The Wrap: All 2017's highlights and lowlights

Here’s my list of the mad and the inspired for 2017. What moments stood out for you?

Excuse me, can I have a word?
Fox Sports’ Natalie Youannidis’ on-field ambush dressed up as an interview with Henry Speight, immediately after he had scored a try in Round 3 of Super Rugby. With apologies to Natalie – who was operating under instruction – a moment stunningly stupid in conception, also notable for Speights’ hilarious contribution to public oration.

Best atmosphere
Wales versus England, Principality Stadium, Cardiff, February. Also wins the category for ‘Best goat’.

Best comment from a fan (from the same match)
God bless the devastated Welsh lass seated in the row behind the media section who, after drinking and yelling herself hoarse all game, leaned over as I was packing up my computer at the end of the match and said, with the last remaining croaky remnant of voice she had left, “make sure you write in your story that the referee was a c***!”

Best refereeing call
Lions fans would likely choose Romain Poite’s change of mind at Eden Park, but it’s TJ Perenara using impeccable logic to school Angus Gardiner and talk him into changing his decision, Hurricanes versus Reds, Super Rugby Round 6.

Don’t take your boots off, we might need you
Wales prop Samson Lee receiving a yellow card in the 81st minute in the Six Nations international against France, serving his ten minutes, then still getting another nine minutes of action after that!

Serious slap with a wet bus ticket
World Rugby sending a letter of reprimand to France four months later in response to that same farcical match end, and cheating re a front row replacement.

Try of the year
Toni Pulu, Chiefs versus Stormers. More than just a way to get Damian McKenzie a mention, an example of pure positive intent and a relentless desire to back up. Just shades Sean O’Brien’s fantastic ensemble effort in the first Test, Lions versus All Blacks.

Try assist of the year
Dilyn Leyds to SP Marais, Stormers versus Chiefs. Watch for the seated reverse bullet-pass to appear in updated rugby manuals.

Carlos Spencer trickery award
Unseen by many, but see if you can find Lionel Cronje and Malcolm Jaer conjuring an audacious try, Kings versus Force.

Yeah but… nah
Rugby Australia’s unfortunate relationship with the west. But most particularly their curious reluctance to engage with the man with the deepest pockets in Australia. The Force is no longer, the coach and players have moved on, but will Western Australian rugby’s grassroots withstand the turmoil?

Super Rugby player of the year
Breakout years for the Crusaders’ David Havili and outstanding Rebels No. 8 Amanaki Mafi

The most obvious All Black-in-waiting. Ever.
Asafo Aumua. And everyone thought Dane Coles was good…

Better than Campo
Highlanders prop Siua Halunukonuka’s goose-step versus the Force (extra points for laughing while he did it). Rampaging Cheetahs prop Ox Nche was another front-rower who offered plenty with the ball in hand.

Best match in a losing side
Fiji lock Leone Nakarawa versus Australia in Melbourne. Offload central; high ones, low ones, around the back ones, plus a sterling shift in defence. Superb athlete.

Which way did he go?
Raymond Rhule’s remarkable nine individual missed tackles versus the All Blacks at Albany.

I see it but I don’t believe it…
Crusader Mitchell Hunt’s 83rd-minute drop goal from 45m to beat the Highlanders. Instinctive, unexpected, magical.

(AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

I see it but I don’t believe it… (part 2)
Michael Cheika clearly seeing Israel Folau not pulling Dilyn Leyds’ hair. Yeah right.

Hurry it along, please
Kurtley Beale waddling over to what he thought might be a lineout throw, while England’s Eliot Daly got on with the business of chasing hard and scoring.

Ten-year anniversary
Sam Whitelock completing a decade of first-class rugby wearing the same undies.

Why bother?
The Auckland Blues taking a Super Rugby match to Samoa then blowing all the goodwill by charging local fans the equivalent of five months’ wages for a seat.

Fan of the year
A tie between each of the 20,000 Lions fans who descended on New Zealand who, despite a brave attempt, just failed to drink the country dry. To single one out, how about Englishman Alex Edwards, who was taken in by Sandra Ioane and allowed to sleep on the floor at Reiko and Akira’s house?

Light at the end of the tunnel?
Queensland Country moving from the outhouse to the penthouse to win an excellent NRC final against Canberra. Now if only Rugby Australia and the state rugby unions could find a way to engage more people with the competition.

(Photo by Brett Hemmings/Getty Images)

Light at the end of the tunnel? (part 2)
Are Scotland’s renaissance men engineering a shift into international rugby’s top echelon? More will be revealed in February.

Nob of the Year
It takes a huge effort to knock serial recidivist Argentine lock Tomas Lavanini off this perch but England prop Kyle Sinckler started a players tunnel melee at half-time in the second Lions Test, was arrested while out celebrating after the third Test, then copped seven weeks for making contact with an opponent’s eye in the English Premiership. Nice bloke.

Fox Sports’ Xmas party hangover?
Australian viewers tuning in yesterday for Montpellier versus Glasgow enjoyed a free-flowing second half, followed by… the first half! An interesting programming innovation that I suspect won’t be a long-term ratings winner.

And a bouquet for Fox Sports too
Cameron Shepherd’s segment on the Fiji Drua versus NSW Country match was a heart-warming reminder of all that is great about rugby.

The ‘poor victim’ award
The coaches box antics of Wallabies coach Michael Cheika and his mini-me Pat Molihan. Unprofessional, embarrassing and self-defeating.

But she’s a kiwi and a girl…
The haste with which many have written off new Rugby Australia CEO Raelene Castle is mind-boggling. Are Australian rugby administrators and fans capable of setting aside state biases and personal animosities to pull in the same direction?

(AAP Image/Daniel Munoz)

And 2017’s final indulgences…

Gig of the year
Joe Pug, standing on a chair, fully acoustic, in the middle of a packed front bar of the ‘Labour in Vain’ Hotel, Fitzroy, re-defining the term ‘intimate’. Superb songwriting and great storytelling.

Song of the year
The always excellent Buddy Miller, contributing to a tribute album for his friend, Canadian singer-songwriter Mark Heard. Miller turns Heard’s song ‘Treasures of the Broken Land’ into an irresistible shuffle, laced with jangling guitar, smoothing French horn and heartfelt vocals.

Thanks again for reading and contributing, enjoy the Xmas break, and here’s to an eventful and happy 2018!

Oh, and by the way, if you’re stuck for something to read over the break I hear there’s a decent rugby book available at www.geoffparkes.com.