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.
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.
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.
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.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_MBoGFAbk-/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
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.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-8mCMmA5I6/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
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
Wasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
3 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
3 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
3 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
30 Go to comments