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.
Skepskop
Guest
As a saffa I disagree with your props, the Stormers duo of Kitshoff and Malherbe are in better current form than Goodes or Faumuina. And while I admire and rate Cheslin Kolbe, Ben Smith is a better play and in better form. Higginbotham is a great call at 8, can't believe he battles to make the Wallaby team.
Aidan Loveridge
Roar Pro
Hahah that's great frisky! I wish people would be a little less bias sometimes I mean despite Bismarcks discipline he has been a beast wouldn't dream of putting any hooker before him.
Aidan Loveridge
Roar Pro
I agree with you in regards to Vito he is a very good player but not even in the top 3 of form number 8's to be quite honest. Yes Higgers does range out wide but hes simply following the template Read has set to be an attacking number 8 it doesn't mean hes been shirking any of the grunt work with the forward pack. Moala was average most of this season hes coming right now but even so he hasn't been as effective for the team as Kaino has or even as effective as James Parsons and Mealamu hes most certainly not the form center in the competition let alone NZ. Yes. Yes i can. Because Milner Skudder has hardly played half the minutes Cheslin has and Cheslins played great exciting football every time hes been on the park. So has Milner-Skudder but for a much shorter period so its a no contest for mine. Maybe if Milner-Skudder has a full season of games under his belt he'll be the form fullback but its too early at the moment to give him that accolade.
Taniwha
Guest
I enjoyed seeing Charlie Ngatai in there, not on the radar for most at the start but I agree he has been a form centre this season. I thought I read somewhere that he was a NZ sprint champ at school so the speed should not be surprising if that is true.
Harry Jones
Expert
Don't forget Robbie Blair. He had 1 Bok cap. But it was a good one. (WP bias alert).
Kirky
Roar Rookie
You're so right mate as I can remember duking it out with you two among others on that terrible Rugby heaven site, and as a matter of course you get into the whims etc of the people you blog with. I rarely go there these days and don't contribute unless something comes up that annoys me enough!! I blog under a different name on here
Kirky
Roar Rookie
You are talking rubbish mate and at the same time seeing it all through yellow eyes of which both are heavily eye patched, its called bias my friend!
Kirky
Roar Rookie
Well my seemingly ''know all about rugby ' fellow blogger I can assure you that I also watch every game each and every Super round and I also do so with minimal bias. ~ You picked your team and I amended the said team with what I consider to be the better players .. I will say though that your judgement is flawed regarding Pollard, Savea, and Ben Smith and a couple of others, but at the end of the day, this is only a bit of fun, ~ you pick yours and I'll pick mine, let's just say that we agree to disagree as it's all hypothetical as whatever you and I say makes not one iota of difference! Good watching!
Lano
Roar Guru
that's amusing frisky.
TropicGeek
Guest
Vito isn't flashy but goes about his work as No. 8 quietly and very effectively. Also one of the best line out forwards in the competition. Higgers has scored a lot of tries and as a forward, that usually means he spends too much time ranging out wide and not doing the hard grafting that an 8 should be doing. He's been good for the Rebels but not the best 8 going around. I have to disagree that Moala has been average. In a losing team, he has been the only standout and a constant threat on attack. Can you honestly say that Cheslin has been better than Milner-Skudder? NMS has been by far a more entertaining player.
frisky
Guest
I think that you should include more NZ players in th steam.
frisky
Guest
Despite all the objections below to Bismark’s selection, as an AB supporter, IMO he is the scariest opponent in the world. I wish that he was a kiwi.
Rugby.ftw
Guest
Nadolo is the form winger in the competition, saveas form isn't even close
rugbyGURU
Guest
Pretty good analysis... The crusaders forward pack which is a lot all blacks has been particualrily underperforming which is scary but in the all blacks it will be interesting to notice if there is any difference! My form xv would like like this: 1. Reggie Goodes 2. Dane Coles 3. Owen Franks 4. Will Skelton 5. Sam Whitelock 6. Jordan Taufua 7. Sam Cane 8. Jerome Kaino 9. Augustine Pulu 10. Colin Slade 11. Nemani Nadolo (savea pretty close contender though!!) 12. Ma'a Nonu 13. Malakai Fekitoa 14. Waisake Naholo 15. Milne Skudder
Aidan Loveridge
Roar Pro
Thats not evidence that someone elses opinion on fly half form and this is mine. Maybe you should think of it the other way this is moot point because you've made your mind up champ
Aidan Loveridge
Roar Pro
Yes of course we all know that but this is a FORM list thats what it is so even though i believe Vermuelen to be a better player he hasnt played upto that standard as often has Higginbotham
Charging Rhino
Roar Guru
Bruce k - BTW Percy was a fullback, never a 10 (he may have played one game in the 90's at 10) And he kicked 4 penalties in the 2007 WC final. Where do 7 come from? Frans Steyn kicked the 5th and final penalty, final score 15-6. And Butch James was the 10. Do these flyhalves fit your description: Henry Honiball, Butch James, Joel Stransky, Pollard, Lambie, Goosen? I agree that Morne Steyn was pretty one dimensional.
Charging Rhino
Roar Guru
Bismark is not the first pick for the Sharks or Boks???? That's news to me..... The only time Bissie doesn't start is when he's been suspended or injured. Or coming back from an injury. In the last couple years for the Boks, Strauss was starting as Bissie was easing his way back to full fitness after being injured. A country mile ahead of any other hooker in the world. Watch the World Cup this year. He's going to man handle other packs on his own, just like he destroyed the Reds.
PeterK
Roar Guru
the evidence was the link to analysis of fflyhalf play. It shows how they went each week and clearly there were weeks he was not as consistent as you make out. As I said it is a moot point since you have your mind made up.
Mike
Guest
Sorry, but even out of form, Vermeulen is way ahead of Higginbotham.