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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
The Springboks tried going down the road of only picking home-based players and it was an unmitigated disaster in 2016 and 2017. Picking overseas-based players has been one of the main reason the Boks have done so well since 2018, not only because of the quality Rassie could call on, but because of the knowledge and experience those players brought into camp from England, France and Japan. With some of the big names playing abroad it also gave younger players in SA the chance to break through at franchise level. Would we have seen the emergence of a Ruan Nortje if RG and Lood were still at the Bulls? Not so sure. I understand why Jake would want to block players leaving since his job depends on good results but it’s an approach that would take Bok rugby back to the bad old days and no South African wants to see that.
8 Go to commentsExeter were thumped by 38 points. And they only had to hop on a train.
34 Go to commentsI am De Groot.
1 Go to commentsHad hoped you might write an article on this game, Nick. It’s a good one. Things have not gone as smoothly for ROG since beating Leinster last year at the Aviva in the CC final. LAR had the Top 14 Final won till Raymond Rhule missed a simple tackle on the excellent Ntamack, and Toulouse reaped the rewards of just staying in the fight till the death. Then the disruption of the RWC this season. LAR have not handled that well, but they were not alone, and we saw Pau heading the Top 14 table at one stage early season. I would think one of the reasons for the poor showing would have to be that the younger players coming through, and the more mature amongst the group outside the top 25/30, are not as strong as would be hoped for. I note that Romain Sazy retired at the end of last season. He had been with LAR since 2010, and was thus one of their foundation players when they were promoted to Top 14. Records show he ended up with 336 games played with LAR. That is some experience, some rock in the team. He has been replaced for the most part by Ultan Dillane. At 30, Dillane is not young, but given the chances, he may be a fair enough replacement for Sazy. But that won’be for more than a few years. I honestly know little of the pathways into the LAR setup from within France. I did read somewhere a couple of years ago that on the way up to Top 14, the club very successfully picked up players from the academies of other French teams who were not offered places by those teams. These guys were often great signings…can’t find the article right now, so can’t name any….but the Tadgh Beirne type players. So all in all, it will be interesting to see where the replacements for all the older players come from. Only Lleyd’s and Rhule from SA currently, both backs. So maybe a few SA forwards ?? By contrast, Leinster have a pretty clear line of good players coming through in the majority of positions. Props maybe a weak spot ? And they are very fleet footed and shrewd in appointing very good coaches. Or maybe it is also true that very good coaches do very well in the Leinster setup. So, Nick, I would fully concurr that “On the evidence of Saturday’s semi-final between the two clubs, the rebuild in the Bay of Biscay is going to take longer than it is on the east coast of Ireland”
11 Go to commentsWhat was the excuse for the other knockout blowouts then? Does the result not prove the Saints were just so much better? Wise call to put your eggs in one basket when you’ve got 2 comps simultaneously finishing.
34 Go to commentsReally hope Kuruvoli and his partner rock the Canes.
1 Go to commentsI wonder what impact Samson has had on their attack, as the team seems less prone to trundle it up the middle, take the tackle and then trundle it up again. I lost faith in the coach last year as the Rebelss looked like a 2nd/3rd rate South African team. I also disliked Gordon standing back, often ignored as the forward battle went on and on. Maybe its our Aussie way of not getting off our A***’s until the enemy is at the gate.
86 Go to commentsThanks for the write up. Great to see the Rebs winning, I am a little interested in how they will go against the remaining kiwi teams, I think they’ve only played Hurricanes and Highlanders but how great to see these players performing!! I also see Parling has a job beyond June 30! A good move by RA? Also how do you fix the Rebels previously scratchy defence?
86 Go to commentsbe smart - go black
13 Go to commentsNext week the Crusaders hopefully have Scott Barrett back. Will be great to have the captain back. Hopefully he will be the All Black captain as well.
12 Go to commentsExciting place to be for the young fella. I expected he was French Polynesian when I saw him included in the France 6N squad (after seeing him in NZs), and therefor be strong grounds we might loose him to rugby down here. Good, in that he is good enough to warrant such a profile, and from a journalism’s fan interaction aspect, to finally get a back ground story on the fella. Hope he has settled into NZ OK and that at least one rugby country will fit with him to help his development, which, if so, he should surely continue for a few years, and then that he can experience France to it’s fullest with a bit more maturity and less reliance on family than you would have at his current age. A good 3 or 4 years before he would be ready for International duty if he wanted to wait. Of course he already sounds good enough to accept a call up, and to cap himself, in the more immediate future (he’d have to be very very good in the case of the ABs), and he’ll get a great taste of that being with the Canes who have a bunch who are just a few years further into their career and looking likely Internationals themselves.
13 Go to commentsI remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.
8 Go to commentsOh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
34 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
8 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
8 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
13 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
11 Go to commentsI know Leinster did a job on La Roche but shortly after HT Leinster were 30-13 ahead of them and at a similar time Toulouse were trailing Exeter. At 60 mins Leinster were 27 ahead but after 67 mins Toulouse were only 19 ahead before Exeter collapsed. That’s heavier scoring by Leinster against the Champions. I think people are looking at Toulouses total a little too much. I also think Northhampton are in with a real chance, albeit I’d put Leinster as favourites. If Leinster make the final I expect them to win by more than ten and with control.
11 Go to comments