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All Blacks stars dominate in SANZAAR's unique twist on Super Rugby team of the decade
Seven All Blacks stars have outnumbered their Australian and South African counterparts in a Super Rugby ‘home’ team of the decade released by SANZAAR.
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After crunching the numbers over the course of the past ten years, the competition’s governing body have released a starting XV based on the best performers on home soil in Super Rugby.
The release of the side comes a week after the revelation of the ‘away’ team of the decade, which also featured seven All Blacks.
While some alterations have been made to this side, there are some players who have retained their places from the ‘away’ team following a string of compelling performances in front of home crowds.
Among those to make both the ‘home’ and ‘away’ teams include electric playmakers Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie, while the entire front row of Steven Kitshoff, Malcolm Marx and Allan Alaalatoa remains unchanged.
New Blues recruit Barrett boasted the most points of any player while playing at home over the past ten years during his tenure with the Hurricanes, and McKenzie was the only Kiwi to have registered 200 running metres in a home game over that timespan.
The three front rowers dominated statistics in all facets of the game, topping home match charts for carries, running metres, tackles and tries.
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Leading the new additions to the side is former Highlanders flyer Waisake Naholo, who scored 23 tries in his last 24 matches in home fixtures, and ex-Reds midfielder Samu Kerevi.
The 33-test Wallaby averaged the most defenders beaten during his six-season spell at Suncorp Stadium, and partners up with dynamic Crusaders centre Jack Goodhue.
Dominant in both defence and attack, Goodhue is joined in the backline by Super Rugby and international teammate George Bridge, who averaged 68 metres per home match on the left wing.
Former Reds and Rebels halfback Will Genia’s exploits with ball in hand during his time in Queensland saw him pick up two of the biggest running metre figures for singular matches of any No. 9 in the competition.
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Dan Carter has revealed fellow All Black great Richie McCaw's pre-match obsession during his remarkable 148-test career.https://t.co/e5jPJCE3pV
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 4, 2020
In the loose forwards, former All Blacks captain Kieran Read is joined by 2019 World Rugby player of the year nominee Ardie Savea and Lions returnee Jaco Kriel.
The latter pair’s ball carrying prowess earned them places in this team, while Read’s work rate at the lineout for the Crusaders was superior to that of every other No. 8 in the league.
The side is rounded out by an impressive second row pairing of Rebels star Luke Jones and 2019 World Rugby player of the year Pieter-Steph du Toit of the Stormers.
Both players averaged well over three lineouts won per match, and have proven to be a handful defensively and offensively since making their Super Rugby debuts in 2010 and 2012, respectively.
Super Rugby Home Team of the Decade
15. Damian McKenzie (Chiefs)
Gained 200 metres from his 18 carries against the Brumbies in Round 17 2017 – becoming one of only three players in the last decade to make 200+ metres in a Super Rugby home game and the only New Zealand player to do so.
14. Waisake Naholo (Blues/Highlanders)
Scored 23 tries in his last 24 Super Rugby home matches, gaining 1,919 metres and beating 90 defenders in that stretch.
13. Jack Goodhue (Crusaders)
Made 10+ carries in seven of his 29 Super Rugby home games; in addition, Goodhue beat 71 defenders and made 255 tackles in such fixtures.
12. Samu Kerevi (Reds)
Has beaten 4.7 defenders per game at home in the last decade, the most of any player in that time (min. 10 games); he’s also made 10+ carries on 31 occasions, and gained an average of 59 metres per game.
11. George Bridge (Crusaders)
Averaged 68 metres per game on home turf in Super Rugby; Bridge also made 49 clean breaks and beat 82 defenders in that span.
10. Beauden Barrett (Hurricanes/Blues)
Scored the most points (671) of any player on home soil in Super Rugby in the last 10 years, Barrett also made 543 carries and 61 offloads in such fixtures.
9. Will Genia (Reds/Rebels)
Made the most (167 v Cheetahs – Round 6, 2011) and second most (144 v Lions – Round 13, 2012) metres gained of any scrumhalf in a Super Rugby game in the last decade; indeed, each of those fixtures was a home game for Genia.
8. Kieran Read (Crusaders)
Made 22 lineout steals in Super Rugby home games in the last decade – the only No.8 to make 20+ in that stretch.
7. Ardie Savea (Hurricanes)
Gained 1,901 metres playing at home in Super Rugby from his 408 carries – only one forward has made more metres in Super Rugby in the last decade in such matches.
6. Jaco Kriel (Lions)
Beat 5+ defenders on home turf 11 times in Super Rugby in the last decade – one of only two forwards to reach double figures in this category (Ardie Savea – 11).
5. Pieter-Steph du Toit (Sharks/Stormers)
Averaged 3.6 lineouts won (inc. steals) per home game in Super Rugby since the beginning of 2019, also making 111 tackles and 74 carries in that stretch.
4. Luke Jones (Force/Rebels)
Averaged 3.3 lineouts won (inc. steals) across his last 29 Super Rugby home matches – a span in which he also made 253 tackles and averaged 21 metres gained per game.
3. Allan Alaalatoa (Brumbies)
Made exactly 19 tackles in two Super Rugby home games in the last decade – only one other prop has achieved this multiple times in that period (Coenraad Oosthuizen – 2)
2. Malcolm Marx (Lions)
Gained the second-most metres (1,119) of any hooker at home in the last decade, made the third-most successful throws per game (9.2) of any hooker to play at least 20 home games, and crossed for a position-high 16 tries.
1. Steven Kitshoff (Stormers)
Made 16 carries against the Brumbies in Round 13, 2015 – no prop has made more in a Super Rugby home game in the last 10 years.
Comments on RugbyPass
I think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
8 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
4 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
8 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
13 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
13 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
4 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to comments