Disconnect yourself from Google, here’s a quick pop quiz without notice. Who is the leading try-scorer in Super Rugby this season?
For those unaware, I’m banking that the initial candidates that spring to mind are the orthodox try-line dominators. The men who in recent times have commonly nestled in the habitat of the opposition in-goal. The men with double digits on their backs.
Is it Stormer speedster Bryan Habana, the man who has always dotted down like shelling peas? What about Hurricanes retainee Cory Jane, or the rejected Ma’a Nonu? Surely his anger at being shown the door at Wellington has been translated into some five-pointers for the Blues in 2012?
One-eyed Aussie rugby fans would probably have the dynamic Digby Ioane or his fellow Red Dom Shipperley in their thought bubbles, or for the bigger dreamers, would you toss up new Waratah whippet Tom Kingston or baby Brumby Joseph Tomane?
Are any of these contenders at the crest of the try tree?
If you guessed one of the predictable from above, then you have hooked your kick wide. You need to move your sights from the outer thirds of the paddock and start looking further infield.
Leading the list so far in 2012 is the Chiefs’ hulking loosehead prop Arizona Taumalolo, with six eye-pleasing touchdowns.
You better believe it; a barrel-legged scrum brute with a low centre of gravity and a chest the size of a small utility is leading a chasing horde of whippy speedsters and line-running centres to the land beyond the posts.
I know it’s only round six, but pack monsters around the globe are dedicating their seventh helping of mash at dinner tonight to their newest poster boy.
Taumalolo is the latest introduction to the front row brotherhood’s try-scoring hall of fame.
It’s rather bare inside, so it was easy to find him a place on the mantle right next to legendary prop scoreboard-cookers like Kiwi World Cup final hero Tony Woodcock, prolific ACT Brumbies ball-planting merchant Ben Alexander, and one-time runaway Wallaby Greg Holmes.
And he’s got priors for harassing the scoring attendants; he scored Tonga’s only try in their 41-10 loss to the All Blacks at last year’s world championships.
And what’s the big unit’s key to success when it comes to burning a vapor trail across the stripe?
The answer is simple: he’s impossible to stop from half a yard out.
Forget Sonny Bill Williams, Richard Kahui and Lelia Masaga. The Chiefs want the greasy seed in the hands of the prop at the back of a stationary pile of oversized humans 80 centimetres from the promised land.
We may see a revolution in rugby back-line play thanks to this fleeting statistical abnormality.
Picture this: the ball being spun through the hands out wide to a charging winger who snubs the try line in order to hit the turf and create a ruck so the point-scoring whiz from the front row can finalise the pick, drive and plant for points.
Not likely. But at least for this week, the scrum pigs are finally getting their names up in lights.
Katipo
Guest
Im enjoying Tamalolo's try scoring. Great stuff. However, when a loose head leads the tournaments try scoring there is a problem. The free flowing spectacular tries scored from first phase, or within a couple of phases, with lots of passes and players touching the ball are preferable. And there aren't enough spectacular tries these days. Too much one off the ruck endless phase play. Sometimes teams get in to double figures of phases and haven't moved forward ten meters. And teams refuse to kick to break up defences so the game deteroriates inti bash abd barge 1 metre phases - enter Taumalolo. This is boring stuff. Some people have suggested fiddling with the value of penalties to fix this problem. Perhaps we should review the value of tries. How about.. A. A try scored directly from a set piece in 1 phase - 7 points. No need to convert it, instant 7 points. B. a try scoredin 6 or less phases - 5 points. Conversion to 7 points is allowed (that's the rule now) C. A try is scored after 7 or more phases - 5 points. No conversion allowed. D. A try is scored after 10 or more phases - 4 points. That wouldencourage some more interest and creativity in attacking play should it not?
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
yep, Classic! Taumalolo has been linked to Perpignan for 2012-2013. Would be a huge loss for SR and the chiefs
mace 22
Guest
as a former back what is the world coming to when props become poster boys. Pleasel someone pinch me and wake me from this nightmare
kiwidave
Guest
Not just from the base of the ruck, he's actually run a couple in outside as well.
allblackfan
Guest
anyone lucky to have watched the Tonga-France game at the RWC last year will recall the grin on Taumalolo's getting wider and wider everytime the French repacked their scrum as the game's final few minutes ticked away. Beautiful!! To mind, there are three faces that embody RWC 2011; that grin is one of them!
Riccardo
Guest
Isn't it also great to see a guy who enjoys his Rugby this much? The big unit never stops smiling. Another endorsement for Rennie. "...but pack monsters around the globe are dedicating their seventh helping of mash at dinner tonight to their newest poster boy". Great line Dane.
mania
Guest
yeah tru ABF - props are a different breed of players who get better as they get older. early days but would love to see what he becomes after crons had him for a bit
katzilla
Roar Guru
Just don't let him have the ball anywhere but 5 m out.
allblackfan
Guest
not so sure about that; kid's still got a lot to learn although I like what I see. got towelled up a bit in the Brumbies game although he was starting to come right at the end. His step up to the ABS will depend more on Mike Cron (scrums coach) who I'm guessing Hansen will rely on for the final word. Worth noting Tameifuna was part of the NZ side that won the U20 world cup last year, playing alongside the likes of TJ Perenara, Blayendaal, Barrett etc) He
mania
Guest
ABF - i'm really impressed with Tameifuna. he holds his end of the scrum up but more importantly gets alot of milage around the field. seems such a mature player for a young kid. this is definately a case of dont judge a book by its cover. Tameifuna looks like a lazy fat kid but scrums, cleans out rucks, mauls, tackles and runs the ball up. hope he gets given some words of advice by hansen on how close he is to an AB's call up
allblackfan
Guest
and the bigger kid on the other side of the Chiefs front row -- Tameifuna -- is his nephew!! (He's also eligible for the ABs!!)
Shungmao
Guest
Love it, about time people acknowledged "pie eaters". The kids got plenty of ticker and puts in around the paddock. Let's see more 5 pointers champ!!!
mania
Guest
congrats taumalolo. coming of age for great tongan kiwi who has worked hard at his craft. chiefs can hold their heads high that they have one of the most dominant and hardest working front rows in SR, all lead by taumalolo.
sixo_clock
Roar Guru
Nice, well written.