Can anyone stop England from scooping the player of the year award?
Next week, rugby royalty from across the globe will gather to dish out a range of coveted awards.
Chief amongst those awards is the World Rugby Player of the Year, a prize handed to the player that has stood out from amongst his peers throughout the international season.
Since it was first conceived in 2001, the award has been given to thirteen different players. New Zealanders Beauden Barrett (twice), Dan Carter and Richie McCaw (both three times) have all risen to the top on more than one occasion.
In the four World Cup years that the Player of the Year has been awarded, a finalist has earned the title. Only once, in 2011, did the award go to a losing finalist – in that instance, Thierry Dusautoir.
World Rugby will announce their nominations in the coming days – who is likely to be on the shortlist for 2010?
Continue reading below…
Maro Itoje (England)
Maro Itoje has already been nominated for the Player of the Year award on two occasions, 2016 and 2017.
Itoje actually won the Breakthrough Player of the Year award in 2016, after debuting against Italy in the Six Nations.
The future England captain has gone from strength to strength this year and played a massive part in his side’s semi-final shut-out of New Zealand.
England's defeat of New Zealand wasn't just physicality and passion.
It was also ruthlessly planned
– writes Conor Wilson 👨💼 Prepare to go DEEP #analysis #englandrugby #ENGvNZL https://t.co/EuidXhh6eb
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 27, 2019
He’s regularly one of the top tacklers on matchday and causes havoc in opposition lineout feeds. With a 91% tackle success rate to his name, Itoje is not just destructive but also highly accurate.
Despite being just 24 years-old, another man-of-the-match performance in the final would almost certainly instate Itoje as the favourite to be crowned Player of the Year.
Owen Farrell (England)
Like his fellow countryman, Farrell was nominated for the award in 2016 and 2017, when England won the Six Nations. Farrell also received a surprise nomination in 2012.
The England captain is one of the most criticised players in the world game – though that almost exclusively stems from his referee management skills and his propensity to use his shoulder in tackles.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B4FWWT3A7i5/
Say what you will about Farrell’s captaining, but there are no questions that he’s been one of 2019’s top performers.
Farrell is kicking at 83% this year and has scored 173 points – the most by any player of the world circuit.
Flyhalves are the most frequently awarded winners of the Player of the Year award, with seven wins in total. Many expect a close contest in next week’s final between England and South Africa where the team with the better field possession and greater goal-kicking accuracy is most likely to come out on top. That sounds like a game made for Farrell.
Pieter-Steph du Toit (South Africa)
The Springboks’ converted flanker is yet to have a bad game in 2019.
Pieter-Steph du Toit has been on the international scene for South Africa since 2013 but has come of age this year, monstering opposition forward packs on both attack and defence.
du Toit has averaged almost 14 tackles per match this year and was the Springboks’ only forward to play in all three games of the Rainbow Nation’s Rugby Championship title run.
How the big South African matches up against England’s ‘kamikaze kids’ in next week’s final could have a large say on whether du Toit earns the Player of the Year award, but he’s been one of the Springboks’ best throughout 2019 and thoroughly deserves any platitudes he receives.
Ardie Savea (New Zealand)
It’s been a year dominated by defence in the international game, which is why loose forwards have stood out so much.
Ardie Savea entered the year as the All Blacks‘ incumbent openside but has spent time in all three loose forward roles.
The flanker has been monstrous for New Zealand on both attack and defence – his leg drive is an absolute sight to behold.
Plenty of praise for the Wales boys despite semi-final heartache.https://t.co/hlxWGI899H
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 27, 2019
Despite there being questions in the past concerning Savea’s size, he’s stood up against larger opposition on more than one occasion in 2019 and did everything he could to get the All Blacks over the line in their semi-final loss.
For all the work that Savea does in the tight, he’s still one of the world’s best forwards when it comes to open-field running.
A third-place finish at best might hamper Savea’s chances at the top gong, but if World Rugby are willing to look outside the World Cup finalists for the Player of the Year then Savea would be a worthy recipient.
The best of the rest
Alun Wyn Jones (Wales) has been a tireless grafter for his side over the past 10 months and has led his team with aplomb. Being dubbed the Player of the Year would cap off an excellent career for the Northern Hemisphere’s most capped player.
Anton Lienert-Brown (New Zealand) wasn’t a shoo-in to even start in the midfield for the All Blacks but he’s taken his chances well and has regularly been one New Zealand’s best on the park.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B4IZIcCg9CS/
Semi Radradra (Fiji) put on two of the best performances you’ll ever see in the Pacific Islanders’ pool games against Australia and Wales. In fact, there’s more than one player that stood out from the Flying Fijians but a pool stages exit won’t have helped their cause.
Cheslin Kolbe (South Africa) is excellent to watch and has re-affirmed the place of the ‘little men’ in world rugby.
Kazuki Himeno (Japan) wouldn’t have been on many people’s radars prior to the World Cup, but that’s all changed now. Himeno’s carrying was up there with the best and fans will be hoping to see more of the number 8 on the world stage moving forward. The same could be said for Japan’s wings, Kotaro Matsushima and Kenki Fukuoka.
Japan stood out at the 2019 World Cup for their exciting play – what does the future hold for the Brave Blossoms?:
Comments on RugbyPass
The shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to comments