a New Zealander I have ever heard - Mrrrrry Mxxxtd. I've tested it on my NZ mates - you can express it using no vowels and they still know who you're talking about!
Cattledog
Roar Guru
Thought he was a flanker?
Rockin Rod
Guest
Good call Conrad, how did you know that? Any bets? That John Grant did well, go the woodies
Fog
Guest
Gee, I think Weepu (and Cowan) made far greater contirbutions to he winning of ket games than Genia did in both losses and wins. Weepu was superb as a runner and distributor in Wellington as well as kicking a great goal, probed and passed with excellence in the last minute win at Soweto and of course kicked the goals and marshalled he troops in the last 20 minutes on Saturday.
Tembavj
Guest
Mex and the NZ crew is not far behind though in their one eyed bias, where nothing the AB's do is wrong.
Tembavj
Guest
Craig in a digital world its amazing that we cannot turn these idiots off... just the crowd and the refs. I have to say that the worst team would be Marto and Mexted with Kearns on the ground. Why don't they have Kaf in the box, at least he has some good knowledge to add. I dont know who is worse, Kearns, Marto or Murry... Its a shared award.
Craig Mathie
Guest
How about worst commentary team. Surely that would be the Aussie Fox crew. Look look, they cheated !! Over and over they go on and on. Poor us they say. All trying to impress O'Neil I guess but whatever the reason I can't listen to it. Game sounds bloody strange on mute though. Try it and see.
Derm
Roar Guru
Opium Pushing Slave Traders?? Is this Scotland or Wales - I can't be sure.
Cattledog
Roar Guru
And he did. Good call CR.
JohnB
Guest
The other thing about missed kicks (penalties anyway) is that the game would have been different afterwards if the kick had gone over. Without getting too sliding doors about it, instead of re-starting with a 22, it would restart with a kick-off from the half way. Even discounting the score being different changes the approach and the attitude element, you cannot assume that what in fact happened after the 22 would have happened after the kick-off.
Seiran
Guest
I agree with you OJ. I thought Genia should have been replaced with Burgess much sooner in many of the past tests when it was clear Genia wasn't making an impact. I think this season Burgess' passing has improved markedly over last season.
JohnB
Guest
To be fair to Elsom, his speech as a winner after the 3rd Boks test was appropriately gracious I thought.
ohtani's jacket
Guest
Cooper had his best performance this season playing alongside Burgess. You'd think he deserved at least one start in a six-test Tri-Nations.
Justin
Guest
OJ - you sound like most of the reactionaries on here! While he didnt have a blinding series he was not nearly as poor as some are making out. Suddenly people seem to forget that Burgess is bl00dy awful and want him reinstated on the back of a good 15 minute cameo. Another forgetable game - gee I would watch the tape again if I were you. The lack of pick n go in AUS tactics is a key I believe in both Cooper and Genia having quieter running games for AUS than QLD. The tactic from Deans is side to side without go forward on many occasions.
Gary
Guest
Got to agree. Brian Habanna took very little part in the contest for the ball unless forced to. He just hovered waiting for the chance to intercept. No where near the star I saw in South Africa in 2008. Another former super star on the way out (like Giteau).
Winger - Pocock
Guest
Winger of the year - Pocock second maybe equal to Elson